You can download a Beta of Vmware Workstation 6 at the vmware site.

Running Guests now under vmware will find the usb devices without you having to re-compile the SUSE kernel. USB 2.0 works as well.

here's a screenshot

http://www.1kyle.com/usbtest1.jpg

Ensure you get build 39849 or later. This build uses the sysfs system

Earlier builds won't work without a kernel compile.

Cheers

-K

Never had a problem with any 4/5.X version of VMware-workstation and usb after using the latest version of vmware-any-any-update found here;

http://platan.vc.cvut.cz/ftp/pub/vmware/

Yes you may need the kernel source or the kernel-devel rpm packages to use the vmware-any-any-update.

A couple of snippets from my vmware log file;

Feb 06 17:12:57: vmx| Log for VMware Workstation pid=11216 version=5.5.3 build=build-34685 option=Release

Feb 06 17:12:59: vmx| HOST sysname Linux, nodename Aspire5000, release 2.6.20, version #1 Sun Feb 4 19:53:03 EST 2007, machine x86_64, hz=1000

Hi there the problem is NOT with vmware but the way SUSE 10.2 has implemented the USB file system. The old way has been removed from the kernel (you can re-compile add add USB file support back again if you want).

What VMWARE did was to mount the GUEST USB device (Disk etc) using a mount point for USB that doesn't exist in SUSE 10.2 unless you actuall re-compile the kernel.

Now in release 6 VMWARE use the standard sysfs for mounting external USB disks etc so no problem with rel 6 now and you don't compromise security by re-enabling USB FS .

If you try and plug a USB disk into a Guest OS running on Vmware workstation 5.5.X you will see usb devices empty and the guest OS won't see it. USB Mice etc are ok.
it's disks and things like card readers / mp3 players etc.

On vmware workstation 6 you will now see your USB devices again.

I would NOT recommend re-compiling the kernel with the USB FS enabled again as other distros are also going to do itsoon. SUSE was the first, and it is quite a big security issue.

The current method is MUCH better --on your HOST SUSE 10.2 system you shouldn't have any problem with USB devices - it's only if you are using VMWARE and need to use external USB disks etc on your GUEST OS.

Incidentally release 6 can use USB 2.0 which of course is much better than 1.1

I thought of using the vmware update but decided to look at rel 6 instead as it works "Out of the box" and has a few other bits and pieces (as well as USB 2.0) that I like.

Cheers
K