Fedora 11 and Workstation 6.5.2 now working but new 6.5.3 install fails

[DGBrennan]

Having got Workstation 6.5.2 working on Fedora 11 by using the "patch". I expected that the new download of 6.5.3 would install without problems.

It didn't!

It hangs in "Configuring" Player

Installing VMware Installer 1.0

Copying files...

Configuring...

Installing VMware Player 2.5.3

Copying files...

Configuring...

Installing VMware VIX API 1.6.3

Copying files...

Configuring...

Installing VMware Player 2.5.3

Copying files...

Configuring...

Installing VMware Player 2.5.3

Copying files...

Configuring...

Typing in ^C just rolls back the install.

Has anybody got past this yet?

[zx5000]

The moving of /etc/vmware/database worked for me as well.

Perhaps we fedora users need to send a beer and pizza gift certificate to encourage the VMware developers.

[298]

People who are facing a similar problem in Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic" should follow this guide: http://communities.vmware.com/message/1350962

[StuartRothrock]

I did not try rebooting or anything with timing the move of the database. After mine hung at 62% I moved the database and then tried to kill -9 the process as mentioned. Of course it went <defunct>. So I looked at what other processes were running with a ps axfl and started killing from the bottom of the chain. When I got to the process that started with the command "/bin/sh -c set -e; ? echo ' CC /tmp/vmware-root/modules/vmnet-only/filter.o'" I killed it and the install continued with only a python traceback. The modules then compiled fine with the mentioned command and everthing worked.

Cheers!

[Rastlinux]

This process did not work for me. I have the service stopped in all run levels and the hang still occus. I do not use the smart cards on my system. Was there anything else done? I even rebooted and tried fresh.

Now when my session hangs it is after stopping my client windows XP. It also will not restart until I reboot the system(host OS). I imagine that there may be something I could restart on the vmware side, but am not aware of what that may be thus far.

[zx5000]

I get the same problem. I do a "killall vmware-vmx" to kill the client.

HTH

[DGBrennan]

Worked for me as well

[JimWest]

I strongly agree that VMware ignoring Fedora will be very bad for VMware's future business.

The people using VMware on Fedora are the technical engineer decision makers in corporations.

If they have a good experience with VMware with Fedora, they will recommend Fedora at work.

If they have a bad experience with VMware with Fedora, they run like heck to other solutions.

I can't anyone that has struggled getting VMware to work on Fedora and experienced VMware's almost non-existent support for Fedora, willing to stick their neck out at their work to recommend to their management that their company invest time and effort with it.

If one of the people in my group recommended a software solution that cost a considerable amount of time and effort, that recommendation would weigh heavily in their next performance review.

As someone said, Fedora is Red Hat's testing ground, and if the Fedora experiene is to struggle getting VMware to work with Fedora, it is not logical that VMware will win much Red Hat business.

The people playing with Fedora and VMware are a select group of highly technical people, that are both serious about Linux and serious about Virtual Hosting. These people are a select group and are not a random sample of the general population.

Unless VMware provides better support for Fedora, I really think VMware's policy will create alot of opportunity for their competition, and will do VMware considerable damage.

[DGBrennan]

Can't agree more.

[teus1]

Yes this worked for me: use and (not the rpm) installation of VMware Workstation 6.5.3 bundle on Fedora 11 x86_64:

bash VMware-Workstation-6.5.3-185404.x86_64.bundle --console --require

this will hang at 62% in configure player

In another window cd /etc/vmware; mv database database.bak; rm database.lck

bash VMware.... will then continue; installation successfull

mv /etc/vmware/databae.bak /etc/vmware/database

start as use vmware

vmware will compile kernel modules and install them with a lot of warnings (__FreeBSD__ and MSCVER not defined) but will end successfully and the player will start up ok.

teus

[zx5000]

It is unwise to ignore any share of the market regardless of how small it is. VMWare used to be the only act in town. Now there is serious competition some of which are free.

As the IT manager at my company it was because of VMware WS on Fedora that I trusted VMWare and bought VituralCenter ESX3. For the last three years I have had multiple linux and win2k3 servers running vital business applications in our virtual center. The sale of the inexpensive workstation product lead to a much greater investment later on because of the confidence in compatibility that was proven by workstation.

I would not have made that decision after having faced the more recent experience of rinky-dink workarounds just to get WS to install coupled with the fact that I need to do a "killall vmware-vmx" after I shut down my windows VM.

Will I spend more money on VMWare? That's a tough question.

[Mulchman]

Just throwing out that VMware Workstation 7 installed flawlessly for me on Fedora 11 64 bit - there was none of the moving file nonsense that existed with 6.5.3.