Vmware-Tools and time synchronization: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 14:47, 2 March 2006

There are several reasons for installing Vmware Tools in the guest-OS:

Better network performance by using vmxnet module
May be better Virtual-disk speed because /etc/init.d/vmware-tools sets up hdparms.
Time synchronization hetween host & guest OS.

Installation:

Install Virtual Machine (e.g. SuSE 9.3 used here) with pcnet32 network module (default) including the kernel sources.
Run Yast Online Update you. This updates the packets + kernel + kernel sources.
Reboot.
Install the Vmware-Tools. We use the
```
dc:/pub/software/RPM/VMwareTools-5.5.1-19175.i386.rpm
```
which compiles better with 2.6 kernals then the variant distributed with vmware-gsx-server.
```
rpm -i VMwareTools-5.5.1-19175.i386.rpm
```
.
Now we have to configure the kernel sources:

cd /usr/src/linux make cloneconfig make prepare

Now we can successfully run
```
/usr/bin/vmware-config-tools.pl
```
and follow the instructions.
Run vmware-toolbox and check button .
Unfortunatly the guest OS gives timerevents with maximum 1000Hz, what is to slow fror the Linux-SMP-2.6 default kernel. See Therfore we have to add the kernel boot options: clock=pit noapic nolapic nosmp

vi /boot/grub/menu.lst # Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Tue Feb 21 12:52:40 UTC 2006 color white/blue black/light-gray default 0 timeout 8 gfxmenu (hd0,0)/boot/message ###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux### title SUSE LINUX 9.3 kernel (hd0,0)/boot/vmlinuz ...showopts clock=pit noapic nolapic nosmp initrd (hd0,0)/boot/initrd ###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: floppy### title Floppy root (fd0) chainloader +1 ###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe### title Failsafe -- SUSE LINUX 9.3 kernel (hd0,0)/boot/vmlinuz ............... 3 initrd (hd0,0)/boot/initrd

Shutdown the VM and configure the network to use vmxnet module instead of pcnet32 .
Check if in the Vmwares *.vmx file the entry
```
tools.syncTime = "TRUE"
```
is correctly set.
Power on the VM and choose the right driver for eth0 using yast (it should be named eth? because even /etc/init.d/vmware-tools has to find it) Example:

brn-suse093-1:~ # cat /etc/sysconfig/hardware/hwcfg-bus-pci-0000:00:11.0 MODULE='vmxnet' MODULE_OPTIONS='' STARTMODE='auto' brn-suse093-1:~ # cat /etc/sysconfig/network/ifcfg-eth0 BOOTPROTO='dhcp' MTU='' NAME='VMWare VMware High-Speed Virtual NIC [vmxnet]' REMOTE_IPADDR='' STARTMODE='auto' UNIQUE='7EWs.eUHVfjJn0H8' USERCONTROL='no' _nm_name='bus-pci-0000:00:11.0'

Hopefully after a reboot all services start correctly and the time is more accurate. If not please add details to this description!

If a kernel-update is installed the steps 3, 5 and 6 have to be repeated!

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 # Reboot.
 # Install the Vmware-Tools. We use the <pre>dc:/pub/software/RPM/VMwareTools-5.5.1-19175.i386.rpm</pre> which compiles better with 2.6 kernals then the variant distributed with vmware-gsx-server.<pre>rpm -i VMwareTools-5.5.1-19175.i386.rpm</pre>.
+# Now we have to configure the kernel sources: <pre><nowiki>
+cd /usr/src/linux
+make cloneconfig
+make prepare</nowiki></pre>
 # Now we can successfully run <pre>/usr/bin/vmware-config-tools.pl</pre> and follow the instructions.
 # Run <code> vmware-toolbox </code> and check button [[Image:screen1.gif|Options->Time synchronization ...]].
@@ Line 55: / Line 59: @@
 Hopefully after a reboot all services start correctly and the time is more accurate. If not please add details to this description!
-'''If a kernel-update is installed the steps 3 and 5 have to be repeated!'''
+'''If a kernel-update is installed the steps 3, 5 and 6 have to be repeated!'''

Vmware-Tools and time synchronization: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 14:47, 2 March 2006

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