VMware

Sometimes I have to use Windows software in native Windows environment. VMware Player is a free software to run virtual machines, where you can install Windows. Installation is quite straightforward and easy. Just register on their website, download VMware Player and install it according to instructions. Just remember that when you update Linux kernel, VMware Player has to rebuild certain modules, but even this is nowadays automated.

After installation you can create as many virtual machines as you want. Machine is defined as an vmx-file. Here is one example, which is used for Windows XP Pro. In addition to vmx file, you will also need blank virtual disk (vmdk-file), where you can install Windows operating system.


#!/opt/vmware/bin/vmware
.encoding = "UTF-8"
config.version = "8"
virtualHW.version = "7"
ide0:0.present = "TRUE"
ide0:0.filename = "WindowsXPPro.vmdk"
memsize = "512"
MemAllowAutoScaleDown = "FALSE"
ide1:0.present = "TRUE"
ide1:0.fileName = "auto detect"
ide1:0.deviceType = "cdrom-raw"
ide1:0.autodetect = "TRUE"
floppy0.present = "FALSE"
Ethernet0.present = "TRUE"
Ethernet0.connectionType = "nat"
usb.present = "TRUE"
ehci.present = "TRUE"
sound.present = "TRUE"
sound.virtualDev = "es1371"
displayName = "Windows XP Pro"
guestOS = "winxppro"
nvram = "WindowsXPPro.nvram"
MemTrimRate = "-1"
priority.grabbed = "normal"
priority.ungrabbed = "normal"
powerType.powerOff = "hard"
powerType.powerOn = "hard"
powerType.suspend = "hard"
powerType.reset = "hard"
ide0:0.redo = ""
ethernet0.addressType = "generated"
uuid.location = "56 4d 5c cf d5 37 1e 7e-87 fc 6c f3 6f ef f3 b4"
uuid.bios = "56 4d 5c cf d5 37 1e 7e-87 fc 6c f3 6f ef f3 b4"
ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:0c:29:ef:f3:b4"
ethernet0.generatedAddressOffset = "0"
virtualHW.productCompatibility = "hosted"
cleanShutdown = "TRUE"
replay.supported = "FALSE"
tools.remindInstall = "FALSE"
tools.syncTime = "TRUE"
ide1:0.startConnected = "TRUE"
uuid.action = "create"
checkpoint.vmState = "Windows XP Pro.vmss"
extendedConfigFile = "Windows XP Pro.vmxf"
unity.wasCapable = "TRUE"
replay.filename = ""
vmotion.checkpointFBSize = "24576000"
isolation.tools.hgfs.disable = "FALSE"
sharedFolder.maxNum = "1"
sharedFolder0.present = "TRUE"
sharedFolder0.enabled = "TRUE"
sharedFolder0.readAccess = "TRUE"
sharedFolder0.writeAccess = "TRUE"
sharedFolder0.hostPath = "/home/teknomagus"
sharedFolder0.guestName = "Linux_home"
sharedFolder0.expiration = "never"
usb.autoConnect.device0 = ""
usb.pciSlotNumber = "16"
ethernet0.pciSlotNumber = "17"
sound.pciSlotNumber = "18"
ehci.pciSlotNumber = "19"
usb:0.present = "TRUE"
usb:1.present = "TRUE"
usb:1.deviceType = "hub"
usb:0.deviceType = "mouse"


USB 2.0
If you are using some old vmware virtual machine image, it is possible that USB 2.0 is not enabled on it. Just make following changes in vmx-file, and you should see that USB 2.0 is enabled. The vmx should have following lines

virtualHW.version = "7"
usb.present = "TRUE"
ehci.present = "TRUE"