VMware Player 3.01 not working in Ubuntu 10.04

[igr91]

I just installed the latest VMware Player bundle on Ubuntu desktop 10.04 64-bit. Installation went smoothly, but I cannot run my old Win XP Pro virtual computers. I also tried to create a new one, but it does not work.

I can edit the virtual computer options, but trying to boot it up gives just a blank screen. The virtual computers remains locked and no further attempts can be made without rebooting the host. Host is a new Asus 15.6" laptop.

When creating a new virtual XP computer, it basically hangs in the same phase: when trying to boot it up the first time.

[YosemiteJoe]

Hi There,

i have almoste the same Problem,.. if i start the VMWare Player on Kbuntu 10.04 with XP Prof. i become the Error

"your processor does not support PAE which is required by vmware player. cannot continue."

what is wrong about that ?

how i can fix this ?

[igr91]

Thanks for the confirmation!

Yes, it feels very much like VMware Player 3.01 Linux version is just not supported with the very latest Ubuntu (less than a week old release, actually).

I verified this now, by continuing my XP computer creation on Ubuntu 9.04 64-bit. I copied the created virtual computer files (from the new 10.04 computer) to this old workstation and it is happy to continue creating the new XP virtual computer - now loading the OS.

Well, actually, I have VMware Workstation 7.0.1 on that 9.04, but I guess that should not make any difference.

[igr91]

Well, I tried with another virtual computer (a Puppy Linux live boot actually) with similar results.

It does say this in syslog:

BUG: unable to handle kernel paging request at fff...

I guess, there is no clearer way to tell the user that there might be a BUG somewhere

[Earthling2]

The reverse is true too. I cannot get 10.04 (Ubuntu or Kubuntu, x86 or x64) working in VMware Player 3.01 running in a Win 7 host. Can login through console but no keyboard in GUI. 9.10 versions were fine.

[igr91]

Yeah, there is a bug in using 10.04 as a virtual computer - I think it came with the Beta version (Alfa was working fine). I get this same thing on Ubuntu 9.04 64-bit as well.

However, that is easy to solve - the trick is:

1. You need to enable the on-screen keyboard in the login display (just look around, you will see it)

2. Then you need to reboot. It does not work immediately, but after a reboot it does. From then on you can use the on-screen keyboard for logging in.

3. In the virtual computer itself, the regular keyboard works fine.

4. Also the next time, your on-screen keyboard is automatically activated and you can use that for login.

Just a small trick to get it running ...

[Earthling2]

Thank you, that works

[Earthling2]

Even after using the OSK to log in, the keyboard response in many dialog boxes is greatly delayed or even non-existent. I'm going back to 9.10 until this is all sorted.

[igr91]

I have not noticed your problem. However, I have not tried to use it much and I use Linux as a host, which might also make the difference.

But does anybody have a solution to my original problem?

[pietromix]

I got the same as the original problem (or I suppose it is the same).

Running a Windows XP VM into VMPlayer 3.01 on newly installed Ubuntu 10.04 and the player runs damn slow, use 100% of CPU and eventually hangs.

It works fine if Windows is set to run in "safe mode" which leads me to imagine that the problem may stay in the virtualization of the graphic card.

I have tried on two different hosts (same Linux release, but different hardware) and got same result. Both were working finebefore with previous version of Linux or with Windows XP host.

Who's fault? Ubuntu or VMWare?

Well, no matter who's, I guess there are quite a few people facing this same problem. I'm available to provide more details and run a few tests if someone is looking into it.

Pietro

[igr91]

In my case, I just get a blank screen. It did not matter if I tried XP Pro or Puppy Linux as the client - just a blank screen.

Well, not to be able to use VMware on Ubuntu 10.04 is bad news. I have used Ubuntu as a VMware host for many years with a LOT OF different computers, in a professional use.

I have used VMware Player as a test for this - I do have several VMware Workstation licenses on several Ubuntu host computers along with Windows licenses - if this somehow would encourage VMware people to react .

[joh-38]

Hi,

the same with me, xfce4 (xubuntu and player 3.0.0 and 3.0.1): "system does not support PAE"

What now?

joh

[YosemiteJoe]

Hi Joh,

i had the same problem like you....., try the lower version of the VMWare Player. i thing this is 2.5 or so

I tried that and it worked....!

see ya

[joh-38]

your are the lucky one...

in my case it complains while compiling a kernel module

Mai 20 14:49:41.203: app| Log for VMware Workstation pid=25687 version=6.5.2 build=build-156735 option=Release

Mai 20 14:49:41.203: app| Host codepage=UTF-8 encoding=UTF-8

Mai 20 14:49:41.203: app| Logging to /tmp/vmware-root/setup-25687.log

Mai 20 14:49:42.707: app| Extracting the sources of the vmmon module.

Mai 20 14:49:42.743: app| Building module with command: /usr/bin/make -C /tmp/vmware-root/modules/vmmon-only auto-build SUPPORT_SMP=1 HEADER_DIR=/lib/modules/2.6.32-22-generic/build/include CC=/usr/bin/gcc GREP=/usr/bin/make IS_GCC_3=no VMCCVER=4.4.3

I tried version VMware-Player-2.5.2-156735.i386.rpm (with alien --scripts)

Can you tell me exact what version you are using and where you got it?

joh

[pietromix]

mmm... I think there are at least 3 separate threads here:

1) vmplayer hangs, vm runs extremely slowly or does not start at all. In all cases the host system is affected too and a reboot of the host becomes necessary. The problem is istill waiting for solutions. (This is the same as my issue)

2) problem with PAE and keyboard that interferes with login process of the VM. For this workaround have been already posted here and elsewhere.

3) Black screen: a couple of posts mention this though it might be a different face of the same problem in thread 1.

I also have an update: Installed previous version of VMPlayer (2.5.4) but got to the same point: VM starts and gradually uses up all cpu resourses until the host system too becomes totally unresponsive.

[igr91]

Yes, you are right there are different questions being made.

Your item 2 is definitely a different thing.

However, item 3 is just a variation of 1 - or actually that is the real issue. How can I say that for certain ? ... because I opened this thread :-).

To further clarify - VMware Player 3.01 does the both on Ubuntu 10.04 64-bit workstation: it only gives a blank/black screen when opening (a VM client computer) and hangs there and does not even close without reboot (or without similar, other measures).

[joh-38]

2) problem with PAE and keyboard that interferes with login process of the VM.

For this workaround have been already posted here and elsewhere

ehhmmm.... and where I can get these solutions? (may be you have a link)

joh

[Earthling2]

It's on the previous page, May 6 igr91. Worked for me.

[pietromix]

New update: I got it ruinning fine!

I don't know when I got it straight, but eventually I can run my VM on Ubuntu 10.04 with VMPlayer 3.1

I list here all what I did:

1) installed Ubuntu 10.04

2) installed VMPlayer 3.1

3) connected my external sata drive to the host and tried to run the VM on it. got the problem as very slow guest execution till complete freeze of guest and host.

4) copied the VM to the host and executed: same result

5) removed VMPlayer 3.1, installed VMPlayer 2.5.4 with steps described in help.ubuntu.com/community/VMware/Player: same result (but onlyu tried external SATA drive)

6) removed VMPlayer 2.5.4, reinstalled VMPlayer 3.1 and tried again with the VM on the SATA drive: same result

7) tried to run a VM with Wintows NT4 guest from the external SATA drive: it run smoothly

😎 Tryinbg several times to run the WinXP VM from the SATA drive I found that when the problem appears after login in the guest and VM start becoming unresponsive the SATA drive cannot be explored from the host PC. I assume at this point there might be a problem with Ubuntu 10.04 + VMPlayer + External SATA drive.

9) I try again withthe VM copied on the ext4 partition where the host PC system is (actually in the desktop) and: IT WORKS SMOOTHLY

If this turns out to be of any use in solving this issue for others, plese let me know.

Pietro

[igr91]

I have run my VMware from ext4 filesystem the whole time. I am not sure, if I can downgrade VM computers to 2.5 either. What do you mean by version 3.1, beta? Or do you mean the latest official 3.0.1 (there is actually a typo in the subject name).