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Android x86 on VMware Player

whs37

Android Enthusiast
Jan 29, 2011
597
113
Florida/Germany
I was trying to get Android to run in VMware Player on a Windows 7 host system. I got pretty far. It was working after initial setup - I even had an internet connection. Then I powered the vitual machine off because I could not figure out how to do it otherwise.

But then I could not get it properly started again. It loaded OK but after 3 seconds the start screen disappeard and all I had left was a black screen.

Does anybody have experience with Andoid on VMware Player and is there a subforum for that.

I know Android (as a user) because I own a Nexus 7 and I have experience with VMware Player. I use that for 6 virtual systems - but this one baffles me.

Thanks for your input.
 
Thanks for the suggestion. I am an old veteran of vBox but I always had a few gremlins with it. That's why I switched to VMware Player. That works very well for my 5 Linux distros and for Windows 8.1. I have made a little tutorial package for that.

But maybe in the case of Android, vBox does a better job. Although my problem was not to get it to run - even the internet worked. It just would not come up after a second boot. The initial screen came up (the one with the blinking circle) but that disappeared after 3 seconds and gave room to a dead black screen.
 
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Hmm, that is not encouraging. If I believe what some guys on the web say, it ought to work. Question is how.

I had this nice plan. I wanted to install Android in virtual on my Asus Tramsformer Windows 8.1 tablet. Then use a GPS dongle and run the navigation programs from the Playstore on it.

Windows 8.1 has no navigation programs because MS changed the program interface. The few programs there were are now unusable. That's also why 8.1 tablets have no GPS sensor.

I am sure I would have hit a few more roadblocks, but if I cannot even get Android working, no need to proceed.
 
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I've got 4.3 Android-x86 running on a Macbook in Virtual Box. Downloaded from here:
http://www.android-x86.org/download
I think they've actually built it mainly for Oracle's Virtual Box, to be installed as Linux OS > Other.

It seems to work for me ok, however Android-x86 is very much alpha/beta and is a work in progress so YMMV. Many apps often crash or just don't run at all. Don't know how you would go connecting a hardware GPS dongle to an OS that's running inside a virtual machine though.
 
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Don't know how you would go connecting a hardware GPS dongle to an OS that's running inside a virtual machine though
LOL, that I don't know yet either. But one step at a time.

It is too bad that they do not have navigation programs for 8.1. Last year they announced one at the Barcelona fair. It was supposed to be available in summer 2013 but has not yet appeared.

Another Android function I wanted to use is GrooveIP. When we are in Europe we make a lot of calls to the US and with GrooveIP that is free. I guess I still have to lug the Nexus 7 for that.

What I like about the Transformer is that it has over 10 hours of battry life. The Nexus quits after 5 hours.
 
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I tested the Android X86 build in Virtualbox on my (Linux) PC and it worked absolutely fine. Virtualbox has facilities to use USB devices natively - I use this all the time in my VB-hosted Windows installations - but although the Android system ran I had problems with the particular app I had intended to use so I subsequently abandoned it.

VB is definitely the way to go though; I have little experience of it using Windows as a host but the few times I have (on Windows 7) it was pretty much identical in function to its Linux counterpart so you should be good to go for your intended use.
 
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As mikedt said I used the same method as I do with any VM; Virtualbox offers the option to power down, reset or save the current VM state (a bit like hibernation) and the power down option worked in Android just as is does in any other VM, offering whatever dialog the virtual OS would use on a real device.

Virtualbox isn't without its flaws but it is IMO streets ahead of the competition in usability and completeness of features (like USB support for example) to maximise the usefulness of the installed VMs.
 
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Thanks John, next time I will try the 'Suspend' option. Maybe that works better.

In the meantime I have also found a navigation program for Windows 8.1 - it is even from Microsoft and it comes in a European and a US version, the US version is called Steets & Trips. But I still want Android for my Transformer to be able to use GrooveIP for free calling from Europe to the US.

AutoRoute 2013
 
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Thanks, I am glad too that it works now. John Bean gave me the important hint. I still have to make a few tests for the phone calls, but in principle that works.

For my other application - navigation - I found a Windows 8.1 native program. That should work. But that I can really only test when I am back in Europe - in Mai.
 
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