VMware Installation , Configuration on Fedora Core 5

In this post , I am going to share my experiences with you all , of how was I able to install VMware 5.5.1 on Linux (Fedora Core 5) and configure it and finally install windows XP through it.
So following the step-by-step procedure we start up right away(follow all the below steps by login via root user only):

Step 1) Vmware needs that the kernel and it's appropriate sources are installed properly on your system. I recommend you to install the latest kernel for Fedora core 5. You can do this by issuing the following simple commands (note that you need to be connected to internet as a root user in order for these commands to run successfully):
a) yum install kernel
b) yum install kernel-devel
This will install the latest kernel and it's source code. The version I have is 2.6.16-1.2080_FC5. After you do this step you need to reboot and boot into the newly installed kernel.

Step 2) We need the VMware Software for Fedora Core 5. For this we can go here and follow the steps described there. Download the RPM file for VMware 5.5.1-19175 version.

Step 3) As the above software is a shareware version you get a key for the first 30 days trial on the e-mail provided by you during registration on the link provided in step (2), note down the key and save it somewhere in a text file we will need it after installation and configuration finishes up.

Step 4) Now as VMware 5.5.1 has reported some problem during the configuration in Fedora Core 5 we will need to download this specially created perl script from here.

Step 5) Install VMware from the rpm by issuing the following command:

rpm -ivh VMware-workstation-5.5.1-19175.i386.rpm

Step 6) After installing the above rpm we need to extract the script downloaded in step (4) and follow these steps:

a) gzip -d vmware-any-any-update101.tar.gz
b) tar -xf vmware-any-any-update101.tar
c) cd vmware-any-any-update101
d) ./runme.pl

Step 6) After you run the runme perl script it will ask you many things. These should be your answers:

Question 1) Before running VMware for the first time after update, you need to configure it for your running kernel by invoking the following command:
"/usr/bin/vmware-config.pl". Do you want this script to invoke the command for
you now? [yes]

Answer 1) Press Enter

Then Read the License Agreement (press Space Bar 7-8 times) and in the end type yes and press Enter.

Question 2) In which directory do you want to install the mime type icons?
[/usr/share/icons]

Answer 2) Press Enter

Question 3) What directory contains your desktop menu entry files? These files have a
.desktop file extension. [/usr/share/applications]

Answer 3) Press Enter

Question 4) In which directory do you want to install the application's icon?
[/usr/share/pixmaps]

Answer 4) Press Enter

Question 5) None of the pre-built vmmon modules for VMware Workstation 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]

Answer 5) Press Enter

Question 6) What is the location of the directory of C header files that match your running kernel? [/lib/modules/2.6.16-1.2080_FC5/build/include]

Answer 6) Yes (note your directory listing may differ with the given here !)

Question 7) Do you want networking for your virtual machines? (yes/no/help) [yes]

Answer 7) Press Enter (if you don't want networking type no and press enter). If you need to run internet from your virtual machine in future and you happen to use a broadband connection please select yes and press enter.

Question 8) Do you want to be able to use NAT networking in your virtual machines? (yes/no) [yes]

Answer 8) This depends. For my setting I typed no and Pressed Enter.

Question 9) Do you want to be able to use host-only networking in your virtual machines?[no]

Answer 9) Answer it yes or no if you want/don't want to communicate with your Fedora Core 5 host machine inside the virtual machine you install later. I choosed no.

Step 7) After these simple questions and configuration of VMware-5.5.1 finishes off and now we can run the vmware software by issuing the following command at command line:

vmware

Step 8) Once the software starts up goto Help->Enter Serial Number ... and paste the serial number you got via email during step (3).

And voila! VMware is now installed and configured on your fedora core 5 machine.
In the next post I am going to explain you how did I configured the Windows XP Professional Virtual Machine inside VMware and that too through the step by step guide. So for the time being just play around with the above guide and try your hands with the different options giving in the software.

Happy Linux'ing !!