Another LAN

I use vmware server, it’s brilliant. Here are some reasons to use it.

• Testing slipstreamed Windows disks (service packs and drivers);
• Configuring messy software like msSQL, without it crippling your computer;
• Recovering a backup image ghost/true image to recover some files/settings;
• Running almost any operating system and no dual boot mess;
• Preparing for and testing vpn, ssh, pki, deployment;
• Consolidating servers, have apache2 ubuntu, mssql xp, active directory 2003, all running on the same box. Centralize management and backup policies.

Here are some solutions to common vmware problems and usability tips.

You installed the vmware, and are making a new virtual machine:

1. Make sure you create your hard disk in 2gb chunks, it helps with performance and if you need to transfer the virtual machine over a network 2gb chunks are easier to digest rather than 100gb load;
2. Make your virtual machine on a separate physical disk from your OS,  so your “linux vm” or “windows vm” is not on the same hard disk as your windows directory. This will save your hard disk and speeds up your vmware.
3. After you created your “vm”, go to the directory where it is located and open the “yourvm.vmx” file with notepad (yourvm is the name of your vm that you created), now find the line: tools.upgrade.policy = "useGlobal" just below it add this line bios.bootDelay = "2000" this will add a bios boot delay of 5 seconds, this is if you want to select another boot device, this way you get a chance to select a boot device.
4. Always install vmware tools to make your vm run properly, unless you are using redhat/fedora/centos vmware tools will just give you loads of errors – to date I do not think this bug has been solved.
5. Ubuntu Network, your ethernet dissapeared. This is because ubuntu has a file that controls what ethernet adapter ubuntu has and if you change or add another ethernet adapter ubuntu is not allowed to use it unless you remove the file or add the adapter to the file. Type the following into terminal:
   sudo mv /etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules /etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules-back
6. I will update this as soon as I think of more stuff.