VMware Communities
DerekShaw
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

vmrun getting close to useless with Player

In case anybody else goes through this...

I updated a client and wanted to continue with running their VMs using vmplayer (Linux host for winXP guest(s)), yet still make automated backups, preferably without shutting them down.

I finally found this document:

http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/vix-api/vix112_vmrun_command.pdf

(much newer than the version I learned on)

Here's the important part

" Limitations
VMware Fusion does not support snapshot trees.
VMware Player does not support pause and unpause, snapshot operations, virtual machine cloning, or virtual hardware upgrade.
VMware Server does not support teams, shared folders, cloning, or multiple snapshots. When you try to create a second snapshot, the UI asks you to overwrite your existing snapshot.
The record and replay commands were deprecated in Workstation 7.1 and removed from this release."

So far VIX / Player just don't work together (which is why I was looking for the manual):

running as root, or the user who launched vmplayer:

# vmrun list
Unable to connect to host.
Error: Service type VIX_SERVICEPROVIDER_VMWARE_WORKSTATION was specified, but not installed

experimenting with Player 5.0.1 and vix 1.12.1

Reply
0 Kudos
2 Replies
DerekShaw
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

uninstalling vmplayer and installing the full workstation 9.0.1 bundle (unlicensed) and leaving VIX installed seems to have fixed the issue with basic vmrun functionality:

# vmrun list
Total running VMs: 1
/0data/vmware/virtual_machines/xpp_slp/xp_pro_slp.vmx

so the question now, I guess, is it possible to specify VIX_SERVICEPROVIDER so that it is player and not workstation (and of course, how does one do this)?

service type VIX_SERVICEPROVIDER_VMWARE_WORKSTATION

should be:

service type VIX_SERVICEPROVIDER_VMWARE_PLAYER

Reply
0 Kudos
DerekShaw
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

still the only workaround I could find with player 7.1.2 and vix (VMware-VIX-1.14.2-2780323.x86_64.bundle)

basically, download the vmware-workstation bundle, install it with your vmware player "pro" key (assuming you have one) and vix will work (after its fashion) with the VMs in player.  vmrun reports version 1.14.2 build-2780323 (same as standalone)

vdisk-manager still throws bogus errors with this version

"VixDiskLib: Invalid configuration file parameter. Failed to read configuration files"

Sure hope someone at vmware who develops vix / vmplayer wakes up the QA team -- they are obviously missing some test units in their routines

Reply
0 Kudos