[CentOS] Vmware server help
Ken Key
key-centos at ksquared.net
Sat Jul 15 20:16:32 UTC 2006
William L. Maltby wrote:
> On Sat, 2006-07-15 at 13:19 +1000, Centos-admin wrote:
>> I have a centos 4.3 x86-64 (athlon64 with cool-n quiet enabled) with
>> vmware server 1.0 installed and working beautifully with the annoying
>> exception of my guest machines clocks (centos, ubuntu etc) run very
>> fast. I've read the vmware white paper on guest clocks, tried all their
>> suggestions and had no joy. I've tried passing the clock=x parameters to
>> the guests kernel etc to no avail. There is one last hope according to
>> the white paper....install vmware tools and then set clock=pmtr and then
>> use ntp from within the guest to sync the time periodically.
> This was discussed recently on this list and it looks like maybe you
> didn't search CentOS lists? I don't use it, but IIRC, the "pmtr" was one
> of the possible solutions. Search CentOS and maybe you'll get lucky and
> see your config mentioned?
I think William is referring to this:
http://lists.centos.org/pipermail/centos/2006-February/060651.html
I successfully use "clock=pit" on i686 environment on a lot of
CentOS4.3 and RH9 inside CentOS4.3 installs. However, it still
requires the vmware-tools to have been installed and the "Sync
to Host Clock" option has been clicked.
>> Do any of
>> you know a way to get vmware tools installed when you do not run a
>> graphical interface (ie runlevel of the box is 3) ? I cant seem to get
>> it going. Should I download the tools and copy them into the vm ?
> This wasn't discussed, IIRC. And I'm ignorant about that GUI gooey
> stuff.
Here's a possibility:
- Copy the vmware tools ISO image out of the VM Host onto the
the Guest. It is found in "/usr/lib/vmware/isoimages/linux.iso"
- mount the ISO loopback and copy the RPM/tarball into /tmp/ - unmount
- install the VMware-Tools RPM/tarball
- run vmware-config-tools.pl (no gui needed).
- *don't forget* - edit your Guest VM /etc/grub.conf to add
the "clock=pit" (I keep forgetting on new VMs I create...)
- shutdown your guest.
- Now on your HOST, edit your guest's .vmx file and change the
line from:
tools.syncTime = "FALSE"
to "TRUE". In mine, it's the last line in the .vmx file.
I sure wish this could be done from the VMware Server Console...
- Fire up the guest and run for cover!
I have not tried this, I just poked around trying to figure out
what that check-box was causing to change. Worst case, you
need to tunnel X through an SSH login from a remote system
with an X display and check the checkbox in vmware-toolbox
from there...
Do *NOT* run NTP in the VMware Guest. The basic clock in
the VM isn't precise enough and you'll never get synchronization.
NTP is to add accuracy to a reasonably precise but not
necessarily accurate clock source. However, it cannot fix
an "insane" time-source. You definitely want to run NTP on
your VMware Host, though.
Best of luck,
Ken Key
More information about the CentOS
mailing list