VMware Communities
vmfh
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Importing VM with custom vnet from Fusion in Workstation

I created a CentOS machine on Fusion 7 with a custom interface, that I'd like to use on Workstation 12+. The custom vnet doesn't seem to be automatically (re)created, so I tried configuring it on Virtual Network Editor, but the interface doesn't show on CentOS, although it's already configured there. What am I missing?

Reply
0 Kudos
30 Replies
vmfh
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

eth1 appeared as the only ethernet interface running ifconfig -a before I changed the MAC address.

When I get a chance, I'll try to open the vmx file without a key for hardware address.

If you open a VM from a different hypervisor in Workstation, does it ask you if it's been copied or moved?

Reply
0 Kudos
wila
Immortal
Immortal

Hi,

If you open a VM from a different hypervisor in Workstation, does it ask you if it's been copied or moved?

Yes it does. That is the standard behavior (and I just verified that with Workstation 14.1.2 once more for your request and it has always been like that)

In theory I can only come up with one scenario where it does not ask.

If your VM comes from another hypervisor and you already have an older copy of that VM which sits in location "A".

Then you update that copy into the same location. In that scenario it already had a VM registered at that location so it might not ask.

When I just tested that theory it did not hold though and it still asked "did you copy or move" on first boot of the VM.

--

Wil

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva
Reply
0 Kudos
vmfh
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Is there any way to force it to ask?

Reply
0 Kudos
wila
Immortal
Immortal

Hi,

That's the default ?

I'm still puzzled why it is not showing up at your end.

Can you check in your Help menu -> Hints

and see if all the Hints are enabled?

If not then I'm starting to run out of ideas.

--

Wil

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva
Reply
0 Kudos
vmfh
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I'll check and report back. Just to be sure, you import VMs in Workstation by opening the vmx file, right?

Should I start another topic here for the problem with the custom vnet being proxied for http (GPO)?

Reply
0 Kudos
wila
Immortal
Immortal

Hi,

Sure, I open the vmx.

Re. the http proxy. Not sure I understand why it is a problem.

If I understand it correctly the vnet is only relevant as it is a separate network.

In the past I have setup http proxies via PAC's and GPO's and for a VM it works the same as with physical machines.

I would have to look up the details again, but it is not a virtualisation problem AFAICT, if the vnet gives you connection and the .pac file is accessible and correctly configured then it should work.

--

Wil

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva
Reply
0 Kudos
vmfh
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

This is what I found:

1. If I set ethernet0.generatedAddress = "" and leave the rest of ethernet0.* entries unedited, the VM doesn't ask if it's being copied or moved and still attaches to eth1, so I need to rename and edit the interface config file. For lack of a better guess, I'd think this is how Workstation indexes the interfaces.

2. Another macOS VM I opened there does check for copy/move on first run, which leads me to think there's some method for registering the VMs that could be reset, but that I don't know of. And I already enabled all hints.

3. Re http proxy, adding a custom vnet on Virtual Network Editor for a http server needs probably adding that network to the PAC file, which I by the way cannot edit. I can telnet to the server and do a GET /, but the browser will use the system settings and return a 407. If you know of a feasible workaround, I'd appreciate any idea.

Reply
0 Kudos
vmfh
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

wila​, although I solved my problem, I still would like to know how and where VMs are registered by Workstation. This might explain why a copy/move dialogue didn't show in the first place.

Reply
0 Kudos
wila
Immortal
Immortal

Hi,

How? I think they add it to a file, I don't work for VMware...

The files are at:

VM Library configuration file location

Windows host - %APPDATA%\VMware\inventory.vmls 
Linux Host - ~/.vmware/inventory.vmls

--

Wil

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva
Reply
0 Kudos
wila
Immortal
Immortal

Hi,

AFAICT the logic is by encoding the location in the .vmx file.

The one field that changes when you move a VM, but keep the hardward identifiers is: uuid.location.

hope this helps,

--

Wil

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva
Reply
0 Kudos