How to install VMware and run it?
 

Hey guys im really having problems getting vmware working.
I am trying to install vmware server 2 so that i can run flash professional on ubuntu but the problem is that im really lost. I have the tar download i just cant install it right.
If any body has installed vmware server 2 properly and could give me any help it would greatly appreciated.

As far as installing VMWare, read the installation manual, or any of the hundreds of guides on Google. You might also try searching for threads in the Ubuntu forum.

That said, I'd highly recommend Virtualbox over VMWare.

--jrtayloriv

Amen.
Just remember it's the ctrl key on the >RIGHT< hand side of the keyboard that releases your cursor,,, not a hammer. :D

Having used both, professionally and privately, I'd also recommend VirtualBox for almost every circumstance. It usually installs quite easily and is a bit less of a resource hog. (Although I think VMWare does better with memory, in that if you allot memory to a VirtualBox machine, that memory is unusable by anything else, while VMWare is dynamic in memory allocation--but I could easily be wrong about that.)

At any rate, VirtualBox installs easily and gives you a console for your virtual machine, whereas with VMWare, you have to get the console by going through a web browser, wasting more resources. VirtualBox improves with each iteration, literally getting better and better, whereas, like many people, I felt that VMWare's decision to change server 2 from a virtual machine console to a web browser interface was a bad idea.

Interesting because I've tried virtualbox on Windows and on Linux too and both of them was horrible slow to compare it to VMware.

As you can see below I've got a quick machine so I would not say that the HW is the real problem.

To install a new virtual client-machine(CentOS) on Virtualbox has about twice time vs VMware.

It might getting better but still far away from VMware.

I really don't understand why people prefer something that is not quick/stable. Cause free? VMware is free too. (Server/ESXi)

Only one thing is better than VMware to install Virtualbox itself because it takes 1/4 time than VMware and easier too.

Laz

I haven't installed that particular version (and now use VirtualBox instead), but typically the process would be:

1. untar the archive
2. make sure you have separately installed the linux kernel headers
3. run the installer from the vmware archive (eg vminstall.pl)

I notice some of the newer versions of vmware products make this a bit easier (eg the deb packages for the player version), but the underlying process is still the same.

The installer will not only install the binaries, but will rebuild drivers to suit your kernel (which is why you need the headers). There are other possible issues (eg, mismatched versions of gcc), but you'll know if that happens.

If you could detail the problems (errors, etc), it will help people diagnose the issues.