Re: [gentoo-amd64] [100% OFF TOPIC] Where does one learn about running vmware under Gentoo?

[Paul Hartman]

On Fri, Jan 30, 2009 at 11:15 AM, Mark Knecht <markknecht@×××××.com> wrote:
> On Fri, Jan 30, 2009 at 8:43 AM, Tom <uebershark@××××××××××.com> wrote:
>>>Are there any flags in /proc/cpuinfo that show this? The processors is
>>>a 4 year old AMD64. Likely or not?
>>
>> Check your bios. If your CPU+board support it, there will be an option
>> to enable-disable it.
>> A 4year old AMD64, something like athlon3000+ ? (which is what I've got)
>> probably won't have it.
>>
>> But I'm not sure that you'll need it. I don't use vmware for
>> virtualisation, I've messed with virtualbox which works ok and is very
>> easy to setup, but prefer qemu.Both perform ok, even without 'hardware
>> virtualisation' features.
>>
>> I guess you'll just have to go by trial and error, especially when
>> you're depending on using stuff like hardware-dongles.
>>
>> Tom
>>
>>
>
> So far I don't see anything obvious in BIOS. I don't see the flag that
> Paul thought was the right one although the flag 'vme' is interesting
> if for no other reason than it's close to the right initials:.
>
> mark@lightning ~ $ cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep flags
> flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov
> pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 syscall nx mmxext fxsr_opt lm
> 3dnowext 3dnow rep_good pni lahf_lm
> mark@lightning ~ $
>

vme = Virtual-8086 Mode Enhancement. But not /that/ kind of virtual.
:) I think VME has origins back in the 386 or 486 days...

Your CPU doesn't have hardware virtualization, but that's OK, it
should still run rather well anyway.

> The hardware dongle thing isn't a big deal. I don't use the program
> much anymore. If it's not supported it's no big deal, but I'll
> certainly check it out. I think the issue with it is you have to
> install some special driver software to make it work and I'm assuming
> that's not supported at all in virtualization, unless possibly I make
> my own Windows image that has it installed or something like that.
> Again, no big deal.

Drivers should work just fine. All of the drivers for my phone etc
work without issues. It's really like a real computer in there. The
base hardware (motherboard/disks/sound/video) are fixed to whatever
vmware uses in their virtual machine, but external stuff should work.

> Last, for now - is it the server or the workstation I need to emerge?
> (Or both?) I need to go read about what they do. Where does my XP
> image come from? Do I install Windows myself, like we did on the old
> Win4Lin product?

vmware-server is the free one. (you may need to register at vmware.com
for a free serial number, I don't remember). It runs in the
background, so you'll also need to emerge the vmware-server-console
which is the nice GUI that lets you do everything easily (and see the
terminal of your virtual machines).

the virtual PC can mount an ISO image or attach directly to your
normal CD/DVD drive. Basically just put the CD in, attach the CD drive
to VMware and voila :) You'll get to partition, format, etc. It'll be
like a new computer with a blank hard drive.

Once Windows is installed, you'll have to install the vmware add-ons.
I think this is automatic (or it prompts you). That will basically
make the Windows OS use special drivers that make vmware run much
faster, and allow you to move your mouse in and out of the virtual
machine window, sharing folders between linux & windows, that kind of
stuff.

There are also dozens (hundreds?) of free preconfigured vmware images
available on vmware's website for various things, like linux distros,
specialized set-ups like linux routers or whatever.