VixVM_RunProgramInGuest doesn't start right after the vmware is powered up

[thinguy3n]

I have a vix program with common tasks including start the vmware, wait for vmware tool, then run a program in guest. The problem that I encounter is that my program in guest never get started right after the vmware is powered up. Vix seems to hang for a while. I usually have to terminate it. The second time when I run the program, it'll start my program in Guest. Is it because Vix doesn't know when Guest is finished loading? Is there a way to put a wait before calling RunProgramInGuest?

Thanks

[admin]

Generally the flow of operations should be as you describe:

1) Power on (or resume) a virtual machine.

2) Call WaitForToolsInGuest on that virtual machine.

3) Use RunProgramInGuest on that virtual machine to start a program.

If WaitForToolsInGuest completes successfully, the virtual machine should be in the correct state to run an application.

Could you give us some more infomation:

• What version of VIX are you using?
• What VMware product are using to run the virtual machine? What version of that product?
• What is the guest OS in the virtual machine?
• What version of VMware Tools is installed in that virtual machine? You can determine this by starting the VMware Toolbox and clicking on the "About" tab.

[thinguy3n]

Hi Matt,

• What version of VIX are you using? I’m using Vix 1.10.3 build-368992

• What VMware product are using to run the virtual machine? What version of that product? I’m using Vmware Workstation 6.5.3 build -185404

• What is the guest OS in the virtual machine? I tried this on fedora, ubuntu, win7, vista basic, winxp and all have the same problem with runProgramInGuest.

• What version of VMware Tools is installed in that virtual machine? You can determine this by starting the VMware Toolbox and clicking on the "About" tab. The version that I am using is 7.8.6-185404

Thanks

Thi

[admin]

Hmm. A couple more questions:

• What kind of application are you running in the guest?
• What arguments are you passing to RunProgramInGuest()?

[thinguy3n]

Hi Matt,

• What kind of application are you running in the guest? The application is a script ( for linux machines) and exe( which basically is just autoIT script converted into exe). The script does some batch copying and start some other exe.

• What arguments are you passing to RunProgramInGuest()?I’m passing 2 arguments in a string like this “RC1 A_B”

• Here is the script in case you need it. It’s just basic script that I got from the API Reference site. Please let me know if you see anything wrong.

#include "vix.h"

#define NULL 0

#include <stdio.h>

int main(int argc, char * argv[])

{

VixError err = VIX_OK;

VixHandle hostHandle = VIX_INVALID_HANDLE;

VixHandle jobHandle = VIX_INVALID_HANDLE;

VixHandle vmHandle = VIX_INVALID_HANDLE;

char *readValue = NULL;

jobHandle = VixHost_Connect(VIX_API_VERSION,

VIX_SERVICEPROVIDER_VMWARE_WORKSTATION,

NULL, // hostName

0, // hostPort

NULL, // userName

NULL, // password

0, // options

VIX_INVALID_HANDLE, // propertyListHandle

NULL, // callbackProc

NULL); // clientData

err = VixJob_Wait(jobHandle,

VIX_PROPERTY_JOB_RESULT_HANDLE,

&hostHandle,

VIX_PROPERTY_NONE);

if (VIX_OK != err) {

goto abort;

}

Vix_ReleaseHandle(jobHandle);

jobHandle = VixVM_Open(hostHandle,

argv[1], //vmx path

NULL, // callbackProc

NULL); // clientData

err = VixJob_Wait(jobHandle,

VIX_PROPERTY_JOB_RESULT_HANDLE,

&vmHandle,

VIX_PROPERTY_NONE);

if (VIX_OK != err) {

printf("Error while opening the vmware!: %d\n", err);

// Handle the error...

goto abort;

}

//printf("Here!\n");

Vix_ReleaseHandle(jobHandle);

jobHandle = VixVM_PowerOn(vmHandle,

VIX_VMPOWEROP_LAUNCH_GUI, // powerOnOptions

VIX_INVALID_HANDLE, // propertyListHandle

NULL, // callbackProc

NULL); // clientData

err = VixJob_Wait(jobHandle,VIX_PROPERTY_NONE);

if (VIX_OK != err) {

printf("Error while powering on the vmware!: %d\n", err);

goto abort;

}

Vix_ReleaseHandle(jobHandle);

// Wait until guest is completely booted.

jobHandle = VixVM_WaitForToolsInGuest(vmHandle,

300, // timeoutInSeconds

NULL, // callbackProc

NULL); // clientData

err = VixJob_Wait(jobHandle, VIX_PROPERTY_NONE);

if (VIX_OK != err) {

// Handle the error...

goto abort;

}

Vix_ReleaseHandle(jobHandle);

printf("Logging in!\n");

// Authenticate for guest operations.

jobHandle = VixVM_LoginInGuest(vmHandle,

argv[2], // userName

argv[3], // password

0, // options

NULL, // callbackProc

NULL); // clientData

err = VixJob_Wait(jobHandle, VIX_PROPERTY_NONE);

if (VIX_OK != err) {

printf("Error logging in!: %d\n", err);

// Handle the error...

goto abort;

}

printf("Logged in successfully!\n");

Vix_ReleaseHandle(jobHandle);

jobHandle = VixVM_WriteVariable(vmHandle,

VIX_GUEST_ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE,

"SQUISH_LICENSEKEY_DIR",

"C:
Users
drevil",

0, // options

NULL, // callbackProc

NULL); // clientData);

err = VixJob_Wait(jobHandle, VIX_PROPERTY_NONE);

if (VIX_OK != err) {

printf("error setting SQUISH_LICENSEKEY_DIR: %d\n", err);

goto abort;

}

Vix_ReleaseHandle(jobHandle);

jobHandle = VixVM_ReadVariable(vmHandle,

VIX_GUEST_ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE,

"SQUISH_LICENSEKEY_DIR",

0, // options

NULL, // callbackProc

NULL); // clientData);

err = VixJob_Wait(jobHandle,

VIX_PROPERTY_JOB_RESULT_VM_VARIABLE_STRING,

&readValue,

VIX_PROPERTY_NONE);

if (VIX_OK != err) {

printf("error getting SQUISH_LICENSEKEY_DIR: %d\n", err);

goto abort;

}

printf(readValue);

Vix_ReleaseHandle(jobHandle);

jobHandle = VixVM_ReadVariable(vmHandle, VIX_VM_GUEST_VARIABLE, "ip", 0, NULL, NULL);

err = VixJob_Wait(jobHandle,

VIX_PROPERTY_JOB_RESULT_VM_VARIABLE_STRING,

&readValue,

VIX_PROPERTY_NONE);

if (VIX_OK != err)

{

printf("error getting the ip address: %d\n", err);

}

printf(readValue);

/*jobHandle = VixVM_PowerOff(vmHandle,

VIX_VMPOWEROP_FROM_GUEST, // powerOffOptions

NULL, // callbackProc

NULL); // clientData

err = VixJob_Wait(jobHandle, VIX_PROPERTY_NONE);

if (VIX_OK != err) {

// Handle the error...

goto abort;

}

printf(readValue);*/

Vix_ReleaseHandle(jobHandle);

jobHandle = VIX_INVALID_HANDLE;

// Run the target program.

jobHandle = VixVM_RunProgramInGuest(vmHandle,

argv[4],//program path

argv[5],//program command line arguments

0, // options,

VIX_INVALID_HANDLE, // propertyListHandle,

NULL, // callbackProc,

NULL); // clientData

err = VixJob_Wait(jobHandle, VIX_PROPERTY_NONE);

printf("Starting script");

if (VIX_OK != err) {

printf("Error starting script: %d\n", err);

goto abort;

}

abort:

Vix_FreeBuffer(readValue);

Vix_ReleaseHandle(jobHandle);

Vix_ReleaseHandle(vmHandle);

VixHost_Disconnect(hostHandle);

• }

Thanks

Thi

[admin]

The code seems fine, so I don't have any answers for you at this point.

When you say that the call to RunProgramInGuest() hangs, can you look in the virtual machine and see if

1) There is a process called VMwareService.exe running?

2) If the application you launched using RunProgramInGuest() is running (in the Task Manager)?

[SoMoS]

The call to WaitForToolsInGuest is buggy (as some other of the VIX API methods). You probably want to check http://vmwaretasks.codeplex.com/ as they provide sometimes goof support.

Goos luck!