Your system is likely thrashing. Don't you happen to have MFS /tmp?
If yes, try to set TMPDIR=/var/tmp (and export) in your environment
before running vmware.

Jaromir 

Germano Cesari wrote:
> Hi, just a newbie question:
> 
> Im using vmware 2.0.4 that comes among the packages of the NetBSD 1.6 6
> CD distribution, I actually didnt have any problem installing linux
> emulation and running netscape, acrobat reader or even vmware, but
> there's something that really puzzles me...
> 
> Im running NetBSD on a PIII 733 with only 128Mb, and IFF I set the total
> memory of a vmware virtual machine at > 32Mb, the ENTIRE NetBSD system
> would start slooooowing more and more, ignoring any mouse movements,
> till a final total system hang (no mouse, no keyb, clock frozen, no hdd
> activity, NO REMOTE CONNETCIONS, and so on, you got the point I
> guess...), where a power off is the only solution?
> 
> just to know, can some1 explain me how is this possible? I mean: that a
> process can cause a total system crash? I tought the kernel had control
> over every process running, eventually taking care of memory alloc. &
> the like, preventing runaways from crashing everything... now, how come
> vmware is able to get control over the entire system? has it something
> to do with the lkm(s) vmware installs? do they "modify" the kernel in a
> way that allows vmware to gain hardware control in a way not usually
> possible for other processes? (Ive noted vmware accesses hardware device
> independently of NetBSD, "directly" Id say)
> 
> if so, would it mean that running vmware (or loading his kernel 
> modules) can make the entire system unstable? is it possible to write a
> kernel module that modifies the kernel making a total system crash
> possible (or even achievable)?
> 
> thnx in advance :)
> 
> Germano
> 


-- 
Jaromir Dolecek <jdolecek@NetBSD.org>            http://www.NetBSD.org/
-=- We should be mindful of the potential goal, but as the tantric    -=-
-=- Buddhist masters say, ``You may notice during meditation that you -=-
-=- sometimes levitate or glow.   Do not let this distract you.''     -=-