[sles-beta] Problems installing SLES12 under VMware Workstation - Which Tools to use.

[John Savanyo]

VMware is in the process of transitioning to a fully open-source model for
drivers and tools and distribution of same through OS distros. You can
read more about details in these KB articles:
http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2073803
http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2073804

Compared to SLES 11 SP3, SLES 12 adds 3 additional kernel modules/drivers
(vmwgfx, vmci and vsock) and also adds open-vm-tools (OVT). SLES 12 now
includes the full set of 6 kernel and 2 xorg drivers supported by
vSphere/ESXi. (Workstation/Fusion products have an additional kernel
driver vmhgfs, but is not used on vSphere/ESXi)

We recommend using open-vm-tools and the drivers distributed by SUSE in
SLES12. Although, during the transition period you can also use the legacy
Vmware tools that are bundled with each Vmware product if you find that
they work better for you.

If you are mostly working on server workloads, then SLES12 should include
all the drivers and tools (OVT) you should need. If you are using
Workstation/Fusion and require a more rich desktop experience, then you
likely will need to wait for a future release of Workstation/Fusion that
publishes support for SLES12 and try to use the legacy bundled tools
bundled with that product.

-John


On 7/23/14, 11:43 PM, "Waite, Dick" <Dick.Waite at softwareag.com> wrote:

>Yet Another grand Hot Day in Darmstadt,
>
>I have been asked by SUSE support to provide /var/log/Xorg.0.log. The
>virtual machine is not available to me at the moment so I had a look at a
>log from a clone of that type of QE machine. It has a lot of interaction
>with VMware Workstation and the grand Tools.
>
>Support can upgrade a KVM machine, I ran an upgrade on an old physical
>machine I "found" and that ran Okay. I am getting a much stronger feeling
>in my water that this one is going to come down to "VMware / Workstation
>/ Tools"  - interfacing with SLE12
>
>I have not seen many words on the list, bar my own, about VMware /
>Workstation /Tools, could we have a show of hands on who is using this
>enviroment?
>
>Same question to SUSE I asked some time back. Which "Tools" should I use
>with SLE 12. Before the upgrade its happy running SLE11-SP3, VMware
>Workstation 10.0.3 and the Tools that go with that. We run the Update and
>have SLE12 with the same VMware Workstation but one see it wants to
>"refresh" the tools. What does one do..., the Tools are the same, or
>should I now use openSUSE tools?
>
>I understand VMware is a good business partner of SUSE, so I would have
>thought they are also part of this Beta, can they offer some words of
>wisdom here. It would be grand to have a SLE12 enviroment running before
>the first RC, then I can run some SAG Apps and create lots of SR's and
>check out the CUPS stuff the good SUSE gent was asking about.
>
>On zlinux we can not access "yast" after an update, that chap and many
>more will start their holidays on Friday, it¹s the Start of the Hessen
>School holidays.... Any other good people on the list have a SLE11 update
>to SLE 12 running on zLinux. I do mean update not new_install.
>
>__R
>
>___________________________________________
>Dick Waite
>Senior R&D Consultant
>Phone:  +49 6151 92-1505
>Mobile: +49 171 8393 769
>Software AG
>Uhlandstr. 12 | 64297 Darmstadt | Germany
>www.softwareag.com
>___________________________________________
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: sles-beta-bounces at lists.suse.com
>[mailto:sles-beta-bounces at lists.suse.com] On Behalf Of Simon Flood
>Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2014 1:57 PM
>To: 'sles-beta at lists.suse.com'
>Subject: Re: [sles-beta] Problems installing SLES12 under VMware Player
>
>On 17/07/2014 12:28, Waite, Dick wrote:
>
>> If I run a new install it's also grand, works as expected, it's only on
>>an Upgrade I get the X11 / display issues with mice and keyboard, but
>>it's Updates I need to get my Apps ready for testing.
>
>I'll try installing a basic SLES11 SP3 server then upgrading it. Whilst I
>normally install my servers as text-only I'll add a GUI.
>
>> While we are chatting, VMware Tools Update, when do you run this? Do
>>you push the refresh button or run from the command line or? I have a
>>feeling in the water something is not quite right in this area. The
>>VMware log has quite a lot to say in a -ve way about what is going on.
>
>When you say VMware Tools Update do you mean the older VMware-provided
>Tools or the open-vm-tools that come with SLES12?
>
>I've not been doing anything special with my test VMs so currently my
>Beta 10 VM (under Player) has open-vm-tools automagically installed which
>Player seems happy with as the menu option is "Reinstall VMware
>Tools...". I'm guessing this is because the open-vm-tools are "later"
>than the VMware Tools - remember Player et al won't know about (i.e.
>support) SLES12 as it's beta and too new (perhaps support will be added
>with Workstation 11, Fusion 7, etc.?).
>
>HTH,
>Simon
>--
>Simon Flood
>Senior Systems Specialist
>University of Cambridge
>United Kingdom
>
>Novell/SUSE/NetIQ Knowledge Partner
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