Well, I’m actually using Kubuntu (I prefer KDE over GNOME); anyway the distribution is the same.

I have installed VMware Server into my brand new Core 2 Duo laptop and I have found the well know clock/time problem affecting the guest OS: the time into the virtual machine is running much slower or faster than the host time (the real world). With my Core 2 Duo, this time, was faster…


However, to fix this annoying problem, the recipe is:

  • install VMware Server from the partner repository (to enable it you have to uncomment or add this line at the bottom of the /etc/apt/sources.list
[source: js] deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu gutsy partner
[/source]
  • install the last VMware form the just added repository
[source: js] sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install vmware-server
[/source]
  • edit the file /etc/vmware/config and add the following lines:
[source: js] host.cpukHz = 2200000
hostinfo.noTSC = TRUE
tools.syncTime = TRUE
[/source]

The value of host.cpukHz must be (your CPU mhz)*1000. In my case, I have the Core 2 Duo 2200, so…

  • final step: restart VMware to apply the changes
[source: js] sudo /etc/init.d/vmware-server restart
[/source]

You have to install VMware Tools into your guest operative system and enable the time synchronization option. That’s all.
I’m using Kubuntu 7.10 with VMware Server 1.0.4-1gutsy2 running a guest Windows XP SP2, working just fine.


4 Comments

cowmix · April 9, 2008 at 21:00

Awesome.. that totally fixed my issues.. thanks!

Buks · May 20, 2008 at 08:49

Dude, you rock!

I have been frustrated with my Windows XP guest on a kubuntu 8.04 using VMware server 1.0.5 since 8.04 alpha 1. The guest simply refused to keep time. It would keep drifting out by as much as 5 hours. Editing the vmware config fixed it! Now to see if it will still work if I change my host power management from performance to dynamic, which varies the cpu-clock depending in load??

Thanx!

Paolo · May 21, 2008 at 11:00

Thanks Buks. actually, I’m using the dynamic profile, with no issues 🙂

See you!

John Clayton · June 6, 2008 at 09:47

Brilliant. Problem solved. Thanks!

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