Installing VMware Server

Firstly, we need to install the gcc compiler so VMware can compile its kernel modules:

yum install gcc

To install VMware, save the RPM from the VMware site in an appropriate location, and run the following to install it:

rpm -ivh VMware-server-1.0.4-56528.i386.rpm

Then run:

/usr/bin/vmware-config.pl

which runs the VMware configuration utility. You’ll see this:

Making sure services for VMware Server are stopped.

Stopping VMware services:
Virtual machine monitor [ OK ]

You must read and accept the End User License Agreement to continue. Press enter to display it.

Do you accept? (yes/no)

Press enter to display the license, then press ‘q’ to quit and then type in yes to accept the license.

In which directory do you want to install the mime type icons?
[/usr/share/icons]

Accept the default and press enter.

The path ”/usr/share/icons” does not exist currently. This program is going to create it, including needed parent directories. Is this what you want? [yes]

Press enter.

What directory contains your desktop menu entry files? These files have a .desktop file extension. [/usr/share/applications]

Press enter.

In which directory do you want to install the application’s icon? [/usr/share/pixmaps]

Press enter.

Trying to find a suitable vmmon module for your running kernel.

None of the pre-built vmmon modules for VMware Server is suitable for your running kernel. Do you want this program to try to build the vmmon module for your system (you need to have a C compiler installed on your system)? [yes]

Press enter. This is where we need GCC to compile the vmware kernel module for our running kernel.

What is the location of the directory of C header files that match your running kernel? [/lib/modules/2.6.18-8.1.14.el5/build/include]

Press enter. This is where the kernel headers and source are to enable compilation.

Extracting the sources of the vmmon module.

Building the vmmon module.

Using 2.6.x kernel build system.
make: Entering directory `/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only’
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.18-8.1.14.el5/build/include/.. SUBDIRS=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. modules
make1: Entering directory `/usr/src/kernels/2.6.18-8.1.14.el5-x86_64’
CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/hostif.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/common/cpuid.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/common/hash.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/common/memtrack.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/common/phystrack.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/common/task.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/common/vmx86.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/vmcore/moduleloop.o LD [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/vmmon.o Building modules, stage 2. MODPOST CC /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/vmmon.mod.o LD [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/vmmon.ko
make1: Leaving directory `/usr/src/kernels/2.6.18-8.1.14.el5-x86_64’
cp -f vmmon.ko ./../vmmon.o
make: Leaving directory `/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only’
The module loads perfectly in the running kernel.

This should now have compiled OK.

Do you want networking for your virtual machines? (yes/no/help) [yes]

Press enter for yes. We do want networking in our VMs.

Configuring a bridged network for vmnet0.

Your computer has multiple ethernet network interfaces available: eth0, eth1. Which one do you want to bridge to vmnet0? [eth0]

Because we have two ethernet ports on the server, it will assign virtual interfaces to both of them. Press enter here, since we want vmnet0 to map to eth0.

The following bridged networks have been defined:

. vmnet0 is bridged to eth0

Do you wish to configure another bridged network? (yes/no) [no]

The following bridged networks have been defined:

. vmnet0 is bridged to eth0

Do you wish to configure another bridged network? (yes/no) [no] yes

Type yes, because we want to assign eth1.

Configuring a bridged network for vmnet2.

The following bridged networks have been defined:

. vmnet0 is bridged to eth0
. vmnet2 is bridged to eth1

All your ethernet interfaces are already bridged.

Do you want to be able to use NAT networking in your virtual machines? (yes/no) [yes]

Type no here. This just means that it will create a virtual network sitting behind NAT, which we don’t need.

Do you want to be able to use host-only networking in your virtual machines? [no]

Type yes here, because this creates a virtual internal network that we can put our VMs on, separate from the physical network.

Configuring a host-only network for vmnet1.

Do you want this program to probe for an unused private subnet? (yes/no/help) [yes]

Press enter here. This will just assign an unused network address to the virtual network.

Probing for an unused private subnet (this can take some time)...

The subnet 172.16.120.0/255.255.255.0 appears to be unused.

The following host-only networks have been defined:

. vmnet1 is a host-only network on private subnet 172.16.120.0.

Do you wish to configure another host-only network? (yes/no) [no]

Press enter for no here.

Extracting the sources of the vmnet module.

Building the vmnet module.

Using 2.6.x kernel build system.
make: Entering directory `/tmp/vmware-config0/vmnet-only’
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.18-8.1.14.el5/build/include/.. SUBDIRS=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. modules
make<sup>1</sup>: Entering directory `/usr/src/kernels/2.6.18-8.1.14.el5-x86_64’ CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmnet-only/driver.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmnet-only/hub.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmnet-only/userif.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmnet-only/netif.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmnet-only/bridge.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmnet-only/procfs.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmnet-only/smac_compat.o SHIPPED /tmp/vmware-config0/vmnet-only/smac_linux.x86_64.o LD [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmnet-only/vmnet.o Building modules, stage 2. MODPOST
WARNING: could not find /tmp/vmware-config0/vmnet-only/.smac_linux.x86_64.o.cmd for /tmp/vmware-config0/vmnet-only/smac_linux.x86_64.o CC /tmp/vmware-config0/vmnet-only/vmnet.mod.o LD [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmnet-only/vmnet.ko
make¹: Leaving directory `/usr/src/kernels/2.6.18-8.1.14.el5-x86_64’
cp -f vmnet.ko ./../vmnet.o
make: Leaving directory `/tmp/vmware-config0/vmnet-only’
The module loads perfectly in the running kernel.

Please specify a port for remote console connections to use

There may be a warning here about port 902 already being in use. Press enter, and if there is a warning that port 902 is in use just enter 902 anyway.

In which directory do you want to keep your virtual machine files?
[/var/lib/vmware/Virtual Machines]

Type in the location /vms. This is where our VM partition is.

Please enter your 20-character serial number.

Type XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX or ‘Enter’ to cancel:

For this, just copy and past one of the serial numbers in. If you registered, you should have got a bunch e-mailed to you.

Starting VMware services:

Virtual machine monitor [ OK ]

Virtual ethernet [ OK ]

Bridged networking on /dev/vmnet0 [ OK ]

Host-only networking on /dev/vmnet1 (background) [ OK ]

Bridged networking on /dev/vmnet2 [ OK ]

The configuration of VMware Server 1.0.4 build-56528 for Linux for this running kernel completed successfully.

All done.