HOWTO Install Gentoo on VMware ESX server

From Gentoo Linux Wiki

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into HOWTO Install Gentoo on VMware in Windows NT/2K/XP. (Discuss)

[edit] Introduction

This guide is a collection of information to successfully install Gentoo in a VMware Virtual Machine.

[edit] Products Covered

This guide covers the installation of Gentoo as a Guest OS in the following VMware Products:

• VMware ESX 3.0.x Server

[edit] Preparing Virtual Machine

The first thing to do is, of course, to create a new virtual machine. VMware makes this an easy process. You only have to follow the steps in New Virtual Machine Wizard (File|New Virtual Machine...). Here is a summary of the options used to create the virtual machine for this guide. For any options not shown here, their default values were used.

• Virtual machine configuration: Custom
• Guest operating system: Linux; Version: Other Linux 2.6.x kernel
• Virtual machine name: Gentoo Linux
• Memory: 128 MB
• Network connection: Use NAT networking
• I/O adapter types / SCSI Adapters:
  • Bus Logic or LSI Logic
• Disk: Create a new virtual disk
• Virtual Disk Type: SCSI
• Disk capacity / Disk size (GB): 4.0; Allocate all disk space now
• Split into 2 GB files

You will need to ssh to your VMware ESX server and navigate to the directory where you stored the Gentoo Virtual Machine.

* This will add the Intel e1000 support to your Virtual Machine

# cp <MyVirtualMachine>.vmx <MyVirtualMachine>.vmx.old.1
# echo ethernet0.virtualDev = "e1000" >> <MyVirtualMachine>.vmx

[edit] Installing Gentoo Linux

Basically you just follow the instructions in the Gentoo Handbook the same way you would install Gentoo normally. Here we outlined the parts, to which you need to pay special attention.

[edit] Kernel Configuration

For this section we assume you are using a 2.6.x kernel. To start configuration:

# cd /usr/src/linux
# make menuconfig

Now enable the following options:

• VMware Tools uses kernel loadable module support to load and unload its driver(s).

Loadable module support  --->
  [*] Enable loadable module support
  [*]   Module unloading
  [*]   Automatic kernel module loading

[edit] Processor

Processor type and features  --->
  [*] Symmetric multi-processing support
  (2)   Maximum number of CPUs (2-255)
  [*]   SMT (Hyperthreading) scheduler support

      Timer frequency (100 HZ) --->
        (X) 100 HZ

[edit] SCSI Controller

VMware BusLogic SCSI Support:

Device Drivers  --->
  SCSI device support  ---> ** Turn off EVERYTHING under here besides what is shown below **
     <*> SCSI disk support
         SCSI low-level drivers  --->
            <*> BusLogic SCSI support

Or

VMware LSI Logic SCSI Support in VMWare Workstation 6.x and up:

Device Drivers  --->
  SCSI device support  ---> ** Turn off EVERYTHING under here besides what is shown below **
     <*> SCSI disk support
  [*] Fusion MPT device support --->
     <*> Fusion MPT ScsiHost drivers for SPI
  

[edit] Network

VMware supports the Intel e1000 NIC: (Use this for best results)

Device Drivers  --->
  Network Device support  ---> ** Turn off EVERYTHING under here besides what is shown below **
     [*] Network device support
           Ethernet (1000Mbit)  --->
              [*] Intel(R) PRO/1000 Gigabit Ethernet support

[edit] Installing VMware Tools

# tar -xzvf VMwareTools-3.0.2-52542.tar.gz
# mkdir /etc/init.d/rc{0,1,2,3,4,5,6}.d
# cd /tmp/vmware-tools-distrib && ./vmware-install.pl

# ./vmware-install.pl                
Creating a new installer database using the tar3 format.

Installing the content of the package.

In which directory do you want to install the binary files? 
[/usr/bin] 

What is the directory that contains the init directories (rc0.d/ to rc6.d/)? 
[/etc/init.d] 

What is the directory that contains the init scripts? 
[/etc/init.d] 

In which directory do you want to install the daemon files? 
[/usr/sbin] 

In which directory do you want to install the library files? 
[/usr/lib/vmware-tools] 

The path "/usr/lib/vmware-tools" does not exist currently. This program is 
going to create it, including needed parent directories. Is this what you want?
[yes] 

In which directory do you want to install the documentation files? 
[/usr/share/doc/vmware-tools] 

The path "/usr/share/doc/vmware-tools" does not exist currently. This program 
is going to create it, including needed parent directories. Is this what you 
want? [yes] 

The installation of VMware Tools 3.0.2 build-52542 for Linux completed 
successfully. You can decide to remove this software from your system at any 
time by invoking the following command: "/usr/bin/vmware-uninstall-tools.pl".

Before running VMware Tools for the first time, you need to configure it by 
invoking the following command: "/usr/bin/vmware-config-tools.pl". Do you want 
this program to invoke the command for you now? [yes] 

It looks like you are trying to run this program in a remote session. This 
program will temporarily shut down your network connection, so you should only 
run it from a local console session. Are you SURE you want to continue? 
[no] yes


Stopping VMware Tools services in the virtual machine:
   Guest operating system daemon:                                      done
Trying to find a suitable vmmemctl module for your running kernel.

None of the pre-built vmmemctl modules for VMware Tools is suitable for your 
running kernel.  Do you want this program to try to build the vmmemctl module 
for your system (you need to have a C compiler installed on your system)? 
[yes] 

Using compiler "/usr/bin/gcc". Use environment variable CC to override.

What is the location of the directory of C header files that match your running
kernel? [/lib/modules/2.6.22-gentoo-r5/build/include] 

Extracting the sources of the vmmemctl module.

Building the vmmemctl module.

Using 2.6.x kernel build system.
make: Entering directory `/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmemctl-only'
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.22-gentoo-r5/build/include/.. SUBDIRS=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. modules
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.22-gentoo-r5'
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmemctl-only/os.o
  SHIPPED /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmemctl-only/vmmemctl1_64.o
  LD [M]  /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmemctl-only/vmmemctl.o
  Building modules, stage 2.
  MODPOST 1 modules
  CC      /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmemctl-only/vmmemctl.mod.o
  LD [M]  /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmemctl-only/vmmemctl.ko
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.22-gentoo-r5'
cp -f vmmemctl.ko ./../vmmemctl.o
make: Leaving directory `/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmemctl-only'
The module loads perfectly in the running kernel.

Extracting the sources of the vmhgfs module.

Building the vmhgfs module.

Using 2.6.x kernel build system.
make: Entering directory `/tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only'
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.22-gentoo-r5/build/include/.. SUBDIRS=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. modules
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.22-gentoo-r5'
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only/cpName.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only/cpNameLinux.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only/dev.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only/driver.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only/hgfsUtil.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only/main.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only/staticEscape.o
  LD [M]  /tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only/vmhgfs.o
  Building modules, stage 2.
  MODPOST 1 modules
  CC      /tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only/vmhgfs.mod.o
  LD [M]  /tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only/vmhgfs.ko
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.22-gentoo-r5'
cp -f vmhgfs.ko ./../vmhgfs.o
make: Leaving directory `/tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only'
The module loads perfectly in the running kernel.

No X install found.

Starting VMware Tools services in the virtual machine:
   Switching to guest configuration:                                   done
   Guest memory manager:                                               done
   DMA setup:                                                          done
   Guest operating system daemon:                                      done

The configuration of VMware Tools 3.0.2 build-52542 for Linux for this running 
kernel completed successfully.

You must restart your X session before any mouse or graphics changes take 
effect.

You can now run VMware Tools by invoking the following command: 
"/usr/bin/vmware-toolbox" during an X server session.

If you wish to configure any experimental features, please run the following 
command: "vmware-config-tools.pl --experimental".

Enjoy,

--the VMware team

[edit] Finish the vmware-tools Install

# rc-update add vmware-tools default
# rm -rf /etc/init.d/rc{0,1,2,3,4,5,6}.d

[edit] Final Notes

[edit] Have VMware-Tools keep your VM's time insync

You will need to ssh to your VMware ESX server and navigate to the directory where you stored the Gentoo Virtual Machine.

* This will enable VMware-Tools to keep your Gentoo VM's time in sync

# cp <MyVirtualMachine>.vmx <MyVirtualMachine>.vmx.old.2
# nano -w <MyVirtualMachine>.vmx

* Change tools.syncTime = "FALSE" to tools.syncTime = "TRUE"