Windows 7 graphics doesn't work in Ubuntu host

[jwatte]

I'm using VMWare Workstation 7.1.4 on a Dell Precision M4600 laptop with an ATI FirePro 5950 graphics card.

I installed Ubuntu 11.04 x64 Server with xubuntu desktop as the host OS; installed VMWare Workstation and VMWare Tools, then installed Windows 7 SP1 x64 as a guest, with 3D support.

However, the graphics of that guest are entirely b0rked. Both a simple desktop login, and starting a 3D application, end up with severe graphics corruption.

I also tried with Ubuntu 10.10 (which is the version officially supported by Workstation)  but some of the hardware in the laptop is not recognized by that Ubuntu  version, including both wired and wireless network cards.

When I install Windows 7 SP1 x64 as a host, and Ubuntu as a guest, then graphics works fine in Windows, but I do not get 3D acceleration in Ubuntu. I need both, at the same time.

Here is a YouTube video of the corruption:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkYwnTgqu4Q

The question is simply: How can I get 3D acceleration in both a Ubuntu machine and a Windows 7 machine at the same time on this laptop?

[jwatte]

So, this is a CLEAR PROBLEM using the latest available software of all versions, with a clear reproduction path, and a video to show how bad it is.

I've gotten no answers.

What do I do next? Help!

[jwatte]

Just to show that I'm not alone with this problem, I found this other post with a very similar problem (but less technical details):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2badqizUcUA

I would really appreciate a response from VMWare, because this is supposed to work... right?

[louyo]

What happens if you turn off compiz?

Lou

[jwatte]

As the system was totally unusable in that mode, I had to re-install with Windows as the host, and Ubuntu as the guest. Thus, I cannot go back to that mode to test various things -- I've got to get work done! As the problem is easily reproducible, I imagine VMWare ought to be able to reproduce it, fix it, and post an update, at which point I'd be happy to try it again.

Note: I was using Ubuntu desktop 11.04 in the default installed mode. If there's a problem with any particular default package, I'd expect installing vmware-tools to let me know and to disable it itself.

[louyo]

Understood.

In my case. 11.04 enabled compiz by default. I just run: "metacity --replace" at the command prompt (or in a script) as I don't like the eye candy anyway.

Lou