VMware Server 1.0.4 on Slamd64

I was able to successfully install VMware Server on my Slamd64 box. I had a few problems here & there, and had a tough time gathering the pieces, so I thought I'd mention them. (I have posted on Slamd64's forum as well)

Some steps are similar to those when installing VMware workstation on Slackware, and have been copied from online pages. The links to these resources are found at the end.

First, make sure that you have the following package (or newer): gcc32-4.1.2-x86_64_slamd64-2.tgz
This is mandatory to run vmware console properly on any 64-bit Linux distro. Without that package, the VMware console will be able to connect, but will not allow you to create any VM.

Make sure you download ALL Linux packages from VMware (except the RPM): http://register.vmware.com/content/download.html

List of packages:
VMware-mui-1.0.4-56528.tar.gz
VMware-server-1.0.4-56528.tar.gz
VMware-server-linux-client-1.0.4-56528.zip (not really needed)
vmware-any-any-update115.tar.gz

You will need a serial number, so register. It's free.

You will also need the kernel source package; if you're using the stock kernel (the default), the source for it is on the installation CD, under the name "kernel-source-2.6.18.8_smp-noarch_slamd64-1" and can install it using "pkgtool", otherwise if you had compiled your own kernel, you should be OK.

Now, that you have downloaded the VMware packages & installed gcc32, proceed with these steps:

1st we need to create the init directories in a way VMware likes

cd /etc
mkdir init.d
for i in {0,1,2,3,4,5,6}; do mkdir rc$i.d; done

# Side Note
# Since VMware will run suid root, you might want to limit program execution
# to a particular group of users (I created a 'vmware' group in /etc/group and added the desired users). Refer to the reference link at the end for more info.

First, unpack the server

tar -xf VMware-server-1.0.4-56528.tar.gz

cd & start the installation -- go with the defaults
WARNING: The last step will ask you to run vmware-config.pl , choose NO!

cd vmware-server-distrib/
./vmware-install.pl

If you happen to have kernel 2.6.19 or above, you need to download this patch (or newer): http://knihovny.cvut.cz/ftp/pub/vmware/

tar -xf vmware-any-any-update115.tar.gz
cd vmware-any-any-update115
./runme.pl

# If all goes smooth, you'll see something like this

Updating /usr/bin/vmware-config.pl ... now patched
Updating /usr/bin/vmware ... No patch needed/available
Updating /usr/bin/vmnet-bridge ... No patch needed/available
Updating /usr/lib/vmware/bin/vmware-vmx ... No patch needed/available
Updating /usr/lib/vmware/bin-debug/vmware-vmx ... No patch needed/available
VMware modules in "/usr/lib/vmware/modules/source" has been updated.

Don't run the config. You need to run it with --compile

vmware-config.pl --compile

For some dumb reason, they use this path for VMs:

/var/lib/vmware/Virtual Machines

Having spaces in paths could cause you problems you don't really need, so I changed the path to

/var/lib/vmware/vms

All should be dandy now.
If you have noticed, the "VMware VmPerl Scripting API" was installed. So, no need to install it from the client package, if you needed it in the first place.

Now we untar & install the MUI package

tar -xf VMware-mui-1.0.4-56528.tar.gz
cd vmware-mui-distrib/
./vmware-install.pl

You should be able to access the web interface at https://localhost:8333 ; Use your system username & password to login. The web interface doesn't allow you to create VMs. And it doesn't work properly with Konqueror.
If you want the graphical console, run vmware.

You might want to chown the directory where you save your VMs, /var/lib/vmware/vms in my case, to your user, so you could have write access.

Happy VMing!

Reference: http://www.cs.ucr.edu/~jbyrne/vmware.htm