I am trying to use my new Tux (delivered today) with Ubuntu 7.1 running under VMware on a MacBook Pro. When the fish is plugged in the eyes light on the dongle and on the Tux. When I start the Gadget Manager, Tux speaks and if I dbl-click Clock, it will give the time. However, if I start the Controller, I am only able to open and close Tux's beak. The wings will not move nor will the eyes open or close. When I return to the Gadget Manager, I find that the sound begins to break up. I have not upgraded the firmware and this is the 2nd Tux that has behaved in exactly this way so unless this is a common failure mode, I am assuming that there is something wrong with my setup or somethig that I have done. Can any one suggest what I can do to get Tux working?

At this point I am able to flash fuxusb.hex but not tuxcore.hex (no dongle reply).  The
dongle seems to be otherwise working as I can run widgets and speak
the time and weather. however when the Tux is first turned on there is
no "Hello" and no movement of the wings. Do I have to do the firmware upgrade with a non "virtualized" Ubuntu?  Also, if I run the controller, I cannot get the Tux to do any movements.  Basically the RF and the voices seem to work but not much else.  Suggestions?

Thanks!

when trying to upgrade the tux, have you connected tux and fux properly with the white programming cable?

I once had the same problem that I could not upgrade tuxcore and friends because my cable was not properly mounted.

You cannot upgrade the software without the cable between tux and fux.

Eureka!  The problem was apparently running Ubuntu under VMware on the MBP.  When I did the firmware and sound updates from a non-virtual RH Linux system all updates completed successfully and Tux is now working.  One thing though...as I recall when you turn on Tux, it should say Hello and flap its wings once. Now I find that when I turn it on it says Hello but there is no Wing movement.  Was there a change in its startup behavior in the new firmware or is there some remaining problem?

Controller widget wasn't working...turned out that it had an older version and although TuxGDG .1.3 is supposed to have the .1.2 built-in, it does not see to so I added it manually and the controller now works.  Two problems remain...the controller can not move the wings (consistent with the behavior when it is powered on (defective Tux?) and the controller shows no sound detected from the mike (defective Tux?)

The 2 remaining problems sound like defects indeed. Were the wings working when you first received it? Anyway, better send it back.

David