Intalling VMware 6.0 in Linux

I found this link which give me some instructions with what to do to get the rpm from VMware into something that can be installed using the package manager.

http://glyphobet.net/blog/?p=10

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r) build-essential gcc-3.4

I have to have the Ubuntu install disk to do this. Wonderful.

Media change: please insert the disc labeled
'Ubuntu 7.10 _Gutsy Gibbon_ - Release i386 (20071016)'
in the drive '/cdrom/' and press enter

Have to install 'fakeroot' using the Synaptic Package Manager.

Have to install 'alien' using the Synaptic Package Manager.

fakeroot alien VMware-workstation-6.0.*.rpm

Remember to exit package manager before running command.

sudo dpkg -i vmwareworkstation_6.0.*.deb

Edit /etc/vmware/locations as root and add the following three lines:

1. Just after

   answer BINDIR /usr/bin

   add

   answer SBINDIR /usr/sbin

2. Just after

   remove_answer BINDIR
   answer BINDIR /usr/bin

   add

   remove_answer SBINDIR
   answer SBINDIR /usr/sbin

Bad news, there is no locations file.

The other instructions I see are for using the tar file.

yeh!!! I found the locations file in the install folder.

Doing edits and than coping it to the specified location.

Next problem. The locations file already contains the line they are asking me to add.

Also the second part they ask me to add is not present.

Leaving the locations file alone and just copying it to the location mentioned.

sudo cp locations /etc/vmware/

Next problem. The config file is not where it is suppose to be.

Spoke with Steve and there are some problem with converting rpm packages.

He recommends that I use the TAR file.

Cleanup the install.

This was a little painful but I think I have un-installed the package.

First I had to find out what the package was:

sudo dpkg --info vmwareworkstation_6.0.2-59825_i386.deb

Next I had to purge it:

sudo dpkg -p vmwareworkstation

It seems I have done things in the wrong order. I believe that I first need to remove and than purge.

sudo dpkg -r vmwareworkstation

Even doing a remove followed by a purge I still see configuration files.

I am going to do a find and remove by had the files the are still present.

I believe that there are lot of VMware related file in my user directory from when I was playing with VMware before.

Looks like I may already have the TAR file.

I am punting on this for the moment and going back to XP. If I can.

Linux Dual Monitors

Following this Ubuntu HOWTO: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=221174

I am going to use the ATI BigDesktop.

Need to install the restricted ATI driver.

Backing Up

Backed up the new Linux root folder '/' to the external drive and 'backups/hda6.tar'

This doesn't contain all the updates, but that should not be a problem.

Preparing for the dual screen setup.

Looking to the Future

I would like to upgrade my portable.

This look like a good system: Aspire AS7520-5757

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0278965

1. Expands to 4GB of memory.
2. Takes the newer SATA drives.
3. 17" screen
4. NVIDIA video
5. Gigabit Ethernet
6. 4 USB ports
7. weight is 7.41 lbs.
8. Price is 699.99 from more than one place.

This is new, but if I can find this system refurbished in about a year or two the price should drop a lot. Maybe down to around 4 to 5 hundred.

Finally Working

Found the missing driver on the Gateway site while trying to install ALL the recommended Gateway drivers. This has been a real pain.

Still Not Working

I believe I have the right sound file but it will not run.

I have down loaded it 3 times.

Once from here: ftp://ftp.gateway.com/pub/hardware_support/drivers/win_xp/portable/mx6000/

However, it will not start.

It is from New Boundary Technologies file version 5.0.0.0 date create 9/27/06

Sound Driver from Gateway

Daniel M. suggest that I get the sound driver from Gateway.

Found the driver but after a extract and try to run it nothing happens. Nothing. No error message. No error message in the command-line.

The read me is wrong.

Still No Sound

I update to all the most recent MS downloads and still no sound.

No Sound

There is no sound.

I see no clue that there is a problem. However, when I select the Advance Volume Controls option on the top left panel in the 'Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices' I get the following message.

There are no active mixer devices available. To install mixer devices, go to Control Panel, click Printers and other Hardware, and than click Add Hardware.

I only see 3 devices that are not installed.

Not Doing Well

It did not spot that my card driver was missing.

It did not spot that I am missing the ATI graphics card driver.

Both of these things are bad.

OK, let go to MS and see if they can do any better.

I just noticed that Ethernet controller under other devices and everything else under other devices has a question mark. Not cool.

Download the MS update driver and I am now run the 'Express' option.

The update has done nothing to get rid of the question marks.

Running the MS Express update again.

Went directly to the question mark and it has found the driver on the CD.

Marvel Yukon 88#8038 PCI-E Fast Ethernet Controller.

Found ATI Ratheon card.

Trying to Get the Ethernet Card Working

In an effort to get the Ethernet card working, I am uninstalling the driver and than asking Gateway to do an update.

I think that was a mistake. I should have only uninstalled the driver not the device.

Installing Broadcom Wireless Driver

Downloading from the http://support.gateway.com site.

I am hoping that I can get the wireless connection working and than using Gateways auto-update to update the rest of the missing drivers.

I had to unpack to two separate directories before I finally could run the install packages.

Installed

MIssing Windows Drivers

The network and graphics cards are not working.

Bob S. suggested that I go to the Gateway site and get the most recent drivers.

This is such a big difference between Linux and Windows install. Linux had the drivers and the ones it was missing it downloaded. Everything worked out of the box.

I am still struggling with windows.

Installing Linux

I am finally installing Gutsy 7.10 i386 Ubuntu Linux on the new partitions.

Using GParted in from the live Linux install disk to set up the partitions
Created the 5GB partition on /dev/hd1, which is what I want.

Looking at the sizes of the individual paritions.

Total size of / root with /home is 36 GiB. Subtract 25 for user and that gives me 11 GiB. Making a root of 15 GiB.

Creating Linux partitions in remaining 122.22 GiB.

• Creating a swap of 4 GiB at the end of the current partition. This is because the old that was created for 1 GiB of memory was 2 GiB. I now have 2 GiB of memory so I am creating one for 4 GiB.
  
• Creating a / partition of 15 GiB.
  
• Creating a /home partition of 113 GiB. If completely reinstalling the users will need to be created in the same order.
  
• Creating a /boot partitions of 200 MiB.
• Creating a swap of 4.73 GiB.

Disconnecting the external drive so that its swap wont be used.

/dev/hda2 - ext3 /boot
/dev/hda3 - fat32
/dev/hda1 - NTFS
/dev/hda4 - extended
/dev/hda7 - ext3 /
/dev/hda5 - ext2 /home
/dev/hda6 - swap

The copy of a partition will take 14 hours.

Deleting and remaking.

Yes, this is a few minutes instead of a few hours.

Creating Dos Paritions

Using GParted in Linux to make the partitions the way I want them.

The Gateway windows CD made the whole drive NTFS.

Need to look at my old drive and see what a minimum setup for windows should be.

The drive attaches as /dev/sda[1..5]

Gparted crash updating the devices.

• Shrank the NTFS partition down from 149 to 21 GB than realized that it needs to be bigger so I set it to 25 GiB.
  
• Created and format 5 GB partition in front of that as 32.

Unable to Restore

The Gateway Operating System Disc is insisting on using the recovery disk.

However, with Grub install in old MBR is gone and it is confused.

Using Linux to delete to old recovery partition and hoping that I can then install the way I want and resize the NTFS partion to something smaller.

Trouble Reinstalling Windows - MBR

Using the Gateway recovery disk that came with my computer.

The following window has came up:

MBRInst [options]

• /ini f - get string and settings from INI file f
• /disk n - use physical drive n[1..9]
• /stealth - force installation of the one sector MBR that hides the SmartImage partition in stealth mode
• /stdmbr - force installation of a standard MBR
• /active n - activate partition n [1..4]
• /r - force recovery boot on next system start
• /s - force service boot on next system start
• /u - force user boot on next system start
• /b file - save backup of old MBR to file
• /mbr file - get new mbr from file
• /log f - log all messages to file f
• /q - do not display anything

Options /r, /s and /u are mutally exclusive

Night Mare on New Drive Street

It has been a real challenge installing my current new drive.

• Was unable to copy of the old NTFS partition.
• Grub did now copy over right
• Daniel told me that I have two MS OS stooping on each other so I had to reinstall windows anyway.

Dream Laptop

These are some of the things I would like on a laptop:

It needs to have the same capabilities as my current laptop and the following

• At least 4 GB of memory capacity (current is 2 GB)
  
• SATA drive capable (current is PATA)
  
• eSATA connection (slow PCMCIA card)
  
• 15 inch screen (current is 15.4)
  
• 6.5 lbs or less in weight (current is 6.32 lbs)

Serial Number for Laptop

Trying to get a copy of Ghost Script so that I can ghost my old drive to my new one.

RL000071297020020

Here is the Ghost Script information:

Ghost Solution Suite 2 for Microsoft Windows XP

Additional Information

The Ghost Solution Suite distribution contains two files: the program installer and a license file which is required for registration. To install and register Ghost follow these steps.

1. Extract both files to a folder on your computer
2. Run the Ghost Solution Suite installer
3. Start Ghost Console
4. Select Help->Register Console->Add Symantec License File
5. Browse to the folder you extracted the Ghost distribution zip file to and select the license (.slf) file
6. Click OK

Your copy of Ghost is now registered and ready to use.

Please remember that every time you install Ghost, you are using one license, and every time you put an image on another computer, you are using one license. If you would like to subscribe for more licenses than you already have, you must go back to the Software Distribution web page to request additional licenses.

Files

Back to Commandline

I am back to the command line.

I am not sure what changed, but X11 can not do some change it would like to do and keeps restarting itself over and over again.

I was running with at work with the second high res lcd screen.

I did some new firefox updates and had given root a password.

Steve G. suggested.

I think I need to uninstall fglrx.

Specs for My Laptop

It seems that I forgot to include this information in my blog.

Here is the link to the Gateway site on my machine: http://support.gateway.com/s/Mobile/Q106/BladeK8F/1013912Rsp2.shtml


MX6448 Notebook Specifications
Part Number: 1013912RGateway MX6448 Notebook

Feature	Description
Processor	AMD Turion™ 64 X2 Mobile Technology TL-50 Operates at 1.6 GHz | 256 KB ×2 L2 Cache HyperTransport™ technology at up to 1600 MHz
LCD Screen	15.4-inch Ultrabright™ WXGA TFT (1280 × 800)
Chipset	ATI RS485M
Memory	1024 MB 533 MHz DDR2 (2 × 512) Expandable to 2 GB Total Slots: 2 DDR2 Slots | Available Slots: 0 DDR2 Slots
Video	ATI Radeon® Xpress 1150 Graphics with up to 128 MB of Shared Video Memory
Audio	High Definition 2 Channel Audio
Hard Drive	120 GB 4200 RPM PATA hard drive
Optical Drive	DVD+/-RW Multi-Format Double Layer (up to 8.5 GB) Write maximum: 8X DVD +/-R, 6X DVD-RW, 8X DVD+RW, 2X DVD-R DL, 2.4X DVD+R DL, 24X CD-R and 16X CD-RW Read maximum: 24X CD-R/RW/ROM, 8X DVD-R/RW/ROM, 4X DVD+/-R DL, RAM
Media Reader	6-in-1 Digital Media Manager Memory Stick® Memory Stick Pro® Multimedia Card™ Secure Digital™ MiniSD (when used with adapter that is supplied with card) RS-MMC (when used with adapter that is supplied with card)
Modem	56K ITU V.92 ready Fax/Modem
Network	Integrated 802.11g Wireless LAN Integrated 10/100 Ethernet
Interfaces	4 - USB 2.0 Ports 1 - VGA External Connector 1 - S-Video Connector 1 - IEEE 1394 port 1 - RJ11 1 - RJ45 Microphone In Headphone / Audio Out 1 - Kensington Lock Slot 1 - AC Adapter Connector
Pointing Device	Integrated Synaptics Touchpad with Vertical Scroll Zone
PCMCIA	1 - Type I or Type II; Card Bus
Battery	6-cell Lithium-ion
Dimensions	1.31 to 1.40-inches H × 14.09-inches W × 10.39-inches D
Weight	6.32 pounds