xvideo support in Linux guest.

[LarsG]

I noticed that xvideo support was recently added to the xorg vmware driver (ver 10.16).

Compiling and installing the driver works fine, but for some reason the driver does not enable xvideo. Looking through the driver source, it looks like the driver queries some capabilities bits in the virtual gfx card and then refuses to enable xvideo because the virtual hardware lacks the required capabilities.

So, my question is what is needed to enable xvideo support. Does it depend on the host OS and the capabilities of the gfx hardware and drivers on the host? Do I need to use a particular revision of the virtual hardware (0405? 0710?)? Or are these virtual gfx card capabilities coming in a future update of the vmware products and xvideo support was added to the xorg driver ahead of time so that the driver has time to make it into Linux distributions?

[Texiwill]

Hello,

Xorg is the X server for many distributions. They work independently of VMware. The real question is what version of Workstation/VMware Server/ESX are you discussing? If anything this feature will be added to Workstation or maybe in Fusion. However, I think you have a valid request of your VMware Support Specialist.

But to help us help you can you tell us the Product and version you are trying to use?

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education. As well as the Virtualization Wiki at http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Virtualization

[LarsG]

I'm trying to make an appliance (a MythTV Frontend), so I'm wondering which VMware Products support or will support this feature.

Edit: Tested in Player 2.0.3, Server 1.0.5 and Workstation 6.0.3. The latest driver does not enable xv i either of them.

[Texiwill]

Hello,

Try Workstation 6.5 Beta. If that does not work, then I believe you either need to go to Xorg and ask what were they thinking? or ask VMware directly. If the Virtual hardware does not support it there is not much left to do as Xorg is independent of VMware. Not the greatest answer but its the only thing I can think of trying.

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education. As well as the Virtualization Wiki at http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Virtualization

[LarsG]

The patch that added xvideo support to the xorg driver was submitted by a vmware developer.

[Texiwill]

Hello,

Now that is interesting. Perhaps there is an email of the developer? You could send a request for assistance. Not everyone from VMware monitors the forums. If you PM me the name (I have not looked at the Xorg code), I can see if we can get a response from the VMware Moderator liasons.

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education. As well as the Virtualization Wiki at http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Virtualization

[LarsG]

Just tested in Workstation 6.5 Beta, and it works! So I guess that means that it was added to the xorg driver in anticipation of the release of 6.5.

[Texiwill]

Hello,

Sounds like it. Great news!

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education. As well as the Virtualization Wiki at http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Virtualization

[TomHowarth]

Presumed answered as Original Poster has solved issue

[pograph]

I'm trying to enable xv on vm too. On a ubuntu 8.04 vm, I did the following steps but xv doesn't work:

1 upgrade to vmware workstation 6.5.1,

2 upgraded vmtools,

3 built and installed xf86-video-vmware-10.16.5

4 reboot

Could you tell me what distro of Linux you used, and what you did to get xv work?

update: Resolved. I reinstalled wmtools and it worked.