Ubuntu broken after disk expansion

[lisameyer]

Expanded virtual disk (by a bit, plenty left to host) with the effect that now I can't use my ubuntu installation anymore. The login screen never turns to that lighter purple shade and once I login the screen is blue. When I double click I see what's on the desktop but that's not enough to do anything. I really need access to my system. Anyone had this before and how can I fix it?

Login as guest doesn't help, 3D acceleration is already off.

[wila]

Hi,

It's not completely clear what your problem is (a screenshot might help) but it sounds to me like a broken VMware Tools install.

This could happen if your kernel was updated and you reboot.

I cannot imagine a scenario where expanding the disk itself has this side effect.

Also what version of ubuntu are you running?

--

Wil

[lisameyer]

Thanks!

Ubuntu 16.04.1.

I don't think VMware tools were installed.

I used this VM plenty (which is why I thought an expansion might be a good idea). Never had any problems like this, until that time I expanded storage 😕

How would I check or repair VMware tools if it was the source of the problem? Thanks!

I attached some log files.

I can still get into command line mode in Ubuntu (great for backing up data) which is interesting -> Is it a graphics problem? Or RAM?

Also, I'm not sure the expansion really went through to the guest, if that makes sense. If I check for mounted drives, my /dev/sda1 is much smaller than I would expect.

[lisameyer]

I think you are right that my VMware tools are broken (see log). I also believe that even though my total drive reflects the size of the newly expanded virtual hard drive (7G), my system partition was not expanded (I thought it was 6G before but apparently just 5G - amazing you can run an OS on this little space). So maybe I'll try expanding my /sda1 and then repair VMware tools? Does this sound like the right order?

[lisameyer]

So here's what I did so far:

Deleted sda2 and sda5 ($ sudo fdisk /dev/sda, d, d, w), restarted

Back into command line mode with control+alt+fn+f1

Realized I can't just expand sda1 because logical volume is only 5G

Tried installing LVM2 to increase logical volume size

- Failed because not enough space left on device

Looks like my system is stuck in a dead end where there's not enough space to allow for increasing the space. Guess I'll be deleting some files.

[wila]

Hi,

Sorry in the middle of some debug session here myself, so will keep it short (let me know if too cryptic, typing from memory so if something not 100% correctly spelled don't panic)

For Ubuntu 16.04 you get open-vm-tools installed by default.

I would personally dump that and use the supplied vmware-tools package that comes with vmware.

Something like:

sudo apt-get purge open-vm-tools

sudo apt-get purge open-vm-tools-desktop

then start the vmware tools install from the menu.

unzip and run

cd vmware-tools-distrib

sudo ./vmware-tools-install.pl

yes to everything

But first of course fix your disk.

As I don't think Ubuntu 16.04 installs LVM by default, you can't add it afterwards without a reinstall.

However using a linux live CD it is pretty easy to extend.

Download a linux live CD like sysreccd

When that has booted, run startx and use gparted to extend your partitions.

Oh.. and DO take a backup of your VM before all of this.

good luck!

--

Wil

[lisameyer]

Thank you!

I actually managed to install LVM2 (after deleting many files and cleaning my apt-get space), but didn't get it to run...

I'll try the linux live cd.

Thanks!

[RickShu]

Hi Lisameyer,

I found the following setting from the logs you attached: 'mks.enable3d = "FALSE" '

Would you please enable 3D acceleration in VM Settings-->Display Settings and give it a try?

Regards,

-Rick