Desktop Linux sucks! Mr. Lunduke really gets it when it comes to desktop Linux. His points ring true, especially the discussion on package management.
Source: Linux Sucks! Video from LinuxFest NW
Saturday, May 2, 2009
How to install VMware Server on CentOS 5.3
So you want to do some virtualization on you Linux machine? Well, there's nothing easier than VMware Server. If I, the true CentOS and VMware newbie could do it, you can too.
First off, let's go over some prerequisites you must have ready:
1. CentOS 5.3 installation media (CDs or DVD, 32-bit or 64-bit).
2. VMware Server 2.0.0 or 2.0.1 RPM-format (not TAR) installation media burned to a CD. (32-bit or 64-bit, depending on the type of CentOS you've chosen.)
3. VMware Server license key for Linux. It's free, you just have to register for it at VMware's website.
4. An active Internet connection for the machine you're installing CentOS and VMware Server on.
Got it all? Good. Let's move on.
Installation of a bare-bones CentOS 5.3 system:
A. Boot your computer from the CentOS installation media.
B. Type in "linux text" at the prompt and press Enter.
C. Either press OK to scan the media or Skip to skip the scan. Your choice.
D. Choose your language and then your keyboard layout.
E. Choose "Remove all partitions". Choose the hard drive you wish to install Server to and press OK.
F. You'll get a warning: You have chosen to remove all partitions...", press Yes.
G. You'll be asked to review and modify partitioning layout. Press No.
H. Choose Yes to configure your network card.
I. Make sure a "*" is in "Activate on boot" and "Enable IPv4 support" by pressing the space bar. Only enable IPv6 support if you're running an IPv6 network. (Most likely you are not.)
J. Choose your appropriate networking settings. (Dynamic or static IP. I recommend static that way you'll always know the IP to use to access the web interface of VMware Server.)
K. Choose your time zone.
L. Assign root a password. (This will also be the password you use to access the VMware Server web interface.)
M. At the Package selection screen, deselect Desktop-Gnome, and put a "*" in Customize software selection. Press OK.
N. At the Package Group Selection screen deselect any and all packages that have a "*" in them. Press OK. (Essentially you're installing no packages during the CentOS 5.3 install process.)
O. Now the OS installation process will start.
P. Once installation is complete, remove the installation media and reboot your system.
Preparing CentOS 5.3 for VMware Server:
1. You should now be greeted with a screen like this. (Your hostname will be different. I chose CentOS-VM-Server as my hostname.)
2. Login as root. Execute the command "yum update -y".
3. Once the update is complete, reboot your machine by executing the command "reboot". You'll be running the latest kernel once the system is booted.
4. Login as root. Execute the command "yum install make gcc perl system-config-securitylevel -y".
5. When the installation of the packages is complete, execute the command "system-config-securitylevel". Disable the Security level. You can leave SELinux alone. Press OK.
(Advanced: If you know how to open ports 902, 8222, and 8333 for incoming connections, then you may do so at this screen. Keep the Security level enabled and choose Customize.)
6. Reboot. (This is the last reboot you have to do.)
Installing VMware Server:
A. Log in as root.
B. Insert your VMware Server installation CD.
C. Execute the commands:
A shortcut on the copy command is to type "cp /mnt/c" then hit tab, it will autofill cdrom for you. Then type in "V" (a capital V) then hit tab again. It'll autofill the VMware filename for you. Don't forget the "~" at the end of the command. The tab key on the command like is a huge timesaver when working with very long file names. Use it often.
D. When it's done copying, execute the command "umount /dev/cdrom". You may now remove the VMware CD.
E. Execute the command "rpm -i VMware-server-2.0.1-156745.x86_64.rpm". The tab key autofiller will come in very handy here once you type in the capital V.
F. When that's done execute "/usr/bin/vmware-config.pl".
G. Read the license agreement and answer yes to it. VMware might report something like "kernel tainted" when loading a module. Fear not, this is fine.
H. Then accept the defaults for *all* prompts by pressing Enter when VMware asks you a question.
I. Enter your license key. It must be in all caps and be sure to include the dashes. Then continue pressing Enter to choose the defaults at the remaining prompts.
J. Your VMware Server installation is now complete. You should see a screen like this:
Log into VMware Server:
1. Open up your web browser and type in "http://the.ip.address.of.CentOS.machine:8222".
You'll probably get a bad certificate warning, just import the certificate and continue.
2. Login as root with the same password you created for CentOS.
3. If you see this screen then you are completely done and you may start building VMs.
VMware claims you do not have to reinstall/reconfigure Server if you update your kernel. I have not tested this claim. Good luck!
First off, let's go over some prerequisites you must have ready:
1. CentOS 5.3 installation media (CDs or DVD, 32-bit or 64-bit).
2. VMware Server 2.0.0 or 2.0.1 RPM-format (not TAR) installation media burned to a CD. (32-bit or 64-bit, depending on the type of CentOS you've chosen.)
3. VMware Server license key for Linux. It's free, you just have to register for it at VMware's website.
4. An active Internet connection for the machine you're installing CentOS and VMware Server on.
Got it all? Good. Let's move on.
Installation of a bare-bones CentOS 5.3 system:
A. Boot your computer from the CentOS installation media.
B. Type in "linux text" at the prompt and press Enter.
C. Either press OK to scan the media or Skip to skip the scan. Your choice.
D. Choose your language and then your keyboard layout.
E. Choose "Remove all partitions". Choose the hard drive you wish to install Server to and press OK.
F. You'll get a warning: You have chosen to remove all partitions...", press Yes.
G. You'll be asked to review and modify partitioning layout. Press No.
H. Choose Yes to configure your network card.
I. Make sure a "*" is in "Activate on boot" and "Enable IPv4 support" by pressing the space bar. Only enable IPv6 support if you're running an IPv6 network. (Most likely you are not.)
J. Choose your appropriate networking settings. (Dynamic or static IP. I recommend static that way you'll always know the IP to use to access the web interface of VMware Server.)
K. Choose your time zone.
L. Assign root a password. (This will also be the password you use to access the VMware Server web interface.)
M. At the Package selection screen, deselect Desktop-Gnome, and put a "*" in Customize software selection. Press OK.
N. At the Package Group Selection screen deselect any and all packages that have a "*" in them. Press OK. (Essentially you're installing no packages during the CentOS 5.3 install process.)
O. Now the OS installation process will start.
P. Once installation is complete, remove the installation media and reboot your system.
Preparing CentOS 5.3 for VMware Server:
1. You should now be greeted with a screen like this. (Your hostname will be different. I chose CentOS-VM-Server as my hostname.)
2. Login as root. Execute the command "yum update -y".
3. Once the update is complete, reboot your machine by executing the command "reboot". You'll be running the latest kernel once the system is booted.
4. Login as root. Execute the command "yum install make gcc perl system-config-securitylevel -y".
5. When the installation of the packages is complete, execute the command "system-config-securitylevel". Disable the Security level. You can leave SELinux alone. Press OK.
(Advanced: If you know how to open ports 902, 8222, and 8333 for incoming connections, then you may do so at this screen. Keep the Security level enabled and choose Customize.)
6. Reboot. (This is the last reboot you have to do.)
Installing VMware Server:
A. Log in as root.
B. Insert your VMware Server installation CD.
C. Execute the commands:
"mkdir /mnt/cdrom"
"mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom"
"cp /mnt/cdrom/VMware-server-2.0.1-156745.x86_64.rpm ~"
A shortcut on the copy command is to type "cp /mnt/c" then hit tab, it will autofill cdrom for you. Then type in "V" (a capital V) then hit tab again. It'll autofill the VMware filename for you. Don't forget the "~" at the end of the command. The tab key on the command like is a huge timesaver when working with very long file names. Use it often.
D. When it's done copying, execute the command "umount /dev/cdrom". You may now remove the VMware CD.
E. Execute the command "rpm -i VMware-server-2.0.1-156745.x86_64.rpm". The tab key autofiller will come in very handy here once you type in the capital V.
F. When that's done execute "/usr/bin/vmware-config.pl".
G. Read the license agreement and answer yes to it. VMware might report something like "kernel tainted" when loading a module. Fear not, this is fine.
H. Then accept the defaults for *all* prompts by pressing Enter when VMware asks you a question.
I. Enter your license key. It must be in all caps and be sure to include the dashes. Then continue pressing Enter to choose the defaults at the remaining prompts.
J. Your VMware Server installation is now complete. You should see a screen like this:
Log into VMware Server:
1. Open up your web browser and type in "http://the.ip.address.of.CentOS.machine:8222".
You'll probably get a bad certificate warning, just import the certificate and continue.
2. Login as root with the same password you created for CentOS.
3. If you see this screen then you are completely done and you may start building VMs.
VMware claims you do not have to reinstall/reconfigure Server if you update your kernel. I have not tested this claim. Good luck!
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