Setting up ArchLinux in Hyper-V - no ethernet

Question

I'm a complete beginner to Linux and want to learn the environment. While trying to install Arch-Linux on a Hyper-V box using this tutorial, I hit an early obstacle with Ethernet: it doesn't seem to exist. ping -c 3 8.8.8.8 gives me an error along the lines of "cannot connect". The VM's network adapter is Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 Virtual Switch. How can I get this to work? Should I look into another distro first?

Answer 1

You should switch the Hyper-V VM to use a "legacy" network card, because there are often problems with the Kernel Modules (i.e. Device Drivers) to use Hyper-V's default network card.

Here's how to do it:

1. With the virtual machine turned off, open its "Settings" (either from Hyper-V manager, or from the VM Window)
2. In the "Hardware" list, click the existing network adapter, note its settings, and then click "Remove"
3. In the "Hardware" list, click "Add Hardware" at the top, then choose "Legacy Network Adapter" and click "Add"
4. Configure the new adapter with the settings you noted from the old one.
5. Save your changes and start the VM.

Answer 2

Hyper-V VMs don't have any network connectivity by default. You have to create a Virtual Network Switch on the VM host (the Windows computer) to let the VM share internet with the host.

To do this, open Hyper-V Manager.

1. In the Actions Pane on the right, click the link for "Virtual Switch Manager".
2. If you want your VM to be able to access the internet, you want to create an External Virtual Switch.
3. In the Virtual Switch Manager dialog, click "New Virtual Switch" in the pane on the left, at the top, and then select "External" in the list and click the "Create Virtual Switch" button.
4. Now, the main panel in the Virtual Switch Manager dialog will have changed to your newly created virtual switch.
5. Make sure the "External Network" radio button is selected.
6. In the drop down below the "External Network" radio button, select the physical network interface your host computer uses. If your host has more than one network interface, make sure to select the one that is connected to the internet. Name your Virtual Switch something you'll recognize.
7. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT Check the box that says "Allow management operating system to share this network adapter". This allows your VM host to share the network switch with the VMs hosted on it. If this is not checked, your VM host will lose internet connectivity when you click "Ok".
8. Click "Apply". NOTE: You will lose any internet connections for a few seconds when you do this. This is because Windows is creating the Virtual Network Switch device, and then adding the Windows computer to the Switch.
9. Click "Ok" on the Virtual Switch Manager Dialog.
10. With your Arch Linux VM in the "Off" state, select it from the Hyper-V Manager window, and click the "Settings" link in the right pane.
11. In the settings dialog, select the network adapter from the Hardware list on the left.
12. In the main pane, in the drop-down list labelled "Virtual Switch", change it from "Not Connected" to the name of the Virtual Switch you picked in Step 6.
13. Click "Ok".

Now you can start up your Arch VM and it will have network connectivity.

In a general rule, whenever creating a Hyper-V VM, you will need to connect it to a Virtual Switch if you want it to have network connectivity.