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For testing purposes i frequently run OpenBSD in VmWare, before version 2.0.x, tweaking the vm type and using Freebsd compatibility mode made the job but this does not work anymore with VmWare server 2.0.x.

Does somebody know a way to make vmware tools work on a virtualized OBSD host with VmWare server 2.0.x?

Thanks in advance.

Maxwell
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  • What's not working? Will the VM not boot? Does it boot and work ok, but the tools won't install? If it's just the tools, specifically which module isn't working? – kbyrd Jun 20 '09 at 14:30
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    The Vm is not responding to start/pause/shutdown commands so we can not script the the vm power status. – Maxwell Jun 20 '09 at 18:36
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    Ok, so the VM powers on and runs. There are soft and hard power operations. The hard off/on should always work, they're the equivalent of pulling the plug on a physical box. The soft operation ask the guest OS to shutdown and VMware Tools help with this. When you install the tools, what goes wrong? I'm trying to help, but you're not giving specific answers. – kbyrd Jun 20 '09 at 21:26
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    It seems that there is no comunications between the host and the Guest altought vmware-tools are running. So proper shutdowns doesn't work. – Maxwell Jun 22 '09 at 07:57

1 Answers1

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Some news about this issue:

Since the 4.4 Release, there's a kernel driver named vmt (only i386 at the moment) that seems to be the solution to the problem, it is not compiled in the kernel so you have to build a new kernel. By the way here's how i did:

# cd /usr/src
# wget ftp://your.mirror/pub/OpenBSD/4.5/sys.tar.gz
# tar -xzvpf sys.tar.gz
# cp /bsd /bsd.backup
# cp /usr/src/sys/arch/i386/conf/GENERIC /usr/src/sys/arch/i386/conf/GENERIC.vmt
# vi /usr/src/sys/arch/i386/conf/GENERIC.vmt
-> uncomment the line: vmt0    at mainbus?             # VMware Tools
# cd /usr/src/sys/arch/i386/conf
# config GENERIC.vmt
# cd ..
# make clean && make depend && make
# make install

here's the relevant part of the dmesg after installed the new kernel:

bios0 at mainbus0: AT/286+ BIOS, date 07/29/08, BIOS32 rev. 0 @ 0xfd780, SMBIOS rev. 2.4 @ 0xe4010 (45 entries)
bios0: vendor Phoenix Technologies LTD version "6.00" date 07/29/2008
bios0: VMware, Inc. VMware Virtual Platform

From now the driver is loaded and sysctl | grep hw give me:

hw.cpuspeed=2305
hw.vendor=VMware, Inc.
hw.product=VMware Virtual Platform
hw.version=None
hw.serialno=VMware-56 4d 34 64 c4 5a 29 ce-ad 63 c1 d5 2f 8c 49 35
hw.uuid=564d3464-c45a-29ce-ad63-c1d52f8c4935
hw.physmem=267939840
hw.usermem=267927552

But the VmWare tools are not detected by VmWare Server, can someone provide me some hints or feedback about this setup, is it needed to use sensorsd?

Maxwell
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    Seems like the driver developpment is not finished. Will ahave to try something else. :( – Maxwell Jul 07 '09 at 06:41
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    2010.11 Undeadly.org publishes updates to the kernel tool vmt and userland (vmh). The discussion highlights some successes, some shortcomings. http://undeadly.org/cgi?action=article&sid=20101109181027 – samt Nov 11 '10 at 23:28