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SME virtual machine is hanging under Vmware Server (Closed)

Offline arne

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SME virtual machine is hanging under Vmware Server (Closed)
« on: December 06, 2009, 10:55:08 PM »
I know this is allmost a off topic question, but I still give it a try as there could been somebody else that have seen the same problem.

I installed Vmware server 1.06 on Centos 5.4 / 64 with Gnome/X-Windows. The idea was to use this as a lab-setup where the vmware-server-console could be runned at the same PC as the vmware server.

I installed a number of Ubuntu 9.1/32 LAMP servers and some Windows 2000 Pro as guests and everything vere tested and worked as expected.

Then I got the idea that I also wanted to have a SME 7.4 as an aditional guest.

What appeared to be the proplem was that it was not possible to make the SME 7.4 guest to shut down. It were just hanging in the end of the shut down process and in the end the Vmware-server-console itself were just hanging.

So I tried with a number of new configurations of the vmware server and new installations of the SME server 7.4, but all the time, the result vere the same. The sme server could not be shut down or rebooted, and it just made the whole Vmware server installation (with the console logged on) hanging.

I tried to install vmware tools on the sme server, this process were also hanging as well. (Could not make free network adapter.)

Hardware is just Intell all the way, processor, controller, etc. (Dual Core 2)

I have used SME server many times under vmware before with no problems, but I have never tried ro run it witn the vmware console under Gnome/XWindows. (I have allways used Vmware on a host without x-win before, and I dont know if this could be part of the problem.)

It is allmost like that the hanging of the SME guest could have something to do with the network adapter, but I really dont know. (After playing with the SME server for a while, to try to make it work, the Ubuntu servers could not se the virtual adapter as eth0 any more, it is now detected as eth1, and has to be manually started.)

Does anyone have an idea about this strange problem ? 
« Last Edit: December 09, 2009, 07:51:16 PM by arne »
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Offline CharlieBrady

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Re: SME virtual machine is hanging under Vmware Server
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2009, 12:18:50 AM »
I installed Vmware server 1.06 on Centos 5.4 / 64 with Gnome/X-Windows.

1.06 is long obsolete. I think 1.10 is the latest.

Offline arne

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Re: SME virtual machine is hanging under Vmware Server
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2009, 12:51:30 AM »
Thanks for tip, but 1.0.6 is also the version I have used for sme 7.x as guest, for a long time before. (With no problems at all.)

There is also the new 2.0.x server but this has a web based console that I did not like to much. (Not as much as the old console for 1.x)
« Last Edit: December 07, 2009, 12:55:25 AM by arne »
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Offline arne

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Re: SME virtual machine is hanging under Vmware Server
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2009, 07:03:01 PM »
Vmware-server rpm 1.0.6 were replaced with newest rpm 1.0.10.

Linux console were replaced with Windows console.

SME server 7.4 were repaced with 8.0 Beta4

Problem is still identically the same. 7.4 and 8.0 both hangs identically the same way on Vmware server 1.0.6 and 1.0.10

Ubuntu 9.1 and windows 2000 runs as guests for all of them. SME server will not run for any vmware installation.

Quite strange .. (Could it be hardware related in some way .. ??)

.. Or could it in some way be the (64 bit) kernel version of the host system ?
« Last Edit: December 07, 2009, 07:39:07 PM by arne »
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Offline arne

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Re: SME virtual machine is hanging under Vmware Server
« Reply #4 on: December 09, 2009, 07:50:31 PM »
I were never able to trace out why the SME server vere not able to run under VMware 1.0 Server, on this particular server. Reading logs and posting here and to the Vmware support forum did not give an answer.

So I then upgraded to VMware server 2.0.2, and then all problems vere solved. (At least I hope this is the case.)

I also experimented with different host systems, Ubuntu 9.1 64, Windows 7 and Centos 5.4 64.

Centos 5.4 64 and VMware server 2.0.2 appeared to be the good and easy alternative, that could do it all.

This time Centos 5.4 runns with Gnome, just to be able to run the host system and the admin console from the same PC. Looks like it is working OK now.
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Offline erroneus

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Re: SME virtual machine is hanging under Vmware Server
« Reply #5 on: December 13, 2009, 01:36:34 AM »
I were never able to trace out why the SME server vere not able to run under VMware 1.0 Server, on this particular server. Reading logs and posting here and to the Vmware support forum did not give an answer.

So I then upgraded to VMware server 2.0.2, and then all problems vere solved. (At least I hope this is the case.)

I also experimented with different host systems, Ubuntu 9.1 64, Windows 7 and Centos 5.4 64.

Centos 5.4 64 and VMware server 2.0.2 appeared to be the good and easy alternative, that could do it all.

This time Centos 5.4 runns with Gnome, just to be able to run the host system and the admin console from the same PC. Looks like it is working OK now.

I wish I was visiting this forum while this thread was new.  I would have pointed out that vmware server 1.0.x does not play well with 64 bit systems I think.  2.0.x was better designed to take advantage of that environment.  I too prefer the 1.0.x client and run 32 bit CentOS in PAE.  I run my SME 7.x fully updated and extremely reliably.

Offline CharlieBrady

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Re: SME virtual machine is hanging under Vmware Server
« Reply #6 on: December 13, 2009, 04:53:10 AM »
I would have pointed out that vmware server 1.0.x does not play well with 64 bit systems I think.

I use 1.0.10 on a daily basis on a 64bit CentOS 5.4 system running 32bit and 64bit guests.