Booting an install from VMWare AND normally?

Mio · n00b Joined: 03 Jul 2005 Posts: 10

Hello hello.

I'm trying to get my install of gentoo to be able to run both from a vmware session, and just being booted. I'm simply creating a virtual machine that uses that disk. (I have a line in grub.conf for the virtual one.) The only problem is that the names of the devices change. It's a SATA drive, but vmware likes to make the disk run on the IDE channel. Needless to say, this messes with my fstab file.

Can I create a second fstab and somehow redirect linux to it on boot?

jmbsvicetto · Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 12:18 am Post subject:

Hi.

You can try to change the VMware driver from IDE to SCSI. That way, the disk will have an /dev/sdX name. If you only have one disk or if they're all SATA, you might be able to use the same /etc/fstab.
I have no idea how you might use more than one fstab file.
_________________
Jorge.

Your twisted, but hopefully friendly daemon.
AMD64 / x86 / Sparc Gentoo
Help answer || emwrap.sh

Mio · n00b Joined: 03 Jul 2005 Posts: 10

I can't find an option for that. The only thing I'm able to choose is what IDE channel it's running on. I run it as a 64bit guest operating system, if that matters.

How, exactly, does linux know where to look for the fstab file? Is this something I can modify, like, check for some environmental variable that I set to see which fstab to load?

jmbsvicetto · Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 9:46 pm Post subject:

I believe that the fstab file is hardcoded, but I'm not sure.
You need to look at the <vmware-guest>.vmdk, it's the 1kb file. You should see there the type of disk. I believe the disk controller is defined in <vmware-guest>.vmx. However, you should change these values in the guest options.
I'm sorry for not being more precise, but I don't have a vmware here to look at - I have mine at work.
_________________
Jorge.

Your twisted, but hopefully friendly daemon.
AMD64 / x86 / Sparc Gentoo
Help answer || emwrap.sh

Kaste · Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 10:34 pm Post subject:

Did you have a look at this: http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Install_Gentoo_on_VMware_in_Windows_NT/2K/XP ?

I had a lot of trouble getting it all to work especially the network card and the X configuration so be prepared for more. :/

This is probably what you want: https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=46180 ! It is essentially a tool that let's you select the config files upon boot, similar to a windows hardware profile, that way you could boot with the right fstab matching the hardware you are on and as i said you will need that even if you get the harddrive to be scsi.

Mio · n00b Joined: 03 Jul 2005 Posts: 10

" Manage multiple hardware configurations, for example if you boot your system both within VMWare and in a normal dualboot configuration, or if you have a laptop that that may or not be in a docking station. "

Exxcccceeeeeelent.

Thank you. This is exactly what I need.