[9fans] Installing Plan9 under vmware

[EC <zybhjk@verizon.net>]

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.