[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



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