4.06.2008

VMware Server Console Fails to start on Linux

I recently setup VMware Server 1.x on Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon which is running on my IBM T40 laptop. After installing the build-essentials and linux-headers the install went smoothly, however when I went to click on VMware Server Console it would start loading and then do nothing. Trying to start vmware from the terminal provided some more information:

vmware is installed, but it has not been (correctly) configured
for this system. To (re-)configure it, invoke the following command:
/usr/bin/vmware-config.pl.

So, I reran vmware-config.pl and tried to start VMware again, however I got the same message.

After doing some digging I found a solution. Delete the /etc/vmware/not_configured file. After deleting the file VMware Server Console started right up and I was able to create and run virtual machines.

However it does not seem to be the optimal solution, as after a reboot the next time I started Server Console I got the same message and had to delete the file again. I don't know if maybe it as an Ubuntu update that caused this, or something that happens when the service loads, but for now the temporary solution works.

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