[sles-beta] Beta 5 and VMware-tools

[Joe Doupnik]

     The key word is "if". We don't know that. There are various 
versions of VMware hypervisor in use, little is known about how the 
open-vmware tools fit into that puzzle and what it does/does not support 
in the way of features.
     Let's look at this geometrically, for welcomed relief. There is 
VMware, there are SUSE virtual machines, and sandwiched between is a set 
of tools. There are two interfaces involved. At the moment VMware-tools 
matches the hypervisor version of choice. The third party open-vmware 
offering hopefully (that ambiguous word) works with both sides today 
(not necessarily true in the recent past), yet it is a third party to be 
coordinated with the other two by means still unknown. The SUSE part of 
things changed so that the VMware tools will not build with our v12 beta 
5 material; again the reasons are unknown.
     How this situation will evolve during our beta is also unknown.
     Which of these approaches offers least risk and broad version 
coverage? Risk includes what the vendors involved will accept as a 
proper systems component when fingers are pointed. That's a description 
of what is concerning us about this situation.
     Joe D.

On 23/04/2014 14:27, Beddingfield, Allen wrote:
> I'm having a hard time understanding why there is such concern here.  VMware supporting the open-vm-tools is preferable to me.  I can then use SUSE Manager to also manage my vm tools, instead of having to rely on VMware for such things.  I actually have a script that currently does this, instead of using VMware's interface, but if the functionality is the same, installing/updating is easier, and VMware doesn't care/supports it, I don't see a problem.
>
> --
> Allen Beddingfield
> Systems Engineer
> The University of Alabama
> ________________________________
> From: sles-beta-bounces at lists.suse.com [sles-beta-bounces at lists.suse.com] on behalf of urs.frey at post.ch [urs.frey at post.ch]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2014 2:04 AM
> To: jrd at netlab1.net; sles-beta at lists.suse.com
> Subject: Re: [sles-beta] Beta 5 and VMware-tools
>
> Hi
> I fully agree with Joe
> I mean I use VMwareTools coming together with the specific ESXi release for good reasons for years now on different Linux distributions.
> Now with SLES12 beta I am kind of “urged” to use open-vm-tools which obviously do not match the VMware environment I have here.
>
> Wouldn’t it be a solution to leave the final decision about which VMware Tools to use to the end user?
>
> So I may choose to install what comes with SLES or I can also use what gets delivered from ESXi.
> Therefore no automated installations anymore together with SLES12.
>
> We do not know what the plans on VMware are.
> For the moment, the statements of VMware about open-vm-tools do not really convince me.
> http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2073803
>
> Best regards
>
> Urs Frey
> Post CH AG
> Informationstechnologie
> IT Betrieb
> Webergutstrasse 12
> 3030 Bern (Zollikofen)
> Telefon : ++41 (0)58 338 58 70
> FAX     : ++41 (0)58 667 30 07
> E-Mail:   urs.frey at post.ch<mailto:urs.frey at post.ch>
>
> Von: sles-beta-bounces at lists.suse.com [mailto:sles-beta-bounces at lists.suse.com] Im Auftrag von Joe Doupnik
> Gesendet: Tuesday, April 22, 2014 8:24 PM
> An: sles-beta at lists.suse.com
> Betreff: Re: [sles-beta] Beta 5 and VMware-tools
>
>      Keeping a perspective on this. There is now a gulf between SLES v12 beta 5 and the VMware tools (o/s kind other 64-bit) provided with ESXi v5. The VMware software stalls while making kmods. That's all observational evidence. What we don't know is what changed. I will presume that the SLES (including kernel) part has, for probably good reasons, and that sooner or later VMware will issue tools for the v12 level of SLES. But that is only my guessing.
>      What remains unconvincing is saying VMware recommends the open-vmware tools. Lots of room to interpret what is said by whom and in what context. The evidence says VMware ships their own tools rather than the open-vmware ones. Folks with contractual details may well be concerned, but we give the betas a chance to develop further before jumping to firm conclusions.
>      Joe D.
>
> On 22/04/2014 17:58, Joe Doupnik wrote:
>      vCenter is a high priced separate management product. I do not have it. ESXi servers have their own set of VMware tools. We click on the vSphere client to request they be installed in a VM. They match the particular version of ESXi. They don't work with beta 5, which means there are two branches of tools and the vendor's branch has been made inoperable. The open-vmware-tools item has had a rather chequered history. I have no good reason to trust that item very far (at this time). Now the branches are really separated. Not a comfortable situation.
>      Joe D.
>
> On 22/04/2014 17:49, Kai Dupke wrote:
>
> On 04/22/2014 02:42 PM, Joe Doupnik wrote:
>
>      Returning to this particular VMware-tools item today.
>
>      Two points.
>
> [...]
>
>
>
> The open-vm-tools on SLES are the tools VMware recommends for the use.
>
> With "3rd party" you refer to the display in the Virtual Center I assume.
>
>
>
> Bo Dang form VMware commented on this earlier:
>
>
>
> Thanks for this info and keep contacting us! As john metnioned in another thread "The intent of the message was to communicate that end users do not need to worry about installing/updating VMware tools centrally from vCenter. Instead users are expected to use OS package manager to maintain vmware tools or open-vm-tools. We published the following KB article to clarify that open-vm-tools are "supported" and there is a FAQ at the bottom about this message at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2073803 " and we are planning to change message in the future to remove "3rd Party" and instead say something like "Guest Managed" to reduce user concerns.
>
>
>
> greetings
>
> Kai Dupke
>
> Senior Product Manager
>
> Server Product Line
>
>
>
>
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