If you are running GNS3 WorkBench and would like to upgrade GNS3 to the latest 0.8.3, here is how you do it. Thanks to JJ for asking.
Summary:
cd ~/Downloads
wget http://sourceforge.net/projects/gns-3/files/GNS3/0.8.3/GNS3-0.8.3-src.zip
unzip GNS3-0.8.3-src.zip
rm -rf /opt/GNS3/docs/
rm -rf /opt/GNS3/qemuwrapper/
rm -rf /opt/GNS3/src
rm -rf /opt/GNS3/vboxwrapper/
mv -f ~/Downloads/GNS3-0.8.3-src/* /opt/GNS3
rm -rf ~/Downloads/GNS3*
Details:
1. Download one of the sources from http://www.gns3.net/download/ – say GNS3-0.8.3-src.zip. I downloaded it to ~/Downloads
cd ~/Downloads
wget http://sourceforge.net/projects/gns-3/files/GNS3/0.8.3/GNS3-0.8.3-src.zip
2. unzip it
unzip GNS3-0.8.3-src.zip
This will create a directory called GNS3-0.8.3-src
3. The rest is probably easiest from the file manager, but I’ll give you the commands anyway:
3.1 Remove the following directories from /opt/GNS3
rm -rf /opt/GNS3/docs/
rm -rf /opt/GNS3/qemuwrapper/
rm -rf /opt/GNS3/src
rm -rf /opt/GNS3/vboxwrapper/
3.2 Move the contents of ~/Downloads/GNS3-0.8.3-src to /opt/GNS3
mv -f ~/Downloads/GNS3-0.8.3-src/* /opt/GNS3
4. Remove the zip file you downloaded and the empty directory you created when you unzipped it
rm -rf ~/Downloads/GNS3*
5. The first time you run it, it will detect that you have changed versions and ask if you want to re-initialise everything. Say No
You will then have to quit and restart if you were loading a lab.
RedNectar's Blog 
#1 Upgraded to 11.04……..After much troubleshooting trial and error I found out that the Desktop scripts will open the initial window displaying what IOS you need, In my non upgraded version when I add the images all the scrips and labs work and function properly, now in the Upgraded version, after I add the IOS’s nothing seems to happen, by accident I delete the IOS and notice that the original scrip was still working…so I assume what ever script or how it functions after the IOS’s are placed in there proper directory is the issue….when I run the startup.1xxx scripts the same thing happen….
#2 So trying to figure this out I attempted to do a full install of Ubuntu 12.04 and follow your instruction …How to install GNS3-0.8.4-beta and Rednectar’s WorkbenchLab-5.8 on HddInstalled Ubuntu-12.04LTS….was able to get as far as
mount -oloop,offset=1048756 WorkBench.vmdk $MNTPOINT I get a error
mount: can’t find WorkBench.vmdk in /etc/fstab of /etc/mtab/
btw my fdisk -l Workbench.vmdk is exactly the same
I have the upgrade on Vmware workstation and the full install on ESXi 5 server
I like to know more about how these are scripted I may be able to resolve the upgrade first but if you have any input I would appreciate it
encryptic,
Re #1:
The gns3 scripts always look in /opt/GNS3/IOS to see if there is any .image files there. If there are none, you get the “you need to install these images message”. So that explains what happened when you deleted the iamges.
Re #2:
I was unaware of the post on the GNS3 forum: “GNS3-0.8.4-beta_Rednectar’s WorkbenchLab-5.8 ubuntu-12.04” until I searched for your reference. It was posted by wangji and it seems she/he has put some files on sourceforge as well – I have no idea exactly what has been put there, but you might find what you need there.
Right now I’m busy trying to get the next version ready – it will run on Linux Mint although I might try to do an Ubuntu version as well. The Mint version is fairly ready – but I will not release it until GNS3 0.8.4 is out of beta.
I suggest visiting the GNS3 forum again follow the post “GNS3-0.8.4-beta_Rednectar’s WorkbenchLab-5.8 ubuntu-12.04” I have just posted your question there to see if it gets a response.
Re #2(b)
Try reading /opt/GNS3/READMEs & Scripts/README to see How to use the Project folders and study the scripts in /opt/GNS3/READMEs & Scripts/WorkBench scripts
HTH
CW
I waiting to see what Linux MINT version you have, thanks for the posting as well….from what I see everything works fine without upgrading,,,,,on my upgrade the scripts seem broken, since the initial script works until I add the IOS, If I remove the IOS the initial script will launch. even if I try to run startup.1 (reset) shell script …nothing happensunless I remove the IOS then the intial script asking me to add the IOS pops up
The script does seem to open GNS3 but
Install Python and other tools
sudo apt-get install python
sudo apt-get install qt4-dev-tools
sudo apt-get install pyqt4-dev-tools
Launch GN3
sudo python /opt/GNS3/gns3 this does work
When I upgrade your ubuntu 10.10 to 11.04, even after
Install Python and other tools
sudo apt-get install python
sudo apt-get install qt4-dev-tools
sudo apt-get install pyqt4-dev-tools
Launch GN3
sudo python /opt/GNS3/gns3
scripts will not run any more
Hi,
I suspect that your desktop shortcuts would not survive the upgrade, so you should try navigating in the file browser to /opt/GNS3/Project – there you will see a folder for every project. Open one of these, and look for a file called startup.1.xxxx or startup.n.xxxx where n is a digit and xxxx is a brief description of what state that script will put the project in. In some cases, there wil also be a startup.continue to allow you to continue from a previously saved point in an exercise.
HTH
Hi Rednectar, thanks for your great work on GNS3 Workbench! It`s just beautiful, can you help us a little more ? =) Can you explain how can i install sshd, bridge-utils and etc on the Workbench Vmware system ? apt-get seems broken ;(
System->Administration->Synaptic Package Manager
Choose Settings->Repositories->[Ubuntu Software]Tab – Enable [x]Canonical-supported Open Source software (main)
Click Reload
Quit
sudo apt-get install openssh-server
sudo apt-get install bridge-utils
I’ve just done the upgrade. Worked perfectly thanks.
JJ – If you remember to say “No” to the question about re-initialising, your idle-pc values should be safe. Your configs and labs are kept in /opt/GNS3/Project – so again, these will still be there after the updgrade.
Thanks for the step-by-step.
Does this get rid of any kind of progress I’ve made with labs/topologies? For instance, will the idelepc values still be in in place after upgrade?