Fusion

Hello,

I'm ready to buy Fusion for my iMac, but only if (when) I'll be able to convert my different bar metal Linux boxes to VMs.

To do so, I'll take the simple sample:

I've a Linux box runing Ubuntu 16.04.1 LST 64 bit with a lot of installed sofware that I don't want to reinstall from scratch on a new VM for my iMac.

On this Linux box, I've installed OpenSSL and it's OK.

I've a second system runing Windows 10 Pro 64 bit.

On that second box, I've installed VMware vConverter Standalone.

Now, I try to convert my Linux box to a VM on my Windows box (that's the goal of the VMware vConverter Standalone tool) to use this new VM with Fusion on my iMac.

And here is the problem I've:

When I start VMware vConverter Standalone, I've to select the server to log in to.

By default, the IPaddress or name is: "localhost" when the user name is "MSI\Myname" and the password is blank

So, I log in to that default server.

Then, in the main menu, I select the Convert machine option.

On the Conversion dailog panel:I select the following options:

Select source type: "Powered on" and in the entry field: "Remote Linux Machine"

IPaddress or name: 192.168.10.61 (that is the IP address of my runing Linux box)

User name: The user name of my Linux box

Password; its related password

When I select Next, I get the Converter Security Warning dialog panel and I click Yes to connect

Since my information are OK, I get the second dialog panel to now define the VMware Infrasructure server details and this is where I'm stock

In the Server entry filed, i put "localhost"

In the User name field, I put "MSI\Myname" as it was automatically defined when I started VMware vConverter Standalone

In the Password filed: I don't put anything since there was no password on the log in to dialog panel of the VMware vConverter Standalone

And this is where I'm stocked.since I can't never ever get the Next button active.

And if I put my Windows Box password, I can select the Next button but I get the error message:"An unsupported destination has been selected. A connection to the remote server could be established but it is not a VMware vCenter Server or its version is not supported !

I also changed the connected server when using "localhost" + "Myname" + "Mypasswd" but I always got the same error message !!!

So, what should I do to go further and make that convertion.?

TIA for your help since this will determinei f I buy Fusion or not !!!

Note to the VMware devs team: I've been in the sofware indusrty for over 40 years and I'm using VMware Workstation for over 15 years but I've never ever seen such a badly designed tool with such a poor online help.

Cheers.

Hi,

There's a variety of ways on migrating a physical linux machine to a virtual machine.

One way would be to take an image of the physical box and then restore that within a VM.

Another way is like you are doing now, using VMware vConverter, it is the recommended way and if it works it is probably the best option.

I've not done a linux migration from physical to virtual for a while, but I do notice one thing in your post. You are trying to export the physical machine to a VMware Infrastructure server. that's for the vSphere product, not for Workstation or Fusion.

Have a look at my screenshots from an earlier post here:

Re: Virtual disk size incorrect

You really have to select Workstation or Fusion for your destination, not "VMware Infrastructure"/VMware vCenter.

--
Wil

Hello Will,

Thank you very much for your explanation.

However, if I understand very well what you explain, the problem is that I don't have a way to change the type of destination.

As soon as I give the info for the Source System, the next page is the destination page but VMware vCenter Converter doesn't provide to change the destination type !!!

TIA to tell me how to select a Workstation or Fusion type or what other way to export my bare metal Linux boxes since I trully want to use those on my iMac with Fusion.

Bellow are my current screen captures:

1) Here, I set my name and password and click on the Login button:

Then I get this dialog panel and I click on Ignore:

Then I get this new dialog panel and I click on the Convert machine icon:

Then, i set up my remote Linux box and click on the Next button:

But as soon as I click the Next button above, I get that new dialog panel with no way to change the Destination type !!!

So, this is where I'm stock.

TIA again for your help.

Kingr egards.

Converter needs to interact with a helper VM to get patching part done. This means that you can only use Converter to P2V a physical Linux if you use a vSphere-environment.
If you order an mport to Workstation or Fusion Converter can not do the patching for you.
In other words: if you need to P2V a physical Linux into a VM without being able to use a vSphere environment your best option is to forget about Converter and instead use a full dd-diskimage as you would get with
dd if=/dev/sda bs=1M of=importedLinux-flat.vmdk
mportedLinux-flat.vmdk is already VMware-compatible  - it just needs a descriptorfile.The patching can then be done with a LiveCD of your LinuxguestOS and a few hours to google the details.For Ubuntu, Centos, Suse and other often-used distros that should not be too hard.

Hello Continuum

Thank you for your response.

I did something similar to your proposal but easier to achive and without asking any research on the net to make the new virtual disk working.

Here is how I dit it:

- Booted my Linux box with the excellent Boot-Repair.iso Live CD,

- Ran Gparted and copied the Linux partition on an USB drive (you can use an external HDD if the partition is too big for an USB drive),

- Started my iMac Fusion,

- Created a Linux VM (to create its Virtual Disk and define the VM specs),

- Booted that Linux VM with the Boot-Repair.iso Live CD,

- Plugged the USB Drive to be accessed from the VM,

- Started Gparted from the Boot-Repair Live CD,

- Copied the USB drive Linux partition over the VM disk,

- Ran the Boot Repair utility to install grub on the VM disk,

- Rebooted the Linux VM,

and that was done easily using only GUI environment and GUI tools.

As soon as I can, I'll make a smal tuto with screen captures for others to understand clearly how to proceed.

Note: This should also work with Windows.

Cheers.

Nice that you mention that LiveCD - if we have one stop for finding the knowhow including the tool reinstalling an appropriate new Grub plus - f necessary - create a new initrd.rd the google part gets bypassed.
If you want to do it all from GUI - one would with for dd-UI.
Creating the copy from the original and writing a new compatible vmdk in a single step would additionally safe a lot of time.
But your way offeres the free choice of various vmdk-formats - which is also very useful.
Why not combine the best of all ?
Your approach creates an empty vmdk instead of installing one !
Then a single dd-run could populate the empty vmdk ....
Now need for any temporary storage on USB at alll ....

Note to self ...: consider adding the reqioured tools for this aproach to the next build of my MOA-vmfs-recovery-LiveCD.
That would add real value to the already existing toolset.
see vm-sickbay.com

Ulli

Hi Wil,

What is the vConverter version you were using in your post that proposes to create a VM disk for VMware Workstation and Fusion and where can I get it?

TIA