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Running Netware 6 Under Vmware Workstation For Windows

Articles and Tips: tip

01 Jan 2004


This is one of the most popular articles in Novell Cool Solutions this past year. It has received 36 5-star ratings, and has been viewed and printed hundreds of times. As one reader commented: "I was looking for the answer on the VMware Web site, no help there.... Thanks to Novell Cool Solutions we got it resolved in 10 minutes."

What is VMware?

Here's the official word (lifted straight from their Web site at www.vmware.com): VMware Workstation enables multiple operating systems to run on physical computers in secure, transportable and high-performance virtual machines. As a result, technical professionals spend more time being productive and less time configuring hardware, installing software, rebooting or reconfiguring systems.

Here are step-by-step instructions to install NetWare 6 as a guest OS under VMware Workstation 3.0:

  1. What you need:

  2. Create a new Virtual Machine:

    • In the New VM Wizard, choose Custom.

    • Choose 'Other' as the Guest operating system.

    • Enter a name for the VM (i.e., 'NW6' and a folder in which to place the virtual disk file.

    • Specify at least 192mb of memory for VM.

    • Choose a network connection type (I used NAT, others may work as well).

    • Create a virtual disk of an appropriate size (usually the default 4GB).

    • OPTIONAL: Use the Configuration Editor and remove the USB Controller.

    • OPTIONAL: Specify an ISO image of NW6 for the CDROM drive, if you have it.

    • This will speed installation of the OS.

    • Exit VMware.

  3. Edit the VMware configuration file:

    • Load the config file (i.e., c:\VMs\NW6\NW6.vmx) into an editor.

    • Find the guestOS="other" line and change the value to "netware6". This will allow the PAE mode of NetWare 6 to be accepted by VMWare.

    • Add a new line beneath the guestOS line as follows: svga.8bitonly="true"

    • This will ensure that VMware doesn't complain about running in an 8-bit video mode.

    • Save the file.

  4. Change the display mode of the HOST OS:

    • You need to change your host OS color depth to 256 colors (8-bit) during the installation of NetWare. Once it's installed, however, you can go back to using a gazillion colors.

  5. Install NetWare 6

    • Start VMware and the new Virtual Machine.

    • Start the NetWare 6 installation as usual, either from a NW6 CD or from an ISO image if you have one.

    • As soon as possible after the installation begins, insert a floppy with the NW5-IDLE.NLM, ALT-ESC switch to the console, and type the following: LOAD A:\NW5-IDLE.NLM

    • When NetWare tries to load the LAN driver (use PCNTNW.LAN), it will fail because it broadcasts for its own IP address (doing an ARP?) and then hears its own packets. This causes IP networking to fail.

      Get around this by ALT-ESC switching to the System Console and then enter the following:

      SET ALLOW IP ADDRESS DUPLICATES=ON

      Alternatively, you can LOAD MONITOR !h, go into Server Parameters, Communications, and find the above parameter and set it to ON.

      Now, ALT-ESC switch back to the GUI installation screen and retry loading the LAN drivers.

  6. Install the NetWare CPU Idle NLM:

    • Copy NW5-IDLE.NLM to SYS:SYSTEM and to C:\NWSERVER in your Guest OS.

    • Load it from AUTOEXEC.NCF as early as possible.

  7. Once installed, you can switch your HOST OS color depth back to what it was.

Things to be Aware of:

If you run in full screen mode and NetWare switches to graphical mode, you sometimes get the Windows taskbar at the bottom. This seems to be a problem with Windows.

* Originally published in Novell Connection Magazine

Disclaimer

The origin of this information may be internal or external to Novell. While Novell makes all reasonable efforts to verify this information, Novell does not make explicit or implied claims to its validity.

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