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Ubuntu 7.10 Just Enough OS appliance posted: Jan 7, 2008 3:38 PM

Click to view brugh's profile Expert
brugh
487 posts since
Aug 17, 2005

http://www.vmware.com/appliances/directory/1136

A basic Ubuntu 7.10 server installation trimmed down to under 100MB (280MB unzipped). It has a manual installation of VMware tools. It's purpose is to have a good basic system to build an appliance on and be properly small for an appliance.

Tags: appliances, appliance, virtual

Re: Ubuntu 7.10 Just Enough OS appliance

1. Jan 11, 2008 10:28 AM in response to: brugh
Click to view ka9dgx's profile Lurker
ka9dgx
5 posts since
Feb 13, 2006
Brugh,

Thanks for doing the work to get this thing shrunk down to size.


There seems to be a dependency that's keeping it from working for me.I don't have the ISO image file D:\Images\ubuntu-7.10-server-i386.iso, so it's spending a lot of time trying to scan the scsi bus to find it... (which it never will).


Is there some way to start it without that file?

Apparently, it's not the missing CD-ROM, there's something deeper at fault here. I gave it a different Ubuntu ISO to try to use, and it still did the same thing... looking through EVERY SCSI device/ID/HOST trying to find something... at 10 seconds per iteration. I assume it would eventually give up after an hour or two... but that makes it unusable with a boot time that long.

I hope it's a simple fix.

Re: Ubuntu 7.10 Just Enough OS appliance

2. Jan 11, 2008 1:05 PM in response to: ka9dgx
Click to view brugh's profile Expert
brugh
487 posts since
Aug 17, 2005

to disable the cdrom is pretty easy. open the .vmx file in your favorite editor and change the line ide1:0.startConnected = "TRUE" to "FALSE" or disable IDE complete by setting ide1:0.present = "FALSE".

But that's IDE so that doesn't sound like the problem you're experiencing with SCSI detection. I tried several different setups from workstation 6 on windows to esx 3 and vmware server on linux. never had any problems. what host are you using? perhaps have a look at the vmware.log file (or post it so we can check it).

Re: Ubuntu 7.10 Just Enough OS appliance

3. Jan 11, 2008 1:46 PM in response to: brugh
Click to view ka9dgx's profile Lurker
ka9dgx
5 posts since
Feb 13, 2006
Please see the attached screen grab... this is after I downloaded Ubuntu Server 7.10 ISO and told it where to find it in the VMX file...

there are a lot of lines like


sd 2:0:1:5: rejecting I/O to offline device

it was still doing this after 415 seconds.

Oh... and here's the VMware log as well

Attachments:

Re: Ubuntu 7.10 Just Enough OS appliance

4. Jan 11, 2008 1:50 PM in response to: brugh
Click to view ka9dgx's profile Lurker
ka9dgx
5 posts since
Feb 13, 2006
I tried a few different variations of what you suggested, and even removing it... still no good.

The host is VMware server 1.04 on Windows XP.

Mike

Re: Ubuntu 7.10 Just Enough OS appliance

5. Jan 13, 2008 11:18 AM in response to: ka9dgx
Click to view brugh's profile Expert
brugh
487 posts since
Aug 17, 2005
looks like it sees a device at id 255. you can try removing the disk (in edit configuration), hit OK and edit again, re-adding the disks as existing disks. other people have the same problem (although that makes two. didn't hear from any of the other 7500 downloaders).

check out this message: http://communities.vmware.com/message/838841#838841

Re: Ubuntu 7.10 Just Enough OS appliance

6. Jan 14, 2008 4:48 AM in response to: brugh
Click to view brugh's profile Expert
brugh
487 posts since
Aug 17, 2005
ok, i recreated the appliance on a vmware server. it seems to work ok in vmware server now. please redownload it from http://www.vmware.com/appliances/directory/1136 and see if it works. (and don't forget to rate it properly if it works)

Re: Ubuntu 7.10 Just Enough OS appliance

7. Jan 16, 2008 11:23 AM in response to: brugh
Click to view ka9dgx's profile Lurker
ka9dgx
5 posts since
Feb 13, 2006

I downloaded your new version 1/14/2008, and still no go.

I removed/re-added the disk... no go...

the last few lines are like this:

http:// timestamp.milliseconds sd 2:0:15:6 rejecting I/O to offline device

http:// timestamp.milliseconds sd 2:0:15:6 rejecting I/O to offline device

http:// timestamp.milliseconds sd 2:0:15:6 rejecting I/O to offline device

http:// timestamp.milliseconds sd 2:0:15:6 rejecting I/O to offline device

http:// timestamp.milliseconds sd 2:0:15:6 rejecting I/O to offline device

http:// timestamp.milliseconds sd 2:0:15:6 rejecting I/O to offline device

http:// timestamp.milliseconds sd 2:0:15:6 sddh Asking for cache data failed

http:// timestamp.milliseconds sd 2:0:15:6 sddh Assuming drive cache: write through

http:// timestamp.milliseconds sd 2:0:15:7 rejecting I/O to offline device

http:// timestamp.milliseconds sd 2:0:15:7 rejecting I/O to offline device

http:// timestamp.milliseconds sd 2:0:15:7 rejecting I/O to offline device

http:// timestamp.milliseconds sd 2:0:15:7 rejecting I/O to offline device

http:// timestamp.milliseconds sd 2:0:15:7 rejecting I/O to offline device

http:// timestamp.milliseconds sd 2:0:15:7 rejecting I/O to offline device

http:// timestamp.milliseconds sd 2:0:15:7 sddh Asking for cache data failed

http:// timestamp.milliseconds sd 2:0:15:7 sddh Assuming drive cache: write through

(initframfs)

Sorry I couldn't figure it out either.

Re: Ubuntu 7.10 Just Enough OS appliance

8. Jan 16, 2008 11:54 AM in response to: ka9dgx
Click to view brugh's profile Expert
brugh
487 posts since
Aug 17, 2005

too weird. seems that vmware server 1.04 simple can't run the ubuntu virtual kernel. i run 2.0 beta now and it works fine but you may not have that option. the final won't be released until april probably...

could you do a little test for me. create a new VM, attach http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/jeos/releases/gutsy/release/ubuntu-7.10-jeos-i386.iso and boot from it. if that doesn't work (which i suspect it wont), the only option left is to use a full kernel (which is over almost 100mb instead of 30).

i could strip the full kernel down to about the size of the virtual kernel but i'm reluctant to do that since the purpose of this appliance is not to strip down packages, just have a few of them as possible. once the kernel is stripped down, i could start on many more packages and get the appliance probably close to 100mb but it will become unsupported and i dont want that.

let me know how the test goes and i'll build one with a full kernel. will be bigger but also more compatible...


Re: Ubuntu 7.10 Just Enough OS appliance

9. Jan 17, 2008 10:52 PM in response to: brugh
Click to view freemant's profile Novice
freemant
12 posts since
Sep 4, 2007
Have to comment out the ethernet0.networkName line in order for the virtual NIC to work.

Re: Ubuntu 7.10 Just Enough OS appliance

10. Jan 18, 2008 12:11 AM in response to: freemant
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brugh
487 posts since
Aug 17, 2005
ok thanks. what host/vmware product are you using?

Re: Ubuntu 7.10 Just Enough OS appliance

11. Jan 18, 2008 1:30 AM in response to: brugh
Click to view freemant's profile Novice
freemant
12 posts since
Sep 4, 2007
VMware player 1.01 on Win2K.

Re: Ubuntu 7.10 Just Enough OS appliance

12. Jan 18, 2008 2:49 PM in response to: brugh
Click to view ka9dgx's profile Lurker
ka9dgx
5 posts since
Feb 13, 2006
If I tell VMware 1.04server to make the machine use BusLogic as the SCSI driver for the disk, it failes in the same manner as your image. It does appear to be working with an LSI logic SCSI driver though.

Spoke too soon... it doesn't work with either SCSI device inside VMware Server 1.04 on Window.

Re: Ubuntu 7.10 Just Enough OS appliance

13. Jan 28, 2008 4:42 PM in response to: ka9dgx
Click to view brugh's profile Expert
brugh
487 posts since
Aug 17, 2005
i was trying to make time to make a special vmware server 1.0 version (it works in server 2.0 beta). it's been too busy lately though.

if you're in a hurry, you could try downloading vmware player, run the appliance in there and run:


apt-get install linux-image


apt-get purge virtual*

and change the root=UUID=... bit in /boot/grub/menu.lst to read root=/dev/sda1 and things should work.

if you set the scsi driver to lsilogic and start the appliance in vmware server after that there's a good chance it will work. i'll try to build one in the near future (and do some specific cleanup up to keep the size down a bit) but you'll have to be patient.

Re: Ubuntu 7.10 Just Enough OS appliance

14. Jan 28, 2008 4:43 PM in response to: brugh
Click to view brugh's profile Expert
brugh
487 posts since
Aug 17, 2005
cool, just saw a stats on the number of downloads. this appliance has been downloaded 25000 times since januari 6th. that's 22 days.

it would be nice if people voted though. the only one who voted was somebody who couldn't get it to work because he ran vmware server so the rating is a bit off compared to the number of downloads.. just go to http://www.vmware.com/appliances/directory/1140.

anyway, if there's anybody who needs a vmware server 1.0 version let me know. i got the hasslefree download appliance to work which is based on this one.

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