Borked VMware install attempt

mrdelurk · Post by **mrdelurk** » 2011/06/30 14:31:58

I installed CentOS today to test two VMware .vmdk (virtual machine) files on a 64-bit Linux.
I figured out how to mount NTFS hard drives in CentOS...
Turns out, Xen doesn't open .vmdk files. OK, fine; I downloaded VMware Server Linux.
The Vmware installer gave a warning: cannot install on a Linux with a Xen kernel.
I uninstalled the two kernel files that had "Xen" in the file name. Then VMware did install.
Except the program was nowhere to be seen. So I typed "vmware" in Terminal
I got a response saying, "VMware is installed but not well. It must be configured"
So I followed the prompts, choosing default values for everything. Still nothing. I restarted.
Now I not only can't see VMware anywhere, but my network is borked as well.
I had to fire up another computer just to type this up.

Where do I go from here?

ezhdeha · Post by **ezhdeha** » 2011/07/01 09:21:19

Why not take a look at /etc/init.d and see what the VMWare service is called then stop it?

Normally to install VMWare you run the installer, then you can generally run

./vmware-config.pl -d

which should install everything with the default values.

VMWare does create extra virtual network cards which might screw up your network as well. If stopping the service doesn't work, just type "ifconfig" and get a list a list of your network interface then systematically type "ifconfig down" to shut them down.

would usually be the vmnet0 type interfaces.

hope this helps.

mrdelurk · Post by **mrdelurk** » 2011/07/02 07:28:19

Hello Ezhdeha,

I found 4 vmware files under etc/init.d, I dragged them out.
I expanded a fresh copy of the vmware installer .gz archive.
Clicked the install .pl file, chose Run - nothing happened.
Clicked the install .sh file, chose Run - nothing happened.
This is where my knowledge of Linux ends, I guess :-)
Thank you for trying to help

Googling around the Net, I found some blurbs how to install VMware on CentOS [url=http://www.howtoforge.com/vmware_server_centos5.0]like this[/url]
One looks at the tons of windows and code lines and mumbles: "you gotta be kidding".
All right, so I bit off way more than I can chew with CentOS. I'll head over to the Ubuntu 10 Kindergarten :-)

mrdelurk · Post by **mrdelurk** » 2011/07/02 08:53:41

Ha ha ha...
I Installed ubuntu 10.04, it came up with a non-working Net connection.
But its System Testing tool is even more hilarious.
It finds out that Net access is hosed, then wants to email the report about it.

At least CentOS had working Net access until the VMware install borked it.
I noticed the "Ubuntu Software Center" offers VirtualBox, though.
Hmm, maybe I should check if CentOS does the same. Install CD time again.
Or... does anyone know any 64-bit distro that has either of the two majors (VMware or VirtualBox) preinstalled?

mrdelurk · Post by **mrdelurk** » 2011/07/02 10:54:32

Looks like I figured out why the Net connection quit during the VMware install.
The Realtek Ethernet adapter apparently fried on this Gigabyte X58A-UD3R mobo just at that moment.
Perhaps that's why they call the model "Ultra Durable". Anyway, WMvare seems to be innocent.

I'll pick up a PCI Ethernet card tomorrow and start over.

pschaff · Post by **pschaff** » 2011/07/02 22:03:24

Welcome to the CentOS fora. Please see the recommended reading for new users linked in my signature.

You may want to consider an alternate method of [url=http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos#head-fb1ff7e71fb5f2f511cda8c68cb6ba5f6e8decae]virtualization[/url] as VMware Server is at EOL. [url=http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/Virtualization/VirtualBox]VirtualBox[/url] handles .vmdk files nicely.

mrdelurk · Post by **mrdelurk** » 2011/07/03 10:30:14

I'm back online with a new Netgear G311 PCI Ethernet card... I must admit, CentOS handled the install highly elegantly, without nagging for a driver CD.
Virtualization is a whole different matter, though. There was no telling if one should install some Virtualization files with CentOS or not. Will VirtualBox need some of them? Or are those Xen only (and hence only a hindrance?)

After installing VirtualBox, I got the error: "Running VirtualBox in a Xen environment is not supported." Well, can't complain on lack of consistency. First there was no info what OS virtualization files to install for VirtualBox, now there's no info what OS virtualization files to remove. I went back to Add/Remove software and did a semi-decent butchery of all things with Xen in the name. Next I sauntered back to VirtualBox, loaded my VM into it, and pressed Start. It quit with an Error 1, saying ***unable to find the sources of your current Linux kernel. Specify KERN_DIR= and run Make again. Stop."

Well, I do understand "Make"; It means "dead" in Hawaiian. (Tell me about it.) The rest of the blurb... let me go back to sleep on it :-)

pschaff · Post by **pschaff** » 2011/07/03 12:34:25

Try reading the [url=http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/Virtualization/VirtualBox]link[/url] in post #6 and come back with questions if still having difficulty after that.

mrdelurk · Post by **mrdelurk** » 2011/07/04 02:31:27

All right, if it's gonna be bitter, let it be bitter to the very end. I learned from Ubuntu, VirtulaBox cannot handle 1 out of my 2 VM files, no matter what. If I'm to see that holdout (OSX) VM file running, I must use VMware.

So I pulled up this [url=http://www.howtoforge.com/vmware_server_centos5.0]Masochism 101[/url] manpage again, and followed every instruction to the last bitter letter. Got the message "you have successfully installed VMWare Server" at the end of the torture.

Grand result? VMWare Server is still nowhere. Even after a reboot.
Someone could have told me that CentOS 5.6 just can't run VMware Server.

mrdelurk · Post by **mrdelurk** » 2011/07/04 05:01:08

[quote] Someone could have told me that CentOS 5.6 just can't run VMware Server.[/quote]

I need to correct this. It can, I finally got Server to work after wading through a bunch of GUI tangles and error messages.
However, the holdout VM file doesn't run in VMware Server, either. On 32-bit distros, Vmware Workstation was able to get the same OSX VM to run, on 64-bit distros with Server (I don't have any more Workstation licenses... :-) ) - no cigar.

CentOS