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Gentoo Xen running in Gentoo VMware VM

13-May-06

Here is a another VM, this time its a Xen Gentoo VM running inside a VMware Gentoo VM, how abt that ;)

VMware Base Gentoo Linux Configuration
Distribution: 2006.0
Linux Kernel: 2.6-15-r1
Installation Type: Desktop (KDE)
Networking: DHCP
User Name/password - none
Root Password: “optdlvrs”

Gentoo Xen VM inside the Base Gentoo Linux Configuration
Distribution: 2006.0
Linux Kernel: 2.6-15-r1
Installation Type: Desktop (KDE)
Networking: DHCP
User Name/password - none
Root Password: “optdlvrs”

VMware Base Virtual Machine Configuration
RAM: 256 MB (configurable by editing the gentoo.vmx file)
Disk: 10.0 GB (sorry I had to err on the side of plenty)
Networking: Bridged
VMware Tools: Loaded
Monitor Resolution: 1024×768

Gentoo Xen VM Configuration

RAM: 256 MB (configurable by editing the gentoo.vmx file)
Disk: 10.0 GB (sorry I had to err on the side of plenty)
Networking: Bridged
VMware Tools: Not Applicable
Monitor Resolution: 1024×768

Download Information
Available in the Downloads page.

Steps to get the VMs up and running:

Extract the gentoo-xen.tbz2 as follows
tar xjf gentoo-xen.tbz2
This creates the following files
• gentoo-s001.vmdk
• gentoo-s002.vmdk
• gentoo-s003.vmdk
• gentoo-s004.vmdk
• gentoo-s005.vmdk
• gentoo.vmdk
• gentoo.vmx

Optionally edit the vmx file to change the number of cpus. To prepare the
virtual disk which will be used by the Xen VM,
• In the VMware Workstation interface, click on Clone this virtual machine
• Select Clone from current state
• Select Create a full clone
• Name the clone and choose a suitable location for the cloned disk
• When the cloning process completes, Edit the settings of the **original** VM
• Click on Add
• Select Hard disk, Existing disk and browse to the **cloned** disk.
The VM is now ready to boot. Power on the VM as follows
vmware gentoo.vmx

Select the xen image when GRUB loads and login as root (password: optdlvrs)
Start the xend daemon
xend start

The command takes a while to complete so be patient. When you are returned
to the shell prompt , type
xm list

to see a list of running domains. You will see only domain0 running currently.
To start the first unprivileged xen guest domain, use the gentoo-xen-domU file
in the /root directory. This guest will use the cloned virtual disk (sdb to the
xen host) as it’s root disk (sda)
To start the Xen guest
xm create -c gentoo-xen-domU

The (xen) VM appears to hang when setting the hardware clock , wait for a few
minutes and the VM will continue to boot.
That’s it :)
BTW: This VM and the above test was graciously created by my good friend and colleague dominic. Hope you guys enjoy using it as much we enjoyed creating it.

Thanks!

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We have http mirror!!

18-Apr-06

Hi All,

Thanks to Mark at vr dot org we have a nice fast http download link.

Head to gentoo-vm.vr.org for Downloads!!

Update: Good news is mark recently joined VMware :), but the bad news is there is nobody to maintain gentoo-vm host at vr.org. So its dead now :(

Jay

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Install VMware Tools in the Gentoo VM

30-Mar-06

Hi,

Some versions of the VMware Server and Workstation 5.5.X has a newer version of the tools. To install vmware tools do the following:

This can also be followed if you are doing a fresh install of the vmware tools. Also note that this procedure does not follow the Gentoo way of managing packages. So some purists don’t’ like this. There is an alternate way using the emerge, I will cover that install method shortly.

This pretty much follows the standard Linux tools install procedure, except noted otherwise.

Doc Link, KB Link to related references at VMware.com
Install Procedure:

1. Select the option to install vmware tools on the WKS/GSX UI. Usually VM -> Install VMware Tools

2. Then log into the Gentoo VM as tools and mount the cd-rom drive.

#mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom

3. Then untar the vmware tools so some temp location like /tmp

#tar xvzf /mnt/cdrom/*.tar.gz /tmp

4. Create a set of empty rc directories to fool the tools installer

#mkdir /etc/init.d/rc{0,1,2,3,4,5,6}.d

5. Run the vmware-tools installer and go with the defaults

#cd vmware-tools-distrib
#./vmware-install.pl

The above installs the vmware tools startup scripts on the rc directories. So to fix it do the following
6. Add vmware tools to startup

#rc-update add vmware-tools default

vollia ur done.

Please do add ur comments as to what’s ur experience.

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Gentoo in a VM

14-Mar-06

 

Gentoo Virtual Machine

Gentoo Linux is a Linux distribution named after the Gentoo Penguin. It is designed to be modular, portable, easy to maintain, flexible, and optimized for the user’s machine. This is accomplished by building all tools and utilities from source code, although, for convenience, several large software packages are also available as precompiled binaries for various architectures. Gentoo achieves all this via the Portage system. Gentoo is also appreciated for its discussion forums and the large knowledge base they represent.

Even with all the fun and frills, Gentoo is primarily criticised for its long installation process, sometimes taking days on older hardware, especially very large ones such as X11 and OpenOffice.org take hours to compile and are incompatible with the needs of many users who require quick software installation.Having said that, working with Gentoo is a great learning experience and one is rewarded with much knowledge and insight into how various parts of Linux come together to work in a way it is supposed to and a wealth of information on minute details of each and every configuration option in the packages.

My endeavour with this VM is to enable the community use Gentoo and decide for them selves what the enigma of the Gentoo Linux really is.

Now about the VM itself.

Gentoo Linux Configuration
Distribution: 2006.0
Linux Kernel: 2.6-15-r1
Installation Type: Minimal (no Desktop Environment)
Networking: DHCP
User Name/password - none
Root Password: “gentoo”

Virtual Machine Configuration
RAM: 256 MB (configurable by editing the gentoo.vmx file)
Disk: 10.0 GB (sorry I had to err on the side of plenty)
Networking: Bridged
VMware Tools: Loaded
Monitor Resolution: 1024×768

Download Information
Available in the Downloads page.
File Size: 383 MB
Compression: ZIP
MD5SUM 41ca265fe7358c547889cee414d47b66 *Gentoo.zip

This VM just about gives you the head start with base installation. It has the shell and the basic networking installed. Everything there on needs to be downloaded and configured using emerge.I will be posting more expansive VM’s covering both GNOME and KDE Desktop environments individually as soon as i’m done with them.

Until then, hope ya have fun with this version.

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Introduction

14-Mar-06

Hi All,

This is an attempt to provide the Gentoo user community with a VMware Image to test and get a feel about.

This is not a official Release and I’m neither part of or related in any manner with the releng team at Gentoo.

Though I do work for VMware, whatever I say or post on this site does not represent the views of my employer or co-workers.

Thank you!!

-Jay

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