Installing Ubuntu 6.10 using VMware Workstation 5.5

Installing Ubuntu, my preferred Linux version, seems to be pretty hard at the beginning, but as a matter of fact it is not so scary.
Indeed, several Ubuntu installaion guides already exist over the internet, but I couldn't find any comprehensive guide explaining how to install Ubuntu under VMware Workstation 5.5 from A to Z. So I decided to write one...

Before we'll begin, make sure you have an Ubuntu 6.10 CD or an equivalent .iso file. You may download Ubuntu for free in Ubuntu site here.

The concept
Well, in the distant past, when the linux underground assembly decided to set up a new revolutionary, innovative, open source operating system (OS), they didn't intend that this operating system will lay upon MS Windows, but actually they wanted linux to replace it completely.
That was their vision, and I truly respect it.
But sometimes you do need linux and at the same time you do want to stay with your loyal Windows XP OS and you don't want to mess up again with hard drive partitioning or losing you're native OS handling.

For that reason, and some more, an old/new player came to town. It is the Virtual Machine guy (from now and on we will call it "VM"). This is an emulating software which able to, well, emulate another PC (one or more) running in your physical computer. Sounds weird?
It is! It resposible to create a virtual hard drive, manage the memory and isolating the runtime environment of that pseudo PC while it runs under the main operating system - Windows XP in our case. By terminology, the OS which runs the VM (the real OS) is called "Host Operating System" while the OS which runs inside the VM (the virtual) is called "Guest Operating System".
OK - for those of you which never heard of VMs I'm sure it sounds really strange, but believe me - it works and it even pretty easy to handle.

What VM should I use?
There are number of VMs in the market (just google for "Virtual Machine" and you'll get a lot of results...) - and three of them are very popular:

1. Microsoft Virtual PC: Microsoft's version to the VM is offered completly for free. You can download it's 2007 version from here. Personally, I like its simple and straightforward user interface, but it's main lack is the basic (too basic) functionality, which prevents from doing some essential operations. So it's nice VM for basic tests - but in this manual we are not going to use it.
   
2. VMware Player: The VMware company is offering a free VM software which presents almost the same functionality as the Microsoft Virtual PC offers. I can't point an exact fundamental advantage of this VM over Microsoft's. Maybe it's user interface is a little more friendly. You should watch that there are few known bugs which (up to date) the relevant support forums are full with people who desperately trying to by-pass them. Bottom line: Only a free taste for it's "big brother" - the VM Workstation (next...). By the way, you can download it here (last known version is 1.0.3).
   
3. VMware Workstation: In my opinion - the flagship of all VMs around. This product is also by the VMware company and it costs money. You can download an evaluation copy of it from here (30 days) and I suggest you to do so in order to fulfill this manual. The latest version (currently 5.5.3) offers an easy-to-use but yet very functional interface, and it runs successfully many types of OS. So let's go!

Recommended hardware
An important attention should be to the hardware you need in order to successfully run a VM on your machine. After all, running two PCs simultaneously is not a trivial job...

For the basic user I suggest:

• AMD or Pentium processor from the last generation
• 512MB RAM
• Free 8GB

For the advanced user (programmers etc.) I suggest:

• AMD or Pentium processor from of the cutting edge
• 1GB RAM and the more the better
• Free 15GB

Preparing the VMware Workstation

1. Doubleclick on the VMware Workstation Icon


You'll get a "Tip of the Day" screen, read it or skip it by clicking "close".

2. Press Ctrl+N to create a new Virtual Machine. A wizard screen will be open:


Click "Next" to continue.

3. In the next screen choose "Typical" and click "Next".

4. On this screen you need to choose the operating system you're going to use with the Virtual Machine ("Guest"). Choose "Linux" in the upper selection and under the "Version" list - choose "Ubuntu". Please note that only if you have Windows XP 64-bit edition installed, you may choose the "Ubuntu 64-bit", but you can't choose the "Ubuntu 64-bit" if you have a standard 32-bit Windows (even though you may have a 64-bit processor, the VM will alert that you're not using a valid 64-bit machine).

Click "Next" to continue.

5. On the following screen you need give a name for the VM you're creating. The wizard suggests you the name "Ubuntu", it's good enough so leave it as is. The second thing you need to supply is the location of the VM dynamic files. These files are basically: log files (*.log), configuration files (.vmx) and the virtual machine disk file (.vmdk).
The "vmdk" file is actually the virtual hard drive the VM created for you. Every time the VM is starting up the guest operating system, it loads the vmdk file. In fact, every operation you're doing in the guest operating system - saving documents, installing new software etc. - is stored inside the vmdk file (and it's done transparently to the user). That's why you'll notice as time goes by that this file becomes huge. Give a location where you have enough space and then click "Next".

6. Here you need to choose how a network connection is going to set up and operate using the VM. VMware Workstation has a cool feature which is sharing the host operating system's Ethernet network connection with the guest operating system. This way, the guest operating system will automatically get the host's IP and an instant access to the host's network resources. In other words, you'll be able to access the internet from within the Ubuntu without ANY setup! In the screen check the second option as follows:"

Click "Next" to continue.

7. In the last screen of the wizard you need to supply the maximal amount of disk capacity for the guest operating system. The number of GB you'll enter will actually determine the virtual PC's hard drive capacity. The only option is to set a fixed, non-sizeable disk capacity. If you'll choose "Allocate all disk space now" you'll benefit from a faster loading. However, I won't recommend this unless you have a really large free HD capacity. Note that if you're a "basic" user - an amount of 8GB disk capacity will be enough. But if you're an advanced user (like me...) - you may find that 15GB is most suitable for you. I'll also suggest that anyway you won't check the last checkbox.

Click "Finish" to end the wizard.
You'll notice that a new tab named "Ubuntu" will appear on top of the screen.

8. No it's not over, but we almost there. Now, in the middle of the screen, under the "Commands" subtitle you'll find the text "Edit virtual machine settings" as follows:

Click on it.

9. This is the Virtual Machine Settings screen. Here you're able to control many of the abilities of your guest operating system. As time goes by you'll become more familiar with most of the settings, but for now we'll setup only the necessary parameters. Click on the "Hardware" tab, if it is not in focus. Then choose "Memory" from the list on the left hand.
You can adjust the maximal amount of memory the guest OS will consume. In "VM words" it is the size of the physical RAM you installed in you virtual PC. 256MB will be enough for the basic user, while advanced user (especially programmers) will probably need about 512MB.
Of course, the amount you set is derived from the physical RAM size "in stock" that you're able to supply while Winodows XP is running (don't forget that Windows consumes "some" memory by itself...).
Here is the screen:

Only if you downloaded an Ubuntu 6.10 .iso file, you should set the following: In the "Hardware" tab, click on "CD-ROM" in the left hand list. Then, Choose "Use ISO image" and browse for the .iso file you have downloaded. Generally, it is recommended to keep the .iso in the same directory where the VM files are located (see paragraph no. 5). This setting let us startup Ubuntu from an .iso file, as it was a real CD. Here is the screen:

Again, you can adjust and play with more settings later. For now, all other default settings are just fine.

By the way, another cool feature in VMware Workstation is that the guest OS will recognize your USB devices (including Disk On Key) when you'll plug them inside. It will take care of unmounting the devices in the host OS when you'll be in focus of the guest OS and will mount them again automatically when you'll return to the host OS. This way, no hardware interference will happen.

Now, Click "OK" to close the settings screen and we're ready to install Ubuntu!

Ubuntu installation

1. Under the "Commands" subtitle click the "Start this virtual machine", as follows:


After a few seconds the Ubuntu initial menu will come up in a "Live CD" mode. Click with the mouse inside the Ubuntu screen. That will cause the VM to "grab" the control of the input devices of your computer. From now and on, until pressing Alt+Ctrl, the mouse and keyboard will operate only the current session of VM.

2. Using the arrow keys, choose "Start or install Ubuntu" from the menu, and press Enter. The Ubuntu logo will be displayed as well as a progress bar. Finally, the Ubuntu OS will appear and you'll see the following screen:

Note that the Ubuntu wasn't installed yet. It just started up in a "Live CD" mode, which means that it has been loaded into the RAM and will be erased right after exiting Ubuntu. Moreover, you won't be able to save anything to the HD but only to a USB key device, if you own one. Now, press Alt+Ctrl+Enter to enter the full screen mode. Again, pressing Alt+Ctrl inside Ubuntu will return us back to the VMware console display.

3. Doubleclick the "Install" icon appears in the desktop. The welcome screen of the installation wizard will appear:

4. Choose your preferred language for the installation process and as the default language for the final system. Then click "Forward". In the next screen you need to choose a city in your country and time zone:

5. Make your choice and click "Forward". Next you'll need to determine your keyboard layout:

6. Make your choice and click "Forward". In the following screen you need to enter some personal details, such as your name, your username, password and computer name:

Note that it is VERY IMPORTANT to remember your username and password, as this information is needed for login to the system and for some other administrative operations during the usage of the system, such as further software installations. Click "Forward" to continue.

7. Next you should select the disk where you want to install Ubuntu. Don't worry, this operation will not erase ANYTHING in your real HD. It just uses the virtual HD file as it was a real HD, and for Ubuntu - it doesn't know it's inside a VM environment... good for us!

So leave the first check mark checked and click "Forward". Finally, a summary screen will appear and you'll need to confirm that all information you've entered so far is correct. So, if everything is OK, click "Install" to start the installation process.

8. The installation process will take about 10-20 minutes. At last, you'll be asked whether to restart the comoputer or continue using the live CD. Select "Restart now" and wait until the Ubuntu will come up once again (note that you'll need to press Enter in some phase of the restarting process).

In the login screen of Ubuntu, enter your username and password. The "Software packages" dialog window will pop up. Click "Cancel" to close it (you can manage packages later. Please refer the online manuals regard this subject). You'll notice that the install icon is no more displayed on the desktop. That's because we have installed Ubuntu. Yes, we've finished!