vmware - scripting the vm creation, and os installation process

[badouglas11]

Hi.

Trying to determine the exact steps to automate the entire process of creating a VM, as well as installing a linux OS (Rhel/Centos) into the VM. I need to understand the steps to do this entirely from the the CLI using scripts. I've seen a few sites that describe the base process of creating the base VM, which appears to generate the vmdk file.

I've seen nothing that demonstrates what has to occur to install the OS into the VM, from the CLI. This process needs to be auto/programmatic, so I can't use the GUI.

I imagine that the overall process will have to invoke the kickstart file/process, and to somehow boot from that, but I don't see how the pieces fit. The goal is to then have a VM Appliance with the required OS/Apps that are then run/deployed by the external users on their machines.

If this process can work, then we can talk to a consultant/vmware about the next phase of the project.

So, replies that either detail how to accomplish this, or point to articles/sites on this would be great!

Thanks

[badouglas11]

hey woody...

you are da' man!

pretty much everything that you provided is what i had/have created,

and been testing.

although, a couple of points.

1) when i had downloaded vmrun from the VIX download, I kept getting

an error implying that workstation wasn't installed. (Didn't really

look into whether I'd need to download/install workstation to overcome

this)

2) when looking into the vmx from the vmplayer, I didn't find the

"'msg.autoAnswer = "TRUE" attribute.

(I assume that there are valid atributes that I haven't seen as of yet)

thanks much!!

[WoodyZ]

I'm quite sure VIX can be installed without VMware Workstation and I've done in on VMware Player only installs. I tested a Windows version of the script on a system that had only VMware Player and VIX and it started the VM without the GUI however I terminated the vmware-vmx process via Task Manager as I didn't have the disk space the let the install complete on that system.

What is the file name of the VIX package you downloaded?

The 'msg.autoAnswer = "TRUE"' parameter is one that has always had to be added manually and was the one I couldn't remember off the top of my head the other day. Yes there are many parameters that are unpublished by VMware although are out there. continuum's website is the best unofficial source for unpublished by VMware parameters.

[badouglas11]

Hi Woody.

The bundle I downloaded for the VIX was

VMware-VIX-1.10.1-266898.x86_64.bundle. I'm running fedora13 / 64bit.

when ran the vmrun:

vmrun '-T player' start /a1.vmx

I get the error. Others on the net reported getting the same err as well.

-thanks

[WoodyZ]

Look at 2) in:

[WoodyZ · Accepted solution]

I just tested on a Linux system and had to run the VMware-VIX-1.10.1-266898 install twice. It fail the first time without any message in the log file.

After a successful install I ran a .vmx without first editing the /usr/lib/vmware-vix/vixwrapper-config.txt file and got the error message expected about the specified version not found and then after editing it I was able to run the .vmx using vmrun nogui.