I suggest to work on an old 4.2.7 if it's your first time with MARS on VMWare.

It's easy to configure and activate in a VMWare environment.

Anyway with the same basic configuration you can realize a custom v6 MARS on VMWare but with a little more difficulties due to some specific alterations done by Cisco on the boot process and the elimination of the chance to reach /bin/bash environment on the v6 MARS.

I used the setup instructions already working for a MARS v.4.2. as:

Set up a single 120 gb IDE drive on 0:0 (IDE) and CDROM at 0:1 (IDE). These parameters are MANDATORY.

Add two bridged NICS on your real NIC (Wired or Wireless - choose from the Virtual Network Environment on VMWare).

Procede to install the MARS's recovery .ISO file from Cisco (Recovery Image) as a Bootable CD from VMWare.

Get a Trial license from Cisco (60 days).

Run the machine.

Choose local controller, (suggested model: 20),

wait, reboot and wait, until  login prompt appears (oracle takes a lot of time). 

Login with pnadmin/pnadmin, change password.

Set IP  address.

Remeber that every time you change the IP the machine reboots.

At prompt install a proper license.

That's all.

Bye