ESXi: Ubuntu64 guest unstable (only) if configured as Ubuntu64

[Finch]

Hello everybody,

I have a "strange" problem:

I'm currenlty evaluating ESXi server (installable) and I'm using the latest release (3.5.0-82664).

I want to install Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron), 64-bit version.

In the virtual machine settings, I can configure the operating system. When I choose "Ubuntu Linux (64 bit)", the virtual machine is rather unstable. I've seen the problem in two variations:

1) The processor usage goes to 100% (I assigned 4 processors to the VM and all of them go to 100% and stay there) and the VM stops responding.

2) CPU usage stays at 100%, but the VM seems to be "stuck" at some point, even during installation of Ubuntu.

Now, if I select "Ubuntu Linux (32 bit)" as guest operating system, I can install and run Ubuntu 64 bit just fine.

This strikes me as a little strange Is this an ESXi bug? Or an Ubuntu bug? Is there anything I can do to "fix" this problem? Will I have any negative (performance) effects from running a 64-bit guest with the 32-bit guest setting? (what does that setting do anyway??)

Any hints appreciated!

[admin]

As per the Guest OS guide, Ubuntu 8.04 is not supported at this time on any VMware products.

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/GuestOS_guide.pdf

That being said, you could try the Ubuntu JeOS variant, which has been optimized for virtualization.

http://www.ubuntu.com/products/whatisubuntu/serveredition/jeos

[Finch]

As per the Guest OS guide, Ubuntu 8.04 is not supported at this time on any VMware products.

Yes, that may be so, but I still think it's strange that the 64-bit version works perfectly well (as far as I can see) when I declare it as 32-bit and is basically unusable when I declare it as 64-bit.

What does this setting do?

Also, since all :smileyalert: other versions of Ubuntu are supported, I assume 8.04 will be supported soon and maybe this feedback (including some some troubleshooting or system data) could help...

That being said, you could try the Ubuntu JeOS variant, which has been optimized for virtualization.

There's no 64-bit version of JeOS as far as I can see. Also, I don't think it's what we're looking for.

Since Ubuntu is running fine at the "wrong" setting, I don't have a pressing problem. I just wanted to give some feedback, get some suggestions for maybe "fixing" the setting and also, I wanted to find out:

"Will I have any negative (performance) effects from running a 64-bit guest with the 32-bit guest setting? (what does that setting do anyway??) "...

[oreeh]

that being said, you could try the Ubuntu JeOS variant, which has been optimized for virtualization.

"Optimized for virtualization" - ROFL

JeOS doesn't have SCSI drivers so it won't run on ESX.

[admin]

JeOS installs and runs fine on ESX, with the default drivers being provided by the installation media. Just tested and verified on ESX 3.5.0 Build 64607

It runs extremely well, with a light footprint ( see screenshot )

One thing to note though, that I failed to notice when I replied earlier, is that there is no 64 bit build for JeOS.

[oreeh]

Do you have an ESX version which supports virtual IDE disks?

The JeOS website still states that you have to use IDE vdisks.

[admin]

I created the VM using an LSI logic virtual disk.You are able to create BUS logic disks as well, to allow for installation of legacy OS, such as NT4

[oreeh]

After I've read on the JeOS website that IDE vdisks are a requirement I immediately stopped reading and ignored JeOS and never gave it a thought again.

I simply expect from a distro aimed at VMs that it includes the relevant drivers.

Yes, you might say: "Your fault" and I would agree

[wila]

I remember bringing this up (the previous Jeos version missing the LSI drivers) on the forums with ubuntu 7.10 version and they pretty much told me that it worked on the free VMware player / server and that I should go and read the how-to. From the feedback I got the impression it was very much targeted to work with virtualbox and not much else, it felt like targeted at "home virtualisation" to me... so I turned away from using it.

So now they did include the LSI drivers with the hardy version? Maybe I should try it again then and see if the current default config makes more sense as last time.

--

Wil

Message was edited by: wila, for reference here's my original post

[wila]

From the original doc at:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/JeOS

Installation of JeOS is done the same way you would install any other OS in VMWare, but here are a few thing to consider:

*

Please note that in order to reduce the size of JeOS to a minimum SCSI drivers have not been included in the JeOS kernel. Please make sure that you instruct VMWare Server to use an IDE drive instead and JeOS CANNOT be used with VMware ESX !

So either the doc or the iso image is wrong, I hope it is just the documentation ...

Downloading Jeos now

--

Wil

[wila]

Well I now can confirm that this is indeed addressed and that the LSI driver is included with JeOS.

In honesty I think they should change the documentation to suggest using the LSI driver over the IDE driver as then it the created VM will be the most portable. ... as in it will run under any VMware virtualisation product be it a hosted solution like vmware-server / vmware player / fusion as well as under virtual infrastructure...

--

Wil

[Finch]

I tried JeOS last "night" (Central European Night + 2 g) after some of the comments had been posted.

It works fine and it's "cute" (~ 20 MB memory used) and might be handy for some of our virtual appliances and especially for testing...

One question: The "tutorial" mentioned above (which I just saw after my testing was done...) explains installing the VMWare tools. What do they do in this environment? I thought they're mainly display drivers, mouse driver, desktop integration (drag and drop) etc... What do they do in JeOS? (which is "optimized for virtualization" anyway...)

Well, apart from that, we'll still need a "full" Ubuntu and I'm still interested in comments concerning my original question(s)...

[admin]

Installing the VMware Tools package also installs the Memory Balloon driver ( vmmemctl ), making over commitment of memory possible by forcing paging operations.

http://pubs.vmware.com/vi35/resmgmt/vc_advanced_mgmt.11.24.html#1058746