VMWare server questions

[markw-FJ05HQ0HCKaWd6l5hS35sQ at public.gmane.org (Mark Woodward)]

From: Jerry Feldman <gaf-mNDKBlG2WHs at public.gmane.org>
> Subject: VMWare server questions
> To: Boston Linux and Unix<discuss-mNDKBlG2WHs at public.gmane.org>
> Message-ID:<4C3B1A32.1050203-mNDKBlG2WHs at public.gmane.org>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> I just downloaded and installed VMWare server as a temporary method to
> run Windows server on one of our Linux systems. The system is a dual
> core Intel x86_64 with 16GB memory running RHEL 5.2 with virtualization
> enabled in the BIOS. I took all of the defaults using vmware-config.pl.
> I also installed Firefox 3.6. The vmware command successfully launches
> firefox, with:https://127.0.0.1:8333/ui/
> I can confirm that vmware is listening on port 8333:
> vmware-ho  9267      root    6u     IPv4
> 23053                 TCP *:8333 (LISTEN)
>
> VMWare does accept the connection and changes the background, but just
> hangs on "loading". I've disabled adblock and allowed popups.
>
> I've got both SELinux and the firewall disabled. dmesg shows that the
> vmci driver is up and vmnet is up.
>    
I have had problems with various VMWare installations, but then again, 
I'm an Ubuntu user. VMWare's network mapping is, IMHO, overly complex  
just getting connections through to the Windows VM is a PITA.

I don't have enough information to say either way what your specific 
problem is, but I have a similar setup where I run VMs to provide 
services. I am using libvirt and KVM (QEMU) and I am, as we speak, 
compiling Windows code on an XP SP2 VM on my x86_64 system.

Using libvirt connections to VM's console default to VNC which is 
excellent in a networked service environment, but suck for games. RedHat 
makes two para-ritualized drivers for network and disk. And setting up a 
new machine is trivial through virt-manager.

If you don't solve your problems with VMWare and aren't stuck with a 
specific legacy VM, I'd switch from VMWare to libvirt/KVM. I did it 
myself when VMWare wouldn't compile on Ubuntu, and don't regret my 
decision at all.