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VMware Workstation 4.5.2 Beta Release Notes
  What's New | Requirements | Installation | Guest OS Installation | Documentation | Troubleshooting

Notes on VMware Workstation 4.5.2 Beta, Build 8707

Check back frequently for additions and updates to these release notes.

Last updated: 6/4/2004

Build 8707 is a beta build of VMware Workstation.

What's New

  • VMware Virtual Disk Manager
    Create, manage and modify virtual disk files from the command line or within scripts with the VMware Virtual Disk Manager utility. For more information, see Using VMware Virtual Disk Manager.
  • Experimental support for Solaris guest operating systems
    You may install the x86 platform edition of Solaris 9 and of Solaris 10 beta as guest operating systems in this release of Workstation. For details, see the installation notes below. VMware Tools is not available for Solaris. If you want to run the guest operating system's X server, you may do so in 16 colors.
  • Experimental support for 64-bit host computers
    You can install this release of Workstation on a 64-bit host computer that uses an AMD64 Opteron, Athlon 64 or Intel IA-32e CPU. Virtual machines you create on these hosts have 32-bit CPUs and can run 32-bit guest operating systems.
  • Experimental support for SLES 9 and SUSE LINUX 9.1 guests
    You may install a SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9 beta guest operating system just as you would on a physical computer. No special steps are needed. For notes on steps you should take after installing the operating system, see the installation notes for SLES 8. You may install a SUSE LINUX 9.1 beta guest operating system just as you would on a physical computer. No special steps are needed. For notes on steps you should take after installing the operating system, see the installation notes for SUSE LINUX 9.0.

Things to Try

As you explore this release, we'd appreciate it if you would test the following capabilities and submit a support request to report any issues you encounter.

  • VMware Virtual Disk Manager
    Use the new VMware Virtual Disk Manager to change a virtual disk's type -- for example, convert a disk with all space allocated in advance to a disk that starts small and grows as needed. Or expand the size of an existing virtual disk. Check the capabilities of this new utility and try out as many as possible.
  • Solaris guest operating system
    Using the x86 platform edition of Solaris 9 or the beta of Solaris 10, test a Solaris guest with a typical workload.
  • Host computer with 64-bit Opteron CPU
    Install this release on a 64-bit host and test a variety of 32-bit virtual machines.
  • Devices in new environments
    In testing on Solaris guests or 64-bit hosts, try a wide variety of devices connected to the virtual machine, including: USB devices, Generic SCSI devices, DVD drives, CD drives, serial devices and parallel devices.

Installation Notes

Known Issues


Before You Install the Release

Caution: We strongly recommend that you run this beta release on a nonproduction system, not a machine on which you currently run VMware Workstation.

If you must run the beta release on a computer where you are currently running VMware Workstation, and if you want to return to using the released version of VMware Workstation on that machine after you have finished testing this release, be sure to follow the preinstallation steps in this section. Some of these steps are also important in preparing to make a backup copy of a virtual machine.

There are a few steps you should take — before you install this release — to ensure the best possible experience with the new version.

  • Resume and shut down suspended virtual machines
    If you plan to use virtual machines created under earlier VMware products, be sure they have been shut down completely (not just suspended) before you remove the release you used to create them.

    If the virtual machine is suspended, resume it in the VMware product you used to create it, shut down the guest operating system, then power off the virtual machine.

  • Back up virtual machines
    Back up all the files in your virtual machine directories — including the .vmdk or .dsk, .vmx or .cfg and nvram files — for any virtual machines you plan to use under this release.

  • Back up the VMware Workstation software
    If you intend to use your older Workstation software, keep the CD-ROM or ESD installation package handy, or else back up the drive on which Workstation is currently installed.

    If you need to install the software on the same computer where you now have a shipping version of Workstation installed, make sure you back up the current installation and the virtual machine files so you can restore them later. Note that you should not enter a new serial number if you install the software on the same computer where you now have Workstation 4 installed. Your existing license is still valid, and entering a new serial number overwrites that license.

  • Uninstall the current version of Workstation
    If you are on a Windows host and need to install the software on the same computer where you now have Workstation installed, you must uninstall your current version before installing this release. To uninstall the current version, use the Add/Remove Programs control panel. When the uninstaller asks if you want to keep or remove existing licenses, choose to keep the licenses.


If You Are Upgrading from Workstation 4 to the Beta Release

  • Leave the license for the previous version in place
    The installation steps for your host may require that you run an uninstaller to remove a previous version of VMware Workstation from your machine.

    On a Windows host, the uninstaller offers to remove licenses from your registry. Do not remove the licenses.

    On a Linux host, the license remains in place. You do not need to take any special action. Just leave it where it is.


Installing the Beta Release on a Windows Host

Installing the VMware Workstation software

  1. Log on to your Microsoft Windows host with the the user name Administrator or as a user who is a member of the Administrators group.

    Caution: Do not install VMware Workstation on a Windows NT Server 4.0 system that is configured as a primary or backup domain controller.

    Note: On a Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 host computer, you must be logged in as a local administrator (that is, not logged in to the domain) in order to install VMware Workstation.

    Note: Although you must be logged in as an administrator to install VMware Workstation, a user with normal user privileges can run the program after it is installed. Keep in mind that you need one license for each user.

  2. When you install from a downloaded file, from the Start menu, choose Run, browse to the directory where you saved the downloaded installer file (the name is similar to VMwareWorkstation-<xxxx>.exe, where <xxxx> is a series of numbers representing the version and build).

  3. The Welcome dialog box appears. Click Next.

  4. Acknowledge the end user license agreement (EULA). Select the I accept the terms in the license agreement option, then click Next.

  5. Choose the directory in which to install VMware Workstation. To install it in a directory other than the default, click Change and browse to your directory of choice. If the directory does not exist, the installer creates it for you. Click Next.

    Caution: Do not install VMware Workstation on a network drive.

    Note: Windows and the Microsoft Installer limit the length of a path to a folder to 255 characters for a path to a folder on a local drive and 240 characters for a path to a folder on a mapped or shared drive. If the path to the VMware Workstation program folder exceeds this limit, an error message appears. You must select or enter a shorter path.

  6. The installer has gathered the necessary information and is ready to begin installing the software. Click Install. The installer begins copying files to your host.

    If you want to change any settings or information you provided, now is the time to make those changes. Click Back until you reach the dialog box containing the information you want to change.

  7. If the installer detects that the CD-ROM autorun feature is enabled, you are prompted with the option to disable it. Disabling this feature prevents undesirable interactions with the virtual machines you install on this system.

  8. You may see a Digital Signature Not Found dialog box when the installer begins to install the VMware Virtual Ethernet Adapter. You can safely ignore this message. Click Yes to continue the installation.

    The dialog box may sometimes be hidden behind the installer window. In this case, it may appear that the installation has hung. Check the Windows toolbar and bring the dialog box to the front so you can respond to the message.

  9. Click Finish. The VMware Workstation software is installed.

  10. A prompt suggests that you reboot your PC. Reboot now to allow VMware Workstation to complete the installation correctly.

Reinstall VMware Tools
The VMware Tools package has been updated. To take full advantage of the new release, reinstall VMware Tools in your guest operating system after you install this beta release of VMware Workstation.

To begin the installation process choose File > Install VMware Tools.

Note: Do not update VMware Tools in a virtual machine that you plan to use under an earlier VMware product. We recommend that you back up the virtual machine before running it under this beta release. This allows you to explore all the new features of the beta release while preserving the backup copy for use under earlier VMware products.


Installing the Beta Release on a Linux Host

Installing the VMware Workstation software

  1. Log on to your Linux host with the user name you plan to use when running VMware Workstation.

  2. In a terminal window, become root so you can carry out the initial installation steps.
    su -

  3. Change to the directory where you downloaded the Workstation installation package.

  4. Do one of the following:

    • To use the RPM installer: Run RPM specifying the installation file.
      rpm -Uhv VMware-<xxx>.rpm
      (where VMware-<xxx>.rpm is the installation file; in place of <xxx> the filename contains numbers and letters that correspond to the version and build)
    • To use the tar installer:Unpack the archive.
      tar zxf VMware-<xxxx>.tar.gz
      Change to the installation directory.
      cd vmware-distrib
      Run the installation script.
      ./vmware-install.pl
      Accept the default directories for binary files, library files, manual files, documentation files and init script.

  5. Run the configuration script.
    vmware-config.pl

    Note: If you use the RPM installer, you need to run this script separately from the command line. If you install from the tar archive, the installer offers to launch the configuration script for you. Answer Yes when you see the prompt.

    Use this script to reconfigure VMware Workstation whenever you upgrade your kernel. It is not necessary to reinstall VMware Workstation after you upgrade your kernel.

    You can also use vmware-config.pl to reconfigure the networking options for VMware Workstation -- for example, to add or remove host-only networks.

  6. Press Enter to read the end user license agreement (EULA). You may page through it by pressing the space bar. If the Do you accept prompt doesn't appear, press Q to get to the next prompt.

  7. The remaining prompts are worded in such a way that, in most cases, the default response is appropriate. Some exceptions are noted here:

    • The configuration script prompts you
      Do you want this script to automatically configure your system to allow your virtual machines to access the host's file system?
      If you already have Samba running on your host computer, answer No.
      If Samba is not already running on your host computer, answer Yes to this question; the VMware Workstation installer configures it for you. When prompted for a user name and password to use with the Samba configuration, enter the user name you used in step 1 above.
    • To enable host-only networking, respond Yes to the following prompts if they appear:
      Do you want your virtual machines to be able to use the host's network resources?
      Do you want to be able to use host-only networking in your virtual machines?
      Do you want this script to probe for an unused private subnet?

      Note: If you do not enable host-only networking now, you cannot allow a virtual machine to use both bridged and host-only networking.

  8. The configuration program displays a message saying the configuration completed successfully. If it does not, run the installation program again.

  9. When done, exit from the root account.
    exit

Reinstall VMware Tools
The VMware Tools package has been updated. To take full advantage of the new release, reinstall VMware Tools in your guest operating system after you install this beta release of VMware Workstation.

To begin the installation process, choose File > Install VMware Tools.

Note: Do not update VMware Tools in a virtual machine that you plan to use under an earlier VMware product. We recommend that you back up the virtual machine before running it under this beta release. This allows you to explore all the new features of the beta release while preserving the backup copy for use under earlier VMware products.


When You Create a Virtual Machine

  • Using SCSI virtual disks with Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 2003
    To use SCSI disks in a Windows Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 virtual machine, you need a special SCSI driver available from the download section of the VMware Web site. Follow the instructions on the Web site to use the driver with a fresh installation of either Windows XP or Windows Server 2003.


When You Run a Virtual Machine

  • Reinstall VMware Tools
    The VMware Tools package has been updated. To take full advantage of the new release, reinstall VMware Tools in your guest operating system after you install this beta release of VMware Workstation.

    To begin the installation process, choose File > Install VMware Tools.

    Note: Do not update VMware Tools in a virtual machine that you plan to use under an earlier VMware product. We recommend that you back up the virtual machine before running it under this beta release. This allows you to explore all the new features of the beta release while preserving the backup copy for use under earlier VMware products.


Installing a DOS Guest Operating System

If you run a DOS guest operating system, be sure to install and run a CPU idling program in the guest. Otherwise the DOS virtual machine can consume a disproportionate amount of the computer's processor time.

We have tested a program called DOSIDLE.EXE and have found it works successfully with VMware Workstation. It can be downloaded from
www.vmware.com/software/dosidle210.zip.

Follow the instructions provided with the DOSIDLE.EXE program. But be aware of the -cpu option, which causes the idle program t o access the CPU at a low level in order to optimize performance. There is a good chance that this will not work with some CPUs under VMware Workstation. VMware suggests that you not use it.


Installing a Solaris 9 or Solaris 10 Beta Guest Operating System

Workstation supports only the x86 Platform Edition. You cannot install the SPARC Platform Edition in a VMware virtual machine.

The following installation steps assume that you are installing Solaris from a set of distribution CDs.

  1. Insert the Solaris x86 Platform Edition Installation CD in the CD-ROM drive.
  2. Power on the virtual machine to start installing Solaris 9.
  3. In most respects, you should follow the installation steps as you would for a physical machine. The following steps outline the special choices you should make for installation in a virtual machine. In particular, note that it is more convenient to delay configuration of the KDM X server until near the end of the installation.
  4. When you reach the screen titled Boot Solaris, press F4 to go to the Boot Tasks screen.
  5. At the Boot Tasks screen, use the arrow keys to navigate to View/Edit Property Settings, press Enter to select it, then press F2.
  6. At the View/Edit Property Settings screen, use the arrow keys to navigate to ata-dma-enabled, press Enter to select it, then press F3 to change the value.
  7. At the Specify Value prompt, type 1 and press Enter to enable DMA.
  8. When you return to the View/Edit Property Settings screen, press F2. Then on the Boot Tasks screen, press F3.
  9. Choose CD if you are installing from the CD-ROM set and continue with the normal installation steps.
  10. When the kdmconfig - Introduction screen appears, press F4 to skip configuration of the X server for now.
    Note: It is important to skip configuration of the X server both at this point and at the point mentioned in the next step. Wait until the third opportunity -- after all the software is installed -- before configuring the X server.
  11. After the first reboot and before installing the Solaris software, the installer again displays the kdmconfig - Introduction screen. Again, press F4 to skip configuration of the X server for now.
  12. After installing all the software and rebooting, the installer again displays the kdmconfig - Introduction screen. This time, press F2 to continue with the configuration steps.
  13. Press F2 to configure the video device and monitor.
  14. Press Enter to select 16 color Standard VGA 640x480 (256K), then press F2 to continue.
  15. Use the arrow keys to move to Multifrequency 100KHz (up to 1600x1200 @ 80Hz), press Enter to select it, then press F2 to continue.
  16. Keep the default screen size of 17 inches and press F2 to continue.
  17. Keep the default of No changes needed – Test/Save and Exit. Press F2 to continue.
  18. Press F4 to bypass the tests.
  19. Continue with the normal installation steps.

This completes basic installation of the Solaris guest operating system.

Note: There is no VMware Tools package for Solaris guest operating systems.

Installing Sound Drivers in Windows 9x and Windows NT Guest Operating Systems

Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98SE and Windows NT 4.0 do not have drivers for the Sound Blaster Ensoniq AudioPCI adapter. To use sound in these guest operating systems, you must download the driver from the Creative Labs Web site (www.creative.com) and install it in the guest operating system.

Creative Labs has a number of Web sites serving various regions of the world. The adapter name varies, depending on the region, but usually includes AudioPCI. At the time this document was written, the driver was available on the Creative Labs North America Web site at http://www.americas.creative.com/support/welcome.asp?centric=15.


Known Issues

  • 64-bit Red Hat Linux host needs 32-bit gtk1 and interface libraries
    This release requires access to 32-bit gtk1 libraries to display the user interface. A copy of the needed libraries is installed in a private directory when you install this release. This allows Workstation to run, but the default Bluecurve interface or interface themes you have selected may not be applied to the VMware Workstation interface. You may also see a gtk warning saying that a library file cannot be located. If you are using Bluecurve, for example, the warning message mentions libbluecurve.so. To resolve these problems, use the Red Hat installation discs to install the 32-bit versions of gtk1 and of the libraries needed by your interface.
  • Parallel port not available to virtual machine on 64-bit Opteron host with Windows XP host operating system
    On a 64-bit Opteron host running a 64-bit Windows XP host operating system, the host computer's parallel port may not be correctly recognized by the host operating system. As a result, the parallel port is not available to a virtual machine running on that host. If you try to add a parallel port using the Add Hardware Wizard, the drop-down menu of available ports is blank. This is a host system issue and there is no known workaround.



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