VMware Player : running Windows and Lunix simultaneously

Objective: using Windows XP and Lunix Ubuntu 9.10 simultaneously.
Requirements: you must be used to linux to apply some instructions below.


General idea:

Using your default OS (ex. Win XP), you will be able to run inside a window another OS with full capabilities (ex. linux). For instance, this will allow you to use Microsoft Office and Endnote, and simultaneously a terminal connected by ssh or emacs. For that, we need a virtual machines emulator (i.e. VMware Player) and a virtual appliance (i.e. a full OS prepared for VMware).

Definitions:

• host system: your main operating system (OS) (here Windows XP).
• guest system: the secondary operating system installed inside and ran by the host system (here Ubuntu 9.10).

Download software for free:

• VMware Player 3.0: 
• go to www.vmware.com
• register and download VMware Player 3.0 for the host OS.
• Ubuntu 9.10 virtual appliance:
• go to www.vmware.com/appliances/
• search for ubuntu 9.10
• download from LINHOST: Ubuntu 9.10 Desktop installation with VMware Tools (other OS are available)
• don't forget to note the default user and password from the download page (may be 'vadmin' and 'sector7g' respectively).

Installation:

• Install VMware Player in Windows XP.
• decompress the Ubuntu file in Mes Documents\My Virtual Machines directory.

Running:

• Run VMware Player and open Ubuntu 9.10.vmx from the Ubuntu directory.
• Ubuntu will boot inside VMware Player, then use default user name and password to log in. Be careful of the keyboard language on the bottom of the login screen.

Configuration:

• Configuration using the VM menu of VMware Player
• You can activate and configure available hardware for the guest (ex. Memory and hard disk). 
• Check Network connection. using NAT may be the simplest. 
• In Options tab you will be able to configure a shared folder (from Windows) between the host and the guest. 
• Some options may be available only if the virtual machine is off. 
• Linux configuration
• You should create a new Ubuntu user with administrative rights and delete the default one.
• Add this line to /etc/fstab as administrator to mount the shared folder automatically:
• .host:/         /mnt/hgfs       vmhgfs  defaults,ttl=5 0 0

• Installing VMTools (they help the communication between the host and the guest): see details below.

• When restarting enter the BIOS and enable Virtualization features of your CPU if available.

Recommendations and remarks:

• To stop the virtual machine use the VM menu and select Power/Suspend. It will be very fast to stop and to restart next time.
• Drag and drop of files or text should work between the host and the guest. 
• Check your Windows mouse drivers to be sure that buttons are properly configured (especially the middle click).

Details on installing VMTools:

Lucid Lynx Ubuntu 10.04:

• apt-get install --no-install-recommends linux-headers-virtual open-vm-dkms open-vm-tools
• restart

Alternative method (Linux kernel >= 2.6.31) (http://langui.sh/2009/10/05/ubuntu-9-10-in-vmware/):

• sudo apt-get install open-vm-tools build-essential open-vm-toolbox
• sudo m-a
• Choose select and activate open-vm
• Click okay, then select build
• Once it completes it will ask if you want to install. Choose yes, then quit out of m-a and reboot.
• After a reboot check to see that the vm modules inserted into the kernel properly.
• lsmod | grep vm
• The 4 following modules should be listed: vmsync,vmmemctl, vmhgfs, vmci.

Alternative method for LINHOST appliances:

• sudo vmware-config-tools.pl
• /usr/bin/vmware-user
• then restart the virtual machine