Powering up a 64-Bit Linux VM on ESX Guest VM

[Dr_No2]

Hello All,

So I got a Linux based OS (CentOS) from  Vmware workstation. I want to put this in my ESX environment. If I try to "Import" from Vmware Converter I get "Cannot determine operating system". If I try to P2V, it will not work (has trouble installing Agent). I then tried installing Vmware Server (the latest) on one of my VMs (Guest OS) in my ESX host and try to power up this 64-Bit Linux VM and is telling me that VT is not enabled therefore  64-bit will not be supported.  Obviuously it is not recognizing the VT chip from the Guest OS.

Any ideas on what I can do to get this Linux based VM in my ESX environment?

Thanks

:smileyhappy:

[admin]

Have a look at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1000936

And http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1022152 is worth a read as well. All though this article applies to a Windows 7 guest, a lot of the concepts are the same.

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1028042 talks about converting VMDK disk types using the vmkfstools command on ESX.

One solution you could try is as follows:

1. Copy the Workstation VMDK files over to your ESX datastore using WinSCP or something similar.

2. Once all of the VMDK files have been copied across, try converting them to an ESX type VMDK using the instructions contained within KB 1028042.

3. Once the new ESX-type disks have been created, in your vSphere Client select "New Virtual Machine"

4. Proceed through the wizard ensuring that you select the "Custom install" option.

5. When it gets to the section about creating a disk, choose the "use existing disk" option and browse to the VMDK file that you created.

6. If everything goes to plan, you will have a bootable virtual machine.

Hope that helps.

[Dr_No2]

Thanks! Worked like a charm!

[admin]

Happy to hear that you were able to get things sorted mate. Maybe I will create a video for this topic to help others...

FYI.... I run VMware KB TV http://www.youtube.com/user/VMwareKB  

:smileyhappy:

[Lee_Sargeant]

Hi,

To be honest I have not P2V'd any Linux guests but I have had the agent failing to install on Windows boxes.  In this case I have had to manually install the Converter agent on the box.  I believe there is also a standalone installer for Linux.

Hope this helps,

Lee

[admin]

FYI... There is no longer a installable version of Converter for Linux. It is still possible to target Linux systems with Converter, however you will not be able to install the Converter Server software directly on a Linux system.

[DSTAVERT]

I assume you are talking about the command line version of converter here since the GUI version (although still at 4.01) is available.

[admin]

Sorry for the lack of clarification....:smileyhappy:

I was actually referring to the latest version, which is 4.3.

[DSTAVERT]

SInce you probably have access to information we don't, does this indicate that the Linux version will not have further updates?

[admin]

Well, I cannot tell you what the future holds, because I honestly do not know at this moment in time. However the release notes for Converter 4.3 (the latest version) at https://www.vmware.com/support/converter/doc/conv_sa_43_rel_notes.html states the following:

Discontinued Support

• Support of the following operating systems is discontinued:
  • Windows 2000
    
  • Windows NT
    
• Support for OVF format is discontinued
  
• Support for VCB image sources is discontinued
  
• Linux installation support is discontinued
  

I would say "watch this space" for future developments in relation to the next major release of Converter.