Installing PCBSD in VMWare -- Will it work?

[Delphi123]

Dear friends:

1) Is there a way to install VMWare Server in PCBSD to run WinXP? I know there is no version of VMWare currently in native BSD mode, but why would it not be possible to install it using the Linux Compatibility Layer?

2) If the above is impossible, is there a way to install PCBSD in WinXP using VMWare? I tried but VMWare does not list PCBSD as a guest operating system. I tried to use the label FreeBSD but VMWare did not install it properly.

Is there a way to install PCBSD in VMWare Server properly? And, just as important, is there a way to install the VMWare Tools in PCBSD/VMWare to allow optimum use of PCBSD?

Thank you so much.

Benjamin

[pwk]

1) http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/url.cgi?port ... /pkg-descr
The Linux version has a port, it seems.

2) PCBSD installs as a guest OK and the tools install OK. There is also an image for you on the downloads page for use as a guest OS. To install tools you may need to activate the virtual CD-ROM drive first. I've found peripheral detection can be problematic (eg, USB drives).

[Delphi123]

Dear pwk:

Thanks so much for the tip. And yes you are right. I just finished installing PCBSD in a VMWare Server virtual machine. Works fine. My only problem is the one you mention: when I try to install the VMWare Tools, VWare brings up the CDRom drive screen asking me if I want to open the files in a window, etc. How do I get VMWare to install the VMWare Tools? That's all I need.

Thanks so much.

Benjamin

[pwk]

From what I recall, you open the window (open the cd drive icon) and there you will find a couple of compressed files. Save the unix version to your home folder and extract it (possibly you can do both at once). Then cd to the tools directory and run the installer from a terminal with ./<filename>. It will ask you a few things, such as what guest display resolution you want.

[Delphi123]

Dear pwk:

Thank you for the info. Will definitely try it.

Benjamin

[Delphi123]

Dear friends:

Just installed VMWare Tools in FreeBSD as instructed by pwk. His instructions are correct. One thing: During the installation of VMWare Tools in the console, I was told to add "ifconfig_vxn0="dhcp" to the etc/rc.conf file and then typing /etc/netstart.

However, in my case, my DHCP network connection was enabled from the start even without this line in etc/rc.conf. Any explanation?

By the way, I am writing this from Konqueror in PCBSD.

One other explanation: I reinstalled PCBSD, this time not in Win XP but in PCLinuxOS. In other words, I installed VMWare in PCLinuxOS 2007, then installed WinXP and PCBSD as guest OS's in PCLinux.

Thank you.

Benjamin

[Solarin]

Yes,

PC-BSD defaults to using DHCP to setup your network connection automatically. This is what the for loop at the top of your /etc/rc.conf file does.

[TerryP]

You might also look into QEMU+KQEMU or Win4BSD (commercial) for running WinXP on BSD.