If the installation aborts with the following error...

Building the vmmon module.

Using 2.6.x kernel build system.
make: Entering directory `/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only'
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.31-14-generic/build/include/.. SUBDIRS=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. modules
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.31-14-generic'
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o
In file included from /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:31:
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/compat_wait.h:78: error: conflicting types for â€˜poll_initwait’
include/linux/poll.h:70: note: previous declaration of â€˜poll_initwait’ was here
In file included from /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vmware.h:38,
                 from /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:99:
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_basic_types.h:108:7: warning: "__FreeBSD__" is not defined
In file included from /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vcpuset.h:103,
                 from /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/modulecall.h:37,
                 from /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./common/vmx86.h:33,
                 from /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.h:29,
                 from /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:101:
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:329:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:333:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:401:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:407:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:460:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:506:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:551:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:595:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:640:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:684:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:729:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:773:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:775:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:816:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:860:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:862:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:903:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:945:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:947:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:986:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:1028:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:1030:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:1069:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:1223:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:1227:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:1313:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:1536:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:1663:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_atomic.h:1796:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
In file included from /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_asm_x86_64.h:39,
                 from /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_asm.h:41,
                 from /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:103:
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_asm_x86.h:486:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_asm_x86.h:779:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_asm_x86.h:820:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_asm_x86.h:922:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
In file included from /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_asm.h:41,
                 from /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:103:
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_asm_x86_64.h:56:7: warning: "_MSC_VER" is not defined
In file included from /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:119:
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./common/hostif.h:53:7: warning: "WINNT_DDK" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c: In function â€˜LinuxDriverSyncCallOnEachCPU’:
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:1423: error: too many arguments to function â€˜smp_call_function’
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c: In function â€˜LinuxDriver_Ioctl’:
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:1987: error: â€˜struct task_struct’ has no member named â€˜euid’
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:1987: error: â€˜struct task_struct’ has no member named â€˜uid’
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:1988: error: â€˜struct task_struct’ has no member named â€˜fsuid’
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:1988: error: â€˜struct task_struct’ has no member named â€˜uid’
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:1989: error: â€˜struct task_struct’ has no member named â€˜egid’
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:1989: error: â€˜struct task_struct’ has no member named â€˜gid’
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:1990: error: â€˜struct task_struct’ has no member named â€˜fsgid’
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:1990: error: â€˜struct task_struct’ has no member named â€˜gid’
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:2007: error: too many arguments to function â€˜smp_call_function’
make[2]: *** [/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o] Error 1
make[1]: *** [_module_/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.31-14-generic'
make: *** [vmmon.ko] Error 2
make: Leaving directory `/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only'
Unable to build the vmmon module.

For more information on how to troubleshoot module-related problems, please
visit our Web site at "http://www.vmware.com/go/unsup-linux-products" and
"http://www.vmware.com/go/unsup-linux-tools".

Execution aborted.

falko@falko-desktop:~/Downloads/vmware-server-distrib$

... please do the following (I found this solution on http://radu.cotescu.com/2009/10/30/how-to-install-vmware-server-2-0-x-on-ubuntu-9-10-karmic-koala/):

cd ~/Downloads
rm -fr vmware-server-distrib/
wget http://codebin.cotescu.com/vmware/vmware-server-2.0.x-kernel-2.6.31-14-install.sh
chmod +x vmware-server-2.0.x-kernel-2.6.31-14-install.sh
sudo ./vmware-server-2.0.x-kernel-2.6.31-14-install.sh

This will patch the VMware Server 2 installer and start the installation again. As before, the installer will ask you a lot of questions. You can always accept the default values simply by hitting <ENTER>.

When the installer asks you

In which directory do you want to keep your virtual machine files?
[/var/lib/vmware/Virtual Machines]

you can either accept the default value or specify a location that has enough free space to store your virtual machines.

At the end of the installation, you will be asked to enter a serial number:

Please enter your 20-character serial number.

Type XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX or 'Enter' to cancel:

Fill in your serial number for VMware Server.

After the successful installation, you can delete the VMware Server download file and the installation directory:

cd /home/falko/Downloads
rm -f VMware-server*
rm -fr vmware-server-distrib/

If you have accepted all default values during the installation, root is now the VMware Server login name. On Ubuntu, root has no password by default, therefore we create a password now:

sudo passwd root

VMware Server 2 does not have a desktop application for managing virtual machines - this is now done through a browser (e.g. Firefox). You can access the management interface over HTTPS (https://<IP ADDRESS>:8333) or HTTP (http://<IP ADDRESS>:8222); the management interface can be accessed locally and also remotely. If you want to access it from the same machine, type https://127.0.0.1:8333 or http://127.0.0.1:8222 into the browser's address bar.

If you're using Firefox 3 and use HTTPS, Firefox will complain about the self-signed certificate, therefore you must tell Firefox to accept the certificate - to do this, click on the I Understand the Risks link:

Click on Add Exception...:

The Add Security Exception window opens. In that window, click on the Get Certificate button first and then on the Confirm Security Exception button:

Afterwards, you will see the VMware Server login form. Type in root and the password you've just created:

This is how the VMware Server web interface looks. The structure is similar to the old VMware Server 1 desktop application, so the usage of the web interface is pretty straightforward.

3 Links

• Ubuntu: http://www.ubuntu.com/
• VMware Server: http://www.vmware.com/products/server/