linux newbie with a vmware question

sross · 06-06-2004, 07:03 PM

Hi, I am a newbie and loving linux so far. I am running Mandrake 10. I have managed with days of googling to get everything up and running. I also managed to get vmware 4.5.1 installed with xp running inside that. My question is, how do I mount my XP vmware partition? I made it fat so that I can interact with it. I'm afraid things I have seen people say to do this are extremely confusing. Could anyone tell me in simple terms how to do this? for example step 1 do this, step 2 do this, etc? Thanks!!!

Alex Cavnar · 06-06-2004, 07:19 PM

The best way I've seen is not to mount it, but to share the drive as a network drive.

I'm not sure exactly how to configure the ethernet device sharing under VMware, but basically you have the ability to share an Interface device between the host OS and the VMware one. Then, mounting the XP drive would be as easy as sharing and mounting a Samba share.

solnul · 06-06-2004, 07:21 PM

VMWare stores its partitions inside special files, so you can't just mount them with a loopback device.

Instead, you can go into the VM machine configuration editor and map a directory on the host to a drive on the guest. That way, any files you put in that directory can be read by the guest.

sross · 06-06-2004, 07:27 PM

thanks, but what I mean is when my vmware machine is running i want to mount to it's 'C' drive. I sort of understand what you mean, but looking through all the vmware machine configuration options, I don't see how to do this. Do you know exactly where I need to look? major noobage here, thanks!

sross · 06-06-2004, 07:30 PM

" Then, mounting the XP drive would be as easy as sharing and mounting a Samba share."

uh oh -lost me big time

solnul · 06-06-2004, 07:35 PM

Just go to the virtual machine control panel (under "Edit->Virtual Machine Settings"), "Options" tab, "Shared Folders".

You don't need any networking stuff, just click "Add" and give it a directory name.

sross · 06-06-2004, 07:41 PM

Ok, yay! I think I'm getting close. I see the properties you mention, it has 2 fields, Name and Host Folder. For name I put in WinXP, for host folder is put: /home/sean/Desktop/WinXP but then it says it is invalid. Not sure what to put for "host folder"? I thought it would just make a folder on my linux desktop that I can open and then be inside my vmware drive. thanks for the help

sross · 06-06-2004, 07:43 PM

hmm, ok, i created a folder on my desktop called WinXP and it accepted that, but when going into the folder it is empty, maybe i need to reboot? lol

solnul · 06-06-2004, 07:50 PM

The directory will be shared between the host and guest, with all files will be stored on the host. So if, for example, you want to transfer a file to the guest, you just put it in that directory, open up the shared drive in your WinXP guest (you may have to hit F5 or Refresh) and copy it onto the guest disk.

sross · 06-06-2004, 07:53 PM

" open up the shared drive in your WinXP guest (you may have to hit F5 or Refresh) and copy it onto the guest disk."

oh gawd i am hopeless, I can't seem to find the 'shared drive' in my winxp guest. should it be in 'my computer' or do I envoke it with the vmware software? thanks for your patience

sross · 06-06-2004, 08:01 PM

got it! mapped network drive to \\.host\Shared Folders\WinXP

thanks