# freebsd running vmware workstation linux binary



## yeoj (Nov 20, 2008)

I'd like to setup my primary workstation as a freebsd system for a number of different reasons, but i need to have vmware workstation up and running.  (In short, i need it to test various windows xp software for work)

I've read that through some documentation on FreeBSD linux emulation you can run various linux binaries, but after googling for some tips on how to run vmware workstation on a freebsd host I've found little/no success stories.

I'm guessing there is little documentation on how to do this because A.) its a piece of cake or B.) nobody has really done it.... 


I apologize if this post doesn't fit here, It didn't seem like a port (vmware would have to be a linux binary) and although vmware considers themselves (emulated) hardware, it didn't seem to fit there either.

Thanks in advance,

-Joe


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## ninjaslim (Nov 20, 2008)

I doubt you'll be able to run a recent version of VMWare Workstation via linuxulator.  I believe VMWare Workstation actually has a kernel component, which would be problematic, as it'd be fore Linux only.  There is an ancient version of VMWare Workstation in ports, but I wouldn't recommend that either.

The emulation layer has rather good documentation.  Its usage is covered in the handbook.  The reason that you don't see many third-party resources for it is because it's not all that useful when 99% of all open source software can be compiled natively for most Unix and Unix-like systems with little or no changes, regardless of what platform it was actually developed on.  Only a handful of programs, mainly proprietary, require the use of the compatibility layer.  

For serious virtualization, you can try Qemu, which runs pretty well.  Also, I think works being done on VirtualBox to port it over, and the FreeBSD developers are working on Xen DomU support.  I'm not sure when Dom0 support will come.


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## none (Nov 22, 2008)

I used qemu for folding on linux amd64 and was not good for me.

I'm counting the seconds to having a emulation that I can do that, or F@H to be native for freebsd (smp) ...

none


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## anomie (Nov 22, 2008)

As mentioned (and if you're interested), see vermaden's qemu howto. I run a Windows 2000 guest this way. With XP YMMV. 

Honestly, you might be happiest in this case with a simple dual-boot system.


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