[TriLUG] vmware switch user - linux host

Ron Joffe rjoffe at yahoo.com
Tue Nov 21 19:17:39 EST 2006


One of the benefits of VM's is that you can just make a copy of the files 
involved, and experiment to your heart's content.

Ron



On Tuesday 21 November 2006 19:09, David McDowell wrote:
> one says delete the .vmx, one says do not... *blank stare*  LOL
>
> On 11/20/06, Ron Joffe <rjoffe at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Just a quick breakdown of the files in your vm's directory:
> >
> > *.vmdk      - Virtual Machine Disk Files
> > *.vmx       - Virtual Machine Descriptor File
> > *.vmem      - Virtual Machine Memory Files
> > *.vmsd      - Virtual Machine Snapshot Disks
> > *.vmss      - Virtual Machine Checkpoint State Files
> > *.log       - Log Files
> > *.WRITELOCK - Lock Files
> >
> > These definitions are my own, not VMWare's so they might be a bit off,
> > but they should suffice for this discussion.
> >
> > You can safely delete any but the *.vmdk and *.vmx .
> > This assumes the following:
> >   1. The VM is shut down
> >   2. The VM is not suspended
> >   3. The VM is not utilizing snapshots
> >
> > I would not delete the vmx file since that file has all of the
> > configuration of the vm machine. There might be some configuration items
> > in the vmx that would point to ownership, but I did not see any such
> > items in any of my VM's.
> >
> > Ron
> >
> > On Monday 20 November 2006 14:41, David McDowell wrote:
> > > heh, I think I'll mv the file... see what happens, then decide if
> > > delete is proper.  :)  I won't get to try it until after hours though,
> > > so maybe tonight.
> > >
> > > thanks,
> > > David
> > >
> > > On 11/20/06, OlsonE at aosa.army.mil <OlsonE at aosa.army.mil> wrote:
> > > > I think so. I had the same symptoms ...where I'd delete /
> > > > un-register, and that file not disappear. After deleting it (it gets
> > > > re-created when you re-attach / start a new session) ...it came back
> > > > up fine. Just make sure you don't delete the wrong file :). Vmware is
> > > > very unforgiving.
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: trilug-bounces at trilug.org [mailto:trilug-bounces at trilug.org] On
> > > > Behalf Of David McDowell
> > > > Sent: Monday, November 20, 2006 2:26 PM
> > > > To: Triangle Linux Users Group discussion list
> > > > Subject: Re: [TriLUG] vmware switch user - linux host
> > > >
> > > > No, I wasn't aware any files in the VM folder were able to be deleted
> > > > (meaning, not knowing whether or not something bad woud happen if I
> > > > did).
> > > >
> > > > Are these 2 lines in that file the ones that got in my way??
> > > > uuid.location = "blah blah blah"
> > > > uuid.bios = "same blah blah blah"
> > > >
> > > > So my process was basically OK except not knowing I could delete this
> > > > file before re-attaching?  The file is then recreated?  If so, why'd
> > > > it work the first time when I opened the VSC as user2 when user1 had
> > > > not yet been deleted, only to then fail after user1 was deleted and I
> > > > tried to connect to them again?
> > > >
> > > > thanks,
> > > > David
> > > >
> > > > On 11/20/06, OlsonE at aosa.army.mil <OlsonE at aosa.army.mil> wrote:
> > > > > Did you make sure you deleted your *.vmx file before re-registering
> > > > > / attaching to an existing console?
> > > > >
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: trilug-bounces at trilug.org [mailto:trilug-bounces at trilug.org]
> > > > > On Behalf Of David McDowell
> > > > > Sent: Monday, November 20, 2006 1:26 PM
> > > > > To: TriLUG
> > > > > Subject: [TriLUG] vmware switch user - linux host
> > > > >
> > > > > Hi folks.  I seem to have run into a problem this weekend switching
> > > > > which user owned my VMs.  User1 was the previous owner.  I shut the
> > > > > VMs down, then I used the Vmware Server Console (VSC) to unregister
> > > > > them (so I thought).  I created user2, then chown'd the VMs to
> > > > > user2, went into the VSC as user2 and was able to open and start
> > > > > the VMs.
> > > > >
> > > > > However, then I went and deleted user1, closed the VSC and reopend
> > > > > and
> > > > >
> > > > > was no longer allowed to access those VMs.  I wonder if this has
> > > > > only some, none or all to do with the making the VM private
> > > > > option... if so, how to adjust for that so I can switch owners AND
> > > > > keep the VMs private under the new owner?
> > > > >
> > > > > thanks,
> > > > > David McD
> > > > > --
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> > --
> > Ron Joffe
> > Siena Tech, Inc.
> > 120 Old Bridge Lane
> > Chapel Hill, NC 27517
> > (919) 928-0404
> > --
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-- 
Ron Joffe
Siena Tech, Inc.
120 Old Bridge Lane
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
(919) 928-0404



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