[9fans] Installing Plan9 under vmware

[9fans] Installing Plan9 under vmware

[EC]

Hello,
I am currently trying to install Plan 9 under vmware.
The host machine is linux x86, running the most recent version of
vmware-server.  I have set up the plan9 cdrom iso as sdD0, so it boots
from that disc.  I get to the "Plan 9 Startup Menu" and enter 1 to
install from the cd.  It appears to boot the kernel okay, I get
messages about memory allocation, correct cpu, memory, and network card
detection, and "kfs...version...time..."

Then it gets to "init: starting /bin/rc" and stops.  I have let the
machine sit at that point for 5-10 minutes several times, but to no
avail.

I think the problem with "genrandom".  Looking at process listing (^t
^t p), it seems to be taking up all the cpu time.  After a couple
minutes, I have:

2: genrandom pc f010032f dbgpc 0 running (running) ut 5527 st 0 bss 0
qpc 0 nl 0 nd 0 lpc f01634d7 pri 1

The ut field then stops increasing at 5527 and switches to "wakeme
(wakeme)" after a few more minutes, but the plan 9 loading makes no
further progress.  The vmware processes are then idling.

The vm has 256 MB of ram and the host is a 2 ghz p4 so there shouldn't
be any resource problems. Perhaps vmware is translating the plan 9
system calls to linux's /dev/random, but it is not providing entropy
data fast enough? This is my first time ever using this os, so please
don't be too harsh if I am doing something completely bone-headed :).

--
Sun:Mar:26:06
Eli C.

Re: [9fans] Installing Plan9 under vmware

[Russ Cox]

> I think the problem with "genrandom".  Looking at process listing (^t
> ^t p), it seems to be taking up all the cpu time.  After a couple
> minutes, I have:

I doubt it.  It's okay for genrandom to run for a few minutes
at startup to generate some randomness to fill the random pool.
It runs at a low priority, so if something else were trying to run,
it would get to run.

Something else is wrong, though I'm not sure what.
Perhaps the vmware tools hang the machine now.
Or perhaps vga is not working.  Try entering "none"
for the mouse and monitor and vga size.

Russ

Re: [9fans] Installing Plan9 under vmware

[EC]

Sun, 26 Mar 2006 19:06:39 -0500 | "Russ Cox" <rsc@swtch.com>

> Perhaps the vmware tools hang the machine now.
> Or perhaps vga is not working.  Try entering "none"
> for the mouse and monitor and vga size.

Where would I enter these settings?
I haven't figured out how to use the plan9.ini to configure the
installation yet... Do those things go in ISO_ROOT/plan9.ini ?

In that case, I guess the easiest solution is to unpack the iso, add
the correct file, and then repack it.  Or could I put that file on a
floppy disc/image and have the installer find it there?
--
Sun:Mar:26:06
Eli C.

Re: [9fans] Installing Plan9 under vmware

[Russ Cox]

> Where would I enter these settings?
> I haven't figured out how to use the plan9.ini to configure the
> installation yet... Do those things go in ISO_ROOT/plan9.ini ?

It should ask you during boot.  If you're not getting
that far, then the problem is earlier.  What goes on
in termrc (after the init: print) is:

	- fdisk of /dev/sd*/data
	- mount floppy drive and write some files
	- start aux/vmware
	- configure loopback device
	- ask about dma mode, vga, etc.

In the ^T^Tp listings, if you see fdisk running,
then you're in that first one.  If you see dossrv
running, then you at least started the second.
If you see vmware running, then you at least started
the third.  It's hard to believe the fourth would
hang, and you'd see the fifth.

My bet would be that aux/vmware is hanging.

> In that case, I guess the easiest solution is to unpack the iso, add
> the correct file, and then repack it.  Or could I put that file on a
> floppy disc/image and have the installer find it there?

You can't actually unpack the ISO and repack it, unless
you do so under Plan 9.  The CD contains Plan 9 extensions
to ISO9660 that hold the Plan 9 metadata (long names, uid,
gid, mode).  If you lose these, installing probably won't work
so well.

Russ

Re: [9fans] Installing Plan9 under vmware

[Skip Tavakkolian]

> Where would I enter these settings?

my problems with vmware are usually related to

	(1) cd drive.
	(2) the vga (as russ pointed out try starting the term as "none")

for (1) removing or disabling the cd drive after installation seems to
do the trick.

did you already say what version of vmware?

Re: [9fans] Installing Plan9 under vmware

[EC]

Sun, 26 Mar 2006 17:21:07 -0800 | Skip Tavakkolian <9nut@9netics.com>

> > Where would I enter these settings?
>
> my problems with vmware are usually related to
>
> 	(1) cd drive.
> 	(2) the vga (as russ pointed out try starting the term as "none")
>
> for (1) removing or disabling the cd drive after installation seems to
> do the trick.
>
> did you already say what version of vmware?
>

Ahh, thanks Russ and Skip - I disabled the secondary slave virtual cd
drive and now everything seems to be working with vga: none (the
default gave me messed up monochrome).  Time to progress with the
install!

Is there an irc channel or such where I can pop in to ask quick silly
questions instead of clogging up the mailing list?

--
Sun:Mar:26:06
Eli C.

Re: [9fans] Installing Plan9 under vmware

[andrey mirtchovski]

> Is there an irc channel or such where I can pop in to ask quick silly
> questions instead of clogging up the mailing list?

sorry, no :( check the wiki!

Re: [9fans] Installing Plan9 under vmware

[Skip Tavakkolian]

> Is there an irc channel or such where I can pop in to ask quick silly
> questions instead of clogging up the mailing list?

"Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded."
	- Yogi Berra

as andrey says, wiki, then probably archives of comp.os.plan9 at
groups.google.com and then ask here.

Re: [9fans] Installing Plan9 under vmware

[Bruce Ellis]

nothing beats experience.  skip shouted that to me from the
next room - "disable the CD" - the dog barked.

brucee

On 3/27/06, Skip Tavakkolian <9nut@9netics.com> wrote:
> > Where would I enter these settings?
>
> my problems with vmware are usually related to
>
>        (1) cd drive.
>        (2) the vga (as russ pointed out try starting the term as "none")
>
> for (1) removing or disabling the cd drive after installation seems to
> do the trick.
>
> did you already say what version of vmware?
>
>

Re: [9fans] Installing Plan9 under vmware

[uriel]

> Sun, 26 Mar 2006 19:06:39 -0500 | "Russ Cox" <rsc@swtch.com>
>
>> Perhaps the vmware tools hang the machine now.
>> Or perhaps vga is not working.  Try entering "none"
>> for the mouse and monitor and vga size.
>
> Where would I enter these settings?
> I haven't figured out how to use the plan9.ini to configure the
> installation yet... Do those things go in ISO_ROOT/plan9.ini ?
>
> In that case, I guess the easiest solution is to unpack the iso, add
> the correct file, and then repack it.  Or could I put that file on a
> floppy disc/image and have the installer find it there?

The easiest solution is to not use VmWare, see the FAQ for details.

uriel

Re: [9fans] Installing Plan9 under vmware

[ems]

http://cm.bell-labs.com/wiki/plan9/Irc/index.html
#plan9 on irc.freenode.net

-- ems
On Sun, 2006-03-26 at 20:34 -0700, andrey mirtchovski wrote:
> > Is there an irc channel or such where I can pop in to ask quick silly
> > questions instead of clogging up the mailing list?
>
> sorry, no :( check the wiki!

Re: [9fans] Installing Plan9 under vmware

[Russ Cox]

> Is there an irc channel or such where I can pop in to ask quick silly
> questions instead of clogging up the mailing list?

There is an IRC channel, but you're likely to get only silly answers
(e.g., in this case "don't use VMware").

Russ