Category: VMWare

Create a virtual machine from an ISO with VMWare Player

copyed from another Blog:

Posted on December 28, 2008 in: how to, software, tools|Jump To Comments

Yeah, you heard me no CD/DVD burning in here. VMWare player lacks the ability to create new virtual machines by it self, this problem can be overcomed by using third party solutions or a blank virtual machine. However one small feature found on VMWare Workstation still missing which is the ability to install the operating system from ISO without having to burn in it into a CD/DVD first. Mostly it’s about reducing recordable media waste.

You can download a blank virtual machine ready for installation from this link.

You might also find this article interesting : How to Create a virtual machine with VMWare Player
Install from ISO

In order to make the virtual machine boot from the ISO you need to first edit the configuration ending with .vmx in this case named virtualmachine.vmx.

Add the following line to the configuration file.

ide1:0.fileName = "locationofiso.iso"

Locate and change the following line.

ide1:0.deviceType = "cdrom-raw"

To.

ide1:0.deviceType = "cdrom-image"

Close and save the configuration file. Now start the virtual machine and proceed with the regular installation.

After the installation is done change the values back to.

ide1:0.fileName = "auto detect"

ide1:0.deviceType = "cdrom-raw"

Save and enjoy your virtual machine.

Last revised on 02/04/2009

Get Ethernetcard working again in Linux under ESXi

After installing Ubuntu Server on Vmware ESXi, I couldn't find a NIC:

sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart

* Reconfiguring network interfaces...
eth0: ERROR while getting interface flags: No such device
SIOCSIFADDR: No such device
eth0: ERROR while getting interface flags: No such device
SIOCSIFNETMASK: No such device
SIOCSIFBRDADDR: No such device
eth0: ERROR while getting interface flags: No such device
eth0: ERROR while getting interface flags: No such device
Failed to bring up eth0.

Problem is that the ethernet MAC addresses are cached.

To remove the cache values:

sudo rm /etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules

Reboot, and it should work.

Other NIC files:
* /etc/hosts - change ip address and hostnames
* /etc/hostname - change hostname
* /etc/network/interfaces - change ip address

Install Vmware Tools on Linux

Under Debian necessary:
apt-get install autoconf automake make psmisc gcc
apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r` build-essential

Short:
tar -xzvf VMwareTools-######.tar.gz
cd vmware-tools-distrib
./vmware-install.pl
vmware-tools-config.pl

Long:
Viclient, Connect to VM
Menu "VM/Install VMware Tools"
Tools are mounted to Cdrom
mkdir /mnt/cdrom
mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom
cd /mnt/cdrom
tar zxvf VMware-Tools-xxxxxx.tar.gz -C /opt/
cd /opt/vmware-tools-distrib
./vmware-install.pl

Eisfair von ESXi auf CF

- ESXi Export für Workstation / Player
- Erweitere Template mit VMXBuilder um IDE Festplatte, size minimum the SCSI HDD
(Vorsicht, IDE:0:0!, CD Laufwerk auf IDE:0:1 setzen!)
- Booted VM mit "Ultimate Boot CD", starte Tool "g4u" V1.17
- Kopiere SCSI Disk auf IDE Disk
- Editiere Template: Entferne SCSI HDD
- Boote mit "Ultimate Boot CD", DamnSmall Linux
- mount /dev/hda2
- sudo vi /etc/fstab: /dev/sda1 und /dev/sda2 auf /dev/hda1 und /dev/hda2 ändern
- umount
- boot

Bootloader
---------------------------------
---------------------------------

/etc/lilo.conf
---------------------------------
disk = /dev/hda
bios = 0x80
boot = /dev/hda
read-only
prompt
timeout = 50
vga = normal
image = /boot/kernel
root = /dev/hda2
label = eis
initrd = /boot/initrd.gz
append = "ide=nodma acpi=force"
---------------------------------

Anschließend "lilo -v"

- wenn Eisfair läuft, neustarten
- Boot auf CD Image Acronis Home
- Image erstellen und auf Netzlaufwerk speichern

Am neuen PC
- Installiere Eisfair auf dem neuen Datenträger / CF
- wenn Eisfair läuft, neustarten
- Boot auf CD Image Acronis Home
- Image von hda2 aus dem Netzlaufwerk wiederherstellen
- booten
- Anschließend "lilo -v"

fertig