McIDAS and VmWare

Tom,

Just an update on running McIDAS on Windows using VmWare and RedHat
Linux.

After successfully installing RedHat 6.2 as the guest operating  system
under Windows 2000 and getting McIDAS running as described previously,
I attempted to do the same on the Dell Dimension 8200 (1 GB ram, 1 GHz
CPU, NVIDIA-GeForce3 video card with 64 MB) in my office.  Some
comments on that process that might be useful to others:

1. to install VmWare you need a designated directory, partition, or
entire disk for VmWare to use for the guest operating system (RedHat in
this case).  The file systems should be formatted NTFS

2. Installing VmWare is a snap just follow the directions. For
networking I have used NAT (network address translation) for the VmWare
virtual network connection.  Further, that connection should be set up
as DHCP.

3. Startup VmWare and create a virtual machine - selecting Linux as the
guest operating system.

4. Put the RedHat installation CD in the CD drive and with the virtual 
machine selected click power on.  The virtual machine will boot up and
start the install process from the CD.  Follow the installation process
as you would normally do. ( I had problems with 6.2 on this Dell (6.2
installed OK on my home computer a 450 MHz Compaq) it was some error in
the installation script.  I downloaded RedHat 7.3 made the installation
CDs and installed from those and it was fine.

5. When installation is complete the virtual machine reboots. My
installation did not come up in graphical mode and if I attempted
startx it gave an error.  VmWare has VmWare Tools which needs to be
installed before the X-server works properly under VmWare.  So run
VmWare Tools.

6. VmWare Tools - follow the directions, a file needs to be copied from
the VmWare disk, decompressed and installed.

7. I had a problem even after running VmWare Tools - I got an error
about my mouse.  VmWare Tools creates a file called XF86Config-.vm and
links /etc/X11/XFConfig to it.  What I did was to delete the
XF86Config-.vm, I ran /usr/X11/Xconfigurator to create a new
XF86Config-4 for the correct mouse, and then reran VmWare Tools (it
uses the info in XF86Config-4).  Also I discovered that when running
Xconfigurator in the video card section when it asks to "probe" or "not
probe" I had to select "not probe" otherwise I got an error with no way
to resolve it.

8. I downloaded McIDAS and built it (REdHat 7.3 includes g77 that was
nice).  It took about 20 minutes to build and install.  I configured my
ADDE connections and I running McIDAS on my Windows 2000 machine
(animating those nice national radar composites), and the nice part is
that I can be running McIDAS and when I'm done just iconify VmWare and
later bring it right back in a click.

9. There is one problem I have noticed in limited use of VmWare on the
Dell ( haven't noticed it on the Compaq) and that is sometimes when the
virtual machine boots up there in no network connection (why??).
Shutting down and rebooting the virtual machine solves this problem.

10. I just became aware of another product that basically does the same
thing as VmWare,  its called Virtual PC from Connectix Corp. The
article I read noted that Virtual PC also supports OS2 as a guest
operating system (wow - is that progress).  Anyway there as some
businesses that have a large amount of OS2 software and this is a way
for them to keep using it.  The article said that some have selected
Virtual PC over VmWare because they find it to be more robust and
handles networking better - cost about $200.

11. I downloaded and install gempak in my virtual machine. I have
hardly spent any time on it but all of the program with a graphical
interface bombs because  of color problems - so it in not clear if it
will work or not at this point.

take care,

Charlie

--
Charles H. Murphy
Chairperson, Department of Geology & Meteorology
Kean University
1000 Morris Avenue
Union, NJ 07083-0411
ph. 908-527-2257
fax: 908-527-2517
email: address@hidden
web: http://hurri.kean.edu