I'm having some trouble installing RH 9.0 using Vmware 4.0 on my laptop. I currently have my hdd partitioned into C and D drive (factory settings). I've decided to install RH 9.0 using vmaware 4.0 and RH's installation wizard is prompting me to partition. It's telling me that everything will be erased on the drive. What do I do? I have valuable software on both my C and D drives. Please help.

Chris

VMware is a program which emulates a virtual computer. The hard drive, etc. in a virtual machine don't really exist physically ... the entire virtual hard drive is really just a bunch of files on your actual hard drive.

That means that if you create a virtual machine with a virtual hard drive, you can format that virtual hard drive, partition that virtual hard drive, do whatever you want to it. It's really just a bunch of files on your actual computer!

That's the beauty of VMware! You're working with a virtual computer that doesn't really exist So if you screw anything up, all that is screwed up is a bunch of VM files on your hdd!

Upon further investigation, I now noticed that the error is saying that no devices were found on which to place the file systems. Help

When you set up your virtual machine, you must specify exactly how you want the virtual hard drive to be created. In other words, you have to allocate space for it. To do this, shut off the virtual machine, and edit it's configuration settings. This seems more like a VMWare problem than a Linux problem.

Please can someone help me with the criteria to install Redhat 9.0 on Vmware using an XP laptop ?
Awaiting your response!

LISTEN.

You really dont seem to understand the point of VMWare...

VMware emulates a fake computer. When you make a virtual machine in it, you are asked to make a virtual drive. This is a file on your real drive (usually a massive file in your /my documents/ somewhere. When you do anything to the "drives" on your virtualised install you are really just adjusting the contents of this file.

The reason its not finding any drives is because there isnt any because you havent made any yet in the virtual instance.

Virtualisation software does not use your real, physical drives directly. Thats the entire point.

Double post removed. Moved to general Windows Software board.

Secondly, why redhat 9????? Its OLD. Very outdated and no longer supported. Use Red Hat Enterprise (CentOS) or Fedora instead.

Assuming you have your VMWare instance correctly configured, the install process should be exactly the same as on a fresh, brand new, physical machine.

Hi Jbennet,
i will try fedora since that is at my reach and please i am downloading then then VMware player 2.5.3 from filehippo.com.
Please could that be VMware 4.0, if not where can i find it. Will you send me the link.
Thanks.
Awaiting your response!

Ah right. VMWare player is crsap. It can only load premade machines, not let you load your own ones. Either byt the full version or use another (free) product e.g. virtualbox.

can you send me the link for virtualbox?

can i run virtualbox on my laptop because this is what they say about it
"VirtualBox is a general-purpose full virtualizer for x86 hardware. Targeted at server, desktop and embedded use, it is now the only professional-qualify"