This is a guide to configure and install Fedora 8 as guest virtual machine in VMware Server. To download VMware Server, you will need to create a login and obtain a free license key from VMware's website. This was done using the Windows version of VMware Server 1.0.4.  Steps should be the same for Linux based host OS's.

A New Virtual Machine

With VMware Server installed, launch the VMware Server console, then click 'File->New..->Virtual Machine...'.

Choose 'Custom' so we can configure the SCSI adaptor type.

Set your guest operating system as 'Linux' and 'Other Linux' as the version.

Call the VM whatever you like, I used 'Fedora1', setting the location to a place with enough space to hold your virtual disk (~4 GB free space).

Accept the defaults for 'Access Rights', 'Memory for VM' and 'Startup / Shutdown' options.

Change the SCSI adapter to 'LSI Logic' instead of default 'BusLogic', otherwise you will run into problems when the installer trys to load the ata_piix driver.

Set the number of CPU's to match the number of physical CPU on the host machine.

Network type should be the default, 'Use bridged networking' to allow the guest to have network access outside of the host.

'Create a new virtual disk', disk type 'SCSI', adjust the size to your liking, and uncheck 'Allocate all disk space now' to keep the HD image smaller. That is it.

Selecting the guest from the inventory list, click 'Edit virtual machine settings'.

Uncheck 'Connect at power' for the floopy drive (you will never need).

Finally, select the CD-ROM drive, and set 'Use ISO image', browsing to the Fedor 8 install DVD. Ok will get you back to the console. Finally, click 'Start this virtual machine'

No GUI Fedora 8 installation 

At the GRUB/Welcome to Fedora 8! prompt, select 'text mode' install or upgrade option

Skip the media check, and accept the defaults until 'Configure Network Interface'.

Hit space over 'Enable IPv4'.

Choose manual and set the hostname to whatever you like.

To do a minimalist install (no GUI, no X, no Gnome), uncheck all packages, and select 'Customized software selection'

Unselect all package groups, except Editors. View the details of 'Editors' by pressing F2, making sure vim-enhanced is selected. After a bit, you will have a fresh, clean guest VM install of Fedor 8.

Copy Virtual Machine and Never Run Setup Again

Shutdown the guest. Copy the location folder to a new name..e.g.

cp Fedora1 Fedora2

Rename the .vmx file to match your new folder name, in our case, Fedora2.vmx. Edit the vmx file in the new directory, changing the line:

displayName = "Fedora1"

to

displayName = "Fedora2"

Now, back in the console, do 'File->Open...', click Browse, and select the edited vmx file. Select the duplicate VM name in the inventory pane, renaming it to Fedora2. The first time you start the copied image, you will get the following:

Accept the default 'Create' to create a new identifier for the VM. Copy complete.