VMware

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VMware (Workstation, Player, Server) is a commercial virtualization system that emulates hardware resources allowing one computer to host a number of x86 architecture-compatible operating systems. The Player and Server versions are distributed free of charge (gratis). It runs on either Win32 or Linux host machines, allowing you to run OLPC images within the virtual machine. A Mac version is also available, VMWare Fusion, however this is not provided free of charge (a free 30-day evaluation is available).

Appliances from a Live .iso file

• Make new Appliance in VMWorkstation with 2GB (or smaller) hard disk
• start with live .iso as CD
• boot and run program, shut down.
• copy contents of Appliance in VMWARE directory to USB
• copy live.iso file to same USB
• Open this Appliance with VMWorkstation and edit location of live.iso file to point to one on USB stick, then close it.
• start VMPlayer and open this Appliance.

Boot this Appliance from a USB Boot stick (see below)

• can be opened on any PC without changing or accessing it's hard disk
• Use to run Soas .iso files on PC's without CD but with USB

Appliances with Persistence

• VMWorkstation 6.5.2 with Fedora-11-Preview-i386-netinst.iso
• Settings for VMWorkstation: (1)create new virtual machine(2)Typical(3)Installer Disk image file (iso):(Fedora-11-Preview-i386-netinst.iso)

(4)Linux(5)other linux 2.6xx kernel 8Gib disk(6)Max Disk Size (GB) 8.0(7)Split disk into 2GB files(8)512 memory.

• net install with network connection
• use entire disk
• deselect Gnome Desktop
• customize now
• select Sugar Desktop (Only selection entered)
• Set root password(sugarroot?) and time zone
• when finished (about 45 min on cable)
• Reboot set user password(sugaruser?) Shut down.
• Clone and save clone on Desktop and use to load on 4GiB SD or USB or make DVD (3.2Gib files)

(#)see note below to remove sugar user info and make ready for first user login.
Original Passwords for root and user(sugarroot/sugaruser?)entered during install remain and are needed for Login & Administration
This needs to be done so copies will have different identities.

Comments

• Run on FREE VMPlayer loaded on any PC with 512 Memory (requires 256 for VMplayer)
• ADVANTAGE: No Need to boot USB Stick on problem machines
• Same machine can be used by a succession of students with their own copy of sugar
• Students can take USB/SD home and run on their own PC's
• Disadvantage: Have to install VMPlayer on PC's

2 emulations on different PC's each running NAT on same network seem to cause "collisions" in jabber (Neighborhood View gets depopulated on both ???) 

(#) Fix From davb VirtualBox/Preparing_a_disk_image
1. Open Terminal
2. Terminal
3. rm -rf ~/.sugar (if distributing image)
4. su -
5. shutdown -h now 

Logon screen allows user to  switch session types:
*KDE  *Sugar *Failsafe

Running VMPlayer and an Appliance using a Single 8 GB USB Boot Stick

Ubuntu 9.04 has a "USB Startup Disk Creator". I used a 8 GB USB Stick with 2 Partitions to Run a VMPlayer Appliance on the Same Stick

VMPlayer WILL INSTALL on Ubuntu or Fedora 10 NOT ON F11 at this time.

METHOD:

• In PC running Ubuntu 9.04 (or running in VMworkstation6.5.2.)

Start Partition Manager

• delete existing partitions on USB [sdb?]

(BE CAREFUL TO BE LOOKING AT USB and not your Hard Disk)

• Create a fat16 2 GB Primary Partition set boot flag and label it Ubuntu
• exit partition manager
• Run USB Startup Disk Creator
• create USB select: /dev/sdb1 "Ubuntu"
• Select "Other" and find Ubuntu 9.04.iso (not live install) previously downloaded to Desktop
• create live usb on first partition.
• start partition manager again

(BE CAREFUL TO BE LOOKING AT USB and not your Hard Disk)

• Create a fat32 primary partition with the remaining unformatted space on the USB, set boot flag and label VM_Apps
• exit Partition Manager

Remove and reinstall USB stick

• Two USB icons will appear
• cut and paste previously obtained VMPlayer Appliance to VM_Apps

ReBoot PC with USB Stick

• Start Firefox and download VMPlayer (free) Linux xxxx.bundle
• Place .bundle file in /tmp
• su - command in /tmp
• enter password for root

Install:( bundle in /tmp( ./ command as administrator. )

Run VMPlayer Program

• Start VMPlayer
• chooseVM_apps Icon and open VM Appliance file
• choose Gnome or SUGAR as login enter password

 Initial Password sugar = sugaruser (change user name and password in live user)
                    root=sugarroot        

Have Fun (Fedora 11 0.93 0.84-2)

• Thus one 8 GB USB stick loaded with Ubuntu 9.04 and VMPlayer plus the Appliance, a Student can

Carry the OS and a full copy of GNOME Desktop and SUGAR on a single USB Stick

• It is complicated to make but simple to use and it works.

The Appliance can be loaded on a separate USB Stick

2 USB/SD sticks (2GB Boot and 4GB or larger for appliance)  

Windows XP SP2

Loads and runs emulation files in windows XP SP2 {Dell 2350 Tower}
Appliance(Emulation) transfered by DVD and loaded on Hard Disk

Ubuntu 8.04 and 9.04

VMworkstation 6.5.2 can make emulation files in Ubuntu 
VMPlayer, (available on line) will run these Appliances
the Appliance can be distributed them by copies on DVD,
4 Gib SD, 4Gib USB 
or future downloads from sugarlabs server?

Fedora 11

VMPlayer will not load in Fedora 11 beta or Fedora Preview
loaded with sh command; Gets Unable to modify kernel error and quits 

• See above procedure to make a VMPlayer USB Boot Stick to run the

latest version of SUGAR DESKTOP in Fedora 11 as an Appliance.

Fedora 10

VMPlayer can be loaded in Fedora 10 and used to run a VMPlayer Appliance
of SUGAR DESKTOP based on Fedora 11
The Sugar Desktop included in Fedora 10 is not the current version
as it has not been updated.

openSUSE

coming soon; testing VMPlayer Appliance 05/22/2009

Resources

• http://www.vmware.com/
• OLPC:VMware