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Installing Ubuntu Virtual Machine on Host PC

After setting up the Jetson Nano, the next step is to install an Ubuntu virtual machine on your host computer. This VM will serve as your development environment for programming and controlling the JetRacer.

Overview​

In this guide, you'll learn how to:

  1. Download and install VMware
  2. Download the pre-configured Ubuntu VM image
  3. Import and configure the virtual machine
  4. Connect the VM to your JetRacer

Step 1: Install VMware​

Since VMware got acquired by Broadcom the installation got a bit cumbersome and you have to create a Broadcom account

  1. Go to Broadcom Registration and make a new Broadcom account
  2. During the registration you will be asked for a Job title, choose “other”
  3. After registering you will be asked to build your profile. We aren’t going to do that, click: “I’ll do it later”.
  4. After Registering go to this link: VMware Workstation Player 16.2.2 It will ask you to log in, when logging in use your e-mail address that you used when making your account as the username.
  5. Download VMware Workstation 16.2.2 Player for Windows 64-bit Operating Systems, this version has been tested and proved to work with our VM.

Step 2: Download the Ubuntu VM Image​

  1. Download the pre-configured Ubuntu VM image from Google Drive
  2. Extract the downloaded .zip file to a location on your computer (preferably with at least 20GB of free space)

Step 3: Import the VM into VMware​

  1. Open VMware Workstation Player
  2. Click on the top left Player dropdown > File > Open
  3. Browse to and select the extracted .vmx file
  4. Click "Open"
  5. If prompted about whether the virtual machine was moved or copied, select "I copied it"

Step 4: Configure the Virtual Machine​

System Configuration​

  1. Select the imported VM and click "Edit virtual machine settings"
  2. Under "Memory", allocate at least 4GB of RAM (8GB recommended)
  3. Under "Processors", allocate at least 2 processor cores
  4. Click "OK" to save the settings

Network Configuration​

  1. Go to "Edit" → "Virtual Network Editor" (you may need admin rights)
  2. Ensure Bridge networking is enabled for internet access (should be automatic)
  3. Click "OK" to save the settings

Step 5: Start and Login to the VM​

  1. Select the VM and click "Play virtual machine"
  2. Wait for Ubuntu to boot up (this may take a few minutes on first boot)
  3. Login with the default credentials:
    • Username: jetson
    • Password: jetson

Troubleshooting​

  • VM performance is slow: Increase the allocated RAM and CPU cores in VM settings
  • Cannot connect to the internet: Ensure the networking is set to Bridged(automatic)
  • VMware errors on startup: Make sure virtualization is enabled on your PC

Next Steps​

Now that you have both your Jetson Nano and Ubuntu VM set up, you're ready to proceed with controlling your JetRacer's movements.

References​

For more detailed instructions, refer to the official Waveshare JetRacer ROS AI Kit Tutorial III.