Trying to install Centos Stream 9 freezes

[msacks]

I am trying to install Centos Stream 9 from iso on my VMware Fusion instance, and it boots fine but when it gets to the first page I am unable to change the disk partitions, root password, etc. I clicked around the whole page but nothing happens. 

[Technogeezer]

What version of Fusion, what Mac model, and what macOS version?

What’s the date on the CentOS 9 Stream installer?

How did you configure your virtual machine? (A copy of the .vmx file would be helpful). 

[msacks]

Fusion 

Player Version 13.5.0 (22583790)

Mac model: MacBook Pro M2 2022

OS: Sonoma 14.1.11

CentOS Downloaded today Nov 9, 2023:

CentOS-Stream-9-latest-aarch64-dvd1.iso

 

.vmx config: (I used the defaults)

$ cat d.vmx
.encoding = "UTF-8"
config.version = "8"
virtualHW.version = "21"
pciBridge0.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge4.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge4.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge4.functions = "8"
pciBridge5.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge5.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge5.functions = "8"
pciBridge6.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge6.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge6.functions = "8"
pciBridge7.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge7.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge7.functions = "8"
vmci0.present = "TRUE"
hpet0.present = "TRUE"
nvram = "d.nvram"
virtualHW.productCompatibility = "hosted"
powerType.powerOff = "soft"
powerType.powerOn = "soft"
powerType.suspend = "soft"
powerType.reset = "soft"
displayName = "d"
usb.vbluetooth.startConnected = "TRUE"
firmware = "efi"
guestOS = "arm-other6xlinux-64"
tools.syncTime = "TRUE"
tools.upgrade.policy = "upgradeAtPowerCycle"
sound.autoDetect = "TRUE"
sound.virtualDev = "hdaudio"
sound.fileName = "-1"
sound.present = "TRUE"
numvcpus = "2"
cpuid.coresPerSocket = "1"
memsize = "768"
sata0.present = "TRUE"
nvme0.present = "TRUE"
nvme0:0.fileName = "Virtual Disk.vmdk"
nvme0:0.present = "TRUE"
sata0:1.deviceType = "cdrom-image"
sata0:1.fileName = "/Users/msacks/Downloads/CentOS-Stream-9-latest-aarch64-dvd1.iso"
sata0:1.present = "TRUE"
usb.present = "TRUE"
ehci.present = "TRUE"
usb_xhci.present = "TRUE"
ethernet0.connectionType = "nat"
ethernet0.addressType = "generated"
ethernet0.virtualDev = "e1000e"
ethernet0.linkStatePropagation.enable = "TRUE"
ethernet0.present = "TRUE"
extendedConfigFile = "d.vmxf"
floppy0.present = "FALSE"
vmxstats.filename = "d.scoreboard"
numa.autosize.cookie = "20012"
numa.autosize.vcpu.maxPerVirtualNode = "2"
uuid.bios = "56 4d ae 2d c0 1c 89 32-73 90 f6 bf 9f ba 92 c4"
uuid.location = "56 4d ae 2d c0 1c 89 32-73 90 f6 bf 9f ba 92 c4"
pciBridge0.pciSlotNumber = "17"
pciBridge4.pciSlotNumber = "21"
pciBridge5.pciSlotNumber = "22"
pciBridge6.pciSlotNumber = "23"
pciBridge7.pciSlotNumber = "24"
usb.pciSlotNumber = "32"
ethernet0.pciSlotNumber = "160"
sound.pciSlotNumber = "33"
ehci.pciSlotNumber = "34"
usb_xhci.pciSlotNumber = "192"
sata0.pciSlotNumber = "35"
nvme0.pciSlotNumber = "224"
nvme0:0.redo = ""
svga.vramSize = "268435456"
vmotion.checkpointFBSize = "134217728"
vmotion.checkpointSVGAPrimarySize = "268435456"
vmotion.svga.mobMaxSize = "268435456"
vmotion.svga.graphicsMemoryKB = "262144"
ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:0c:29:ba:92:c4"
ethernet0.generatedAddressOffset = "0"
vmci0.id = "-1615162684"
nvme0.subnqnUUID = "52 bf a7 5a 13 36 67 d9-5d 4b 9a e5 86 1e 91 b3"
monitor.phys_bits_used = "32"
cleanShutdown = "FALSE"
softPowerOff = "FALSE"
usb_xhci:4.present = "TRUE"
usb_xhci:4.deviceType = "hid"
usb_xhci:4.port = "4"
usb_xhci:4.parent = "-1"
usb_xhci:6.speed = "2"
usb_xhci:6.present = "TRUE"
usb_xhci:6.deviceType = "hub"
usb_xhci:6.port = "6"
usb_xhci:6.parent = "-1"
usb_xhci:7.speed = "4"
usb_xhci:7.present = "TRUE"
usb_xhci:7.deviceType = "hub"
usb_xhci:7.port = "7"
usb_xhci:7.parent = "-1"
usb:1.speed = "2"
usb:1.present = "TRUE"
usb:1.deviceType = "hub"
usb:1.port = "1"
usb:1.parent = "-1"
svga.guestBackedPrimaryAware = "TRUE"
checkpoint.vmState = ""
ehci:0.present = "TRUE"
ehci:0.deviceType = "video"
ehci:0.port = "0"
ehci:0.parent = "-1"

 

[Technogeezer]

I was able to reproduce this given your settings.

Your VM is mis-configured for use with Centos 9 Stream

From what I see, i'm surmising that when you created the virtual machine, you chose "Other Linux 6.x 64-bit Arm" as your guest OS type. That probably will work as a guest OS type, but it sets the memory for a newly created VM to 768 MB and a 8GB hard disk. Both are too small. Red Hat recommends a minimum of 1.5 GB of memory for RHEL 9, and I would go for that as an absolute minimum for Centos 9 Stream - and practically speaking I'd recommend more.  The CentOS 9 Stream partitioner will complain if you have a disk smaller than 9.1 GB as well. 

Just FYI - Centos 9 Stream ships with a Linux 5.x kernel, not a 6.x kernel.

The better choice for a Centos 9 Stream VM is a guest OS type of "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 64-bit Arm". That will set the VM's memory to 2 GB and the virtual hard drive to 20GB by default. 

Here's how I'd fix your VM to run properly (I did this and it fixed the problems that were the same as yours):

• Shut down the VM
• Go into the VM's settings
• In the "General" panel, change the guest operating system type to "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 64-bit Arm".
• In the "Processors & Memory" panel increase the memory to 4 GB.
• In the "Hard Drive (NVMe)" panel, check the size of the virtual hard disk. If it is set to 8GB, increase it to 20 GB.

Then reboot the VM and restart the installer.  

 

[msacks]

Your solution worked. Thank you very much!

[Ataa Moh]

I tried following the same steps, but the screen still freezes when I choose the language, so I can't complete the installation.

[Technogeezer]

You've added a "me too" post for a thread that's been idle for almost a year with no information that can help us figure out if this is the same problem or a new one. Help us help you -- please provide more details about:

• What CentOS 9 stream ISO (the ISO name, please)
• Configuration of the VM
• Intel or Apple Silicon Mac
• Fusion version
• macOS version

Most of this can be obtained if you post the vmware.log file for the VM that's found in the VM's bundle folder:

• Locate the VM in the Finder. 
• Right click on it and select "Show package contents".
• A new window will open.
• Attach all files with a .log extension to a reply to this thread.

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- Paul (technogeezer)
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