Re: -x parameter different in WS 8

joehecht · ‎09-20-2011

We use the "-x" to open vm's in thier own window.

Example: "vmware.exe" "-x" "PathToSome\vm.vmx"

(I think this method is called running head-less, but I could be wrong)

In versions previous to Workstation 8, you could shut down a vm, then hit the close button, and the window would close (as expected).

In Workstation 8, if you have more than one VM running, when you hit the close button, it presents a dialog asking you if you want to suspend the other vm's. In order just to close the single window, you have to use "close tab", then close the blank Window.

If you are running a bunch of VM's, it is very frustrating.

Joe

admin · ‎09-20-2011

JoeCHecht wrote:
We use the "-x" to open vm's in thier own window.
Example: "vmware.exe" "-x" "PathToSome\vm.vmx"
(I think this method is called running head-less, but I could be wrong)
In versions previous to Workstation 8, you could shut down a vm, then hit the close button, and the window would close (as expected).
In Workstation 8, if you have more than one VM running, when you hit the close button, it presents a dialog asking you if you want to suspend the other vm's. In order just to close the single window, you have to use "close tab", then close the blank Window.
If you are running a bunch of VM's, it is very frustrating.

-x itself doesn't run VMs "headless", but closing the UI and choosing to leave the VMs running in the background is what makes them "headless".

All previous versions of Workstation also showed a prompt if you attempted to close the UI with open, running VMs. If you don't want to be prompted, go to Edit > Preferences > General and check "Keep VMs running after Workstation closes".

joehecht · ‎09-21-2011

I must have done a poor job of describing the issue...

In Workstation versions prior to 8, if you used the -x paramter to start each VM in its own window, and you had more than one window open, when you closed each window (when a vm was running), workstation would just suspend that one machine. If a VM was powered off in the window, then it would simply close that one window. Now it wants to close (or suspend) all the VM windows.

This is unexpected behaviour (although this is not the first time it got messed up in a VMWorkstation version change, only to be fixed in a later maintaine release).

Consider that if you had 10 different notepad windows opened on your desktop, closing one should not close all 10

And no, by the same notion of expeced UI design, closing one notepad should not bring up a dialog asking you if you want to save all 10, nor should it ask if you want them to all to run in the background after the notepad app closes.

So, in short, the bug is back (or there is some setting that did not carry over).

(And no, the setting you recommended did not help)

I hope that helps explain the issue.

Joe

admin · ‎09-22-2011

JoeCHecht wrote:
I must have done a poor job of describing the issue...
In Workstation versions prior to 8, if you used the -x paramter to start each VM in its own window, and you had more than one window open, when you closed each window (when a vm was running), workstation would just suspend that one machine. If a VM was powered off in the window, then it would simply close that one window. Now it wants to close (or suspend) all the VM windows.

Yeah, I think I'm misunderstanding something. On Windows, each Workstation window is a separate process. Closing one window will not close the others.

However, in Workstation 8, we made a change so that running vmware.exe with a .vmx command-line argument by default attempts to open the specified VM in an existing window. Running "vmware.exe -x" for multiple VMs therefore opens additional tabs, not additional windows. Closing that window will try to close all of its tabs, so if those other VMs are running, yes, that will generate prompts.

If that's what you're talking about, then you'll need to run vmware.exe with an additional "-n" command-line option to force opening the VM in a new window.

joehecht · ‎09-22-2011

Yup, we use the "-n" parameter a lot as well.

I tried "-n" "-x" (and -nx) with no luck

Bascially I got the same results as just using "-x".

Thanks for your assistance! I have almost 300 workstations to eventually update!

J

admin · ‎09-22-2011

I don't see how it's possible for one vmware.exe instance to show prompts for VMs open in other windows. You're going to need to provide clear and precise reproduction steps, because I don't understand it and can't reproduce it. For example, is this accurate?

Run "vmware.exe -nx foo.vmx". A new window appears with a single tab for foo.vmx.
Run "vmware.exe -nx bar.vmx". A new window appears with a single tab for bar.vmx.
Power off foo.vmx. Click the close button in the upper-right corner of its window. A prompt appears asking to suspend bar.vmx.

If you accept the prompt and choose to suspend, does the bar.vmx VM get suspended?

Does it matter that you use -x? Can you reproduce this issue if you open separate VMware Workstation windows and power them on through the toolbar button instead?

Also, please provide the UI log from the vmware.exe instance that shows the prompt. (In the window that showed the prompt, go to Help > About to find the UI log location.)