Setting up a VM.

Tigerbiten

[H]ard|DCer of the Month - February 2007/January 2
Joined
Sep 24, 2002
Messages
5,028
You can download the VMware server for free from http://register.vmware.com/content/download.html.
You can either get your registation number now or later once you've installed the VM Server.
Run the installer.
I've never got the resistration screen to work so I skip it and register later.

Once it's installed ............
Start it in local host mode.
Go Help -> Enter Serial Number.
This bring up a registration screen that works.
If you have not got a serial number follow the links to get one.
Ps. One serial number will work on as meny copies as you like.

Setting up a VM ............
Find your "Virtual Machine" folder and add in it as many folders as you need for your machine.
2 on a Quad core, 4 on a Dual-Quad, etc, etc.
I call them after the computer there on, Tigger1, Tigger2, etc.

Start the VM server if needed in local host mode.
Click on "New Virtual Machine" to start the Wizard.
I always do a "Custom" machine so I don't know what the "Typical" settings are.

-> Click on Linux and choose a 64 bit Linux in the bottom screen.
I dont think it makes much difference which 64 bit Linux you choose, I use "Other Linux 64 Bit".
-> Name your Linux the same as the folder your putting it in, ie.. "Tigger 1", "Tigger 2", etc and put it in that folder, C:\.....\virtual machines\Tigger1.
-> Unclick the "Make Private" box.
-> Choose either of these boxes. If the third enter your Windoze name and password.
-> Choose two CPU's.
-> Memory size. Anything above around 500 Megs works. I choose 1024 Meg but all my Quads have +4 Gigs.
-> "use bridged networking".
-> "create new virtual disk"
-> "SCSI"
-> Disk Size. It depends on the size of your install.
I use a 4 Gig disk but a full graphical install may need a bigger Disk.
I also unclick the "Allocate all disk space now" box.
-> Name the .vmdk file the same as the folder. ie, Tigger1.vmdk.
-> Finish.
 
Starting the VM ...............
Edit the machine settings.
-> CD-Rom.
You can either point it at your CD/DVD drive and put a CD/DVD in or point it at a copy of a Linux.iso.
I use the CentOS-5 DVD iso from Here.
I found this better than the Ubuntu 7.1 iso as I can more easily configure exactly what minimum modules to install.

Start the virtual machine and let it start the install of the OS.

Skip the "Media Test" if you want to.
Set the Lanuage ->
Set the KB ->
yes ->
set the partions.
I use the default setting ->
yes ->
Set the Hostname to manual
Boxen1.localdomain <- I use my computers name in here.
Its esier doing this now than later ->
Set the location ->
Add your root password ->
Custize the OS ..........
Untick the Desktop-Gnome box.
Tick the Customize now box ->
Desktop:- Leave everything unticked.
Applications:- Untick everything.
Development:- Leave everything unticked.
Servers:- Tick Windoze File System.
Base Systems:- Only have ticked Base & Ststem tools.
Rest:- Nother else needs to be ticked.
You only need these 3 modules for it to work ->
Finish the install & reboot.

Configuring to OS............
Authentication -> Run tool.
Add a tick to the SMB Auth box ->
Next ->
Add you UserWorkgroup ->
Ok.

Firewall -> Run tool.
I disable the Firewall & SELinux as I cannot enter the Samba share if they are enabled ->
Ok.

Services:-
You need to tick the smb box.
You can tick/untick other boxes, like the bluetooth, if you want/dont want the service.
Hit "F12" to exit the screen

Exit.

Login as root.
Add your Username & Password.

/usr/sbin/useradd -m Username
passwd Username

Add your SMB password.
I find that the first time it doesn't take so just run the command twice.

smbpasswd -a Username

Now configure the smb share.

cd /etc/samba
mv smb.conf smb.sample.conf
vi smb.conf

Hit the "i" key to ener the insert mode and enter the smb.conf file.

[global]
workgroup=UserWorkgroup
server string=BoxenName
security=user
log file=/var/log/samba.%m
max log size=50

[homes]
guest ok=yes
read only=no

[foldingathome]
path=/home/Username/foldingathome
public=yes
writable=yes

"Esc", "Shift+Z", "Shift+Z" to exit insert mode and save.
Now use testparm to test your new smb.conf file for errors.
Its not the most secure smb.conf file but its simple.

Now add your folding folder and take control of it.

mkdir /home/Username/foldingathome
cd /home
chown -R Username Username

Update the OS then exit root.

yum -y update
exit

Log in as your Username and download client via finstall.

Username & Password
cd ~/foldingathome
curl -O http://ra.venomar.ee/~ivo/finstall
chmod +x finstall
./finstall linux smp

Answer yes or no as needed till you hit the client config screen.
Configure the client.

./installService
Add your password.
reboot

Once it comes back up it will start folding.
To stop the client login as you Username.
cd ~/foldingathome
./folding stop

To restart.
./folding start

You should be able to see your Samba share from a Windoze box.
Just point your monitoring program at the ........\foldingathome\CPU1 folder.
As I start each VM, I use SMP Seesaw Pro to lock it to a pair of CPU's
This way Windozes Task Manager shows if its folding or not.
 
If you dont want to set up you own VM disk thers always "unhappy-mages" disk image from This thread.
Download the two parts of the disk image and extract the .7z file and put it and the "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 364-bit.vmx" file in your "virtual machine" folder.
Start the VM Server.
-> Open existing virtual machine.
-> Point the VM at the "Red Hat ...." file to open the disk image.
Use "Create" -> OK, to open image and start the VM.

To get the cursor out ot the VM press the "Ctrl"+"Alt" keys and click outside the VM.

It will come up /home/fold/startfah: line 11: ./fah5: no such line or directory.
-> Alt-F1 to get to the login screen.
Login -> fold
Password -> Fold@on
-> su
-> Fold@on
Now download the latest client.
-> wget http://www.stanford.edu/group/pandegroup/folding/release/FAH6.00beta1-Linux.tgz-O Linux00beta1-Lnux.tgz
Move to the home directory -> cd /home
Now own the downloaded files. -> Chown -R fold fold
Now edit the needed files -> vi /home/fold/startfah
Hit the"i" key to get to edit mode.
Change the bottom line from "./fah5 -forceasm" to "./fah6 -smp -forceasm".
-> "Esc" then "Shift+Z"," Shift+Z" to save the edit.
-> reboot
It should come up as the client config screen.

The downside of this image is that Samba is not set, so there's no external monitoring of the client.
 
Moving the VM between boxen or doing multiple installs on one boxen.

Make a copy of the .vmx & .vmdk file and move them to their new home.
Now rename the .vmdk file from Boxen1.vmdk to Boxen2.vmdk
Open the .vmx with windoze notepad and edit two lines.
scsi0:0.fileName = "Boxen1.vmdk" to scsi0:0.fileName = "Boxen2.vmdk"
displayName = "Boxen 1" to displayName = "Boxen 2"
Save and exit.

Now start VMServer.
Open Existing VM and point it at your new .vmx file
Create new disk image
Start the VM.

Login and stop folding.
You will now need to alter 3 files.

cd ~/foldingathome <- if you used finstall.
./folding stop

vi /etc/sysconfig/network
i
Now edit Boxen1 to Boxen2
Esc,Shift+z,Shift+z

vi /etc/hosts
i
Now edit both copies of Boxen1 to Boxen2
Esc,Shift+z,Shift+z

vi /etc/samba/smb.conf
i
Now edit Boxen1 to Boxen2
Esc,Shift+z,Shift+z

reboot

Login again and stop folding.
Now the easiest way to delete the 2 needed files + 1 folder is via Windoze.
My network places -> Search for computers -> Boxen2 -> foldingathome -> CPU1.
Delete the work folder, queue.dat & machinedependent.dat files.
Exit
Restart folding
All done.

Its quicker doing that than setting up a new VM.
 
Good guide, Its nice to see the VMware guide here at the horde and all in one place.
Thank you for taking the time, I may give this a go just for something different from my SUSE distro install.
 
Had a power surge here, and threw my computer off....when I restarted the rig, my VMWare login settings were hosed. Now I've been unable to connect to localhost to get into my VMs. have you ever had this happen, or know of any reason why this would happen?

Edit: Looks like my Windows Firewall decided to turn itself back on after the crash -_-

 
Good guide Tigerbiten. Maybe this should be incorporated in the general guide sticky?

 
You might also want to install vmware tools which lets the vm start when you boot your machine and also mostly fixes the "time diallation" effect of folding space in a virtual galaxy :p
Basically it corrects the time difference you notice in the vm.
 
Finally had time to finished all 4 guides.

I can now setup a folding VM in under 30 mins and clone one in under 5 mins.

Luck ............ :D
 
Thanks for the parts on Samba and especially cloning. It was a miracle that I got Samba working in the first place on both of my computers, so I don't think I could do it again. I also couldn't figure out how to clone the install. I think I will go with dual VMs on both rigs this weekend instead of VM+Windoze SMP. I should be able to squeeze out a few hundred more PPD that way.

One more thing: Wouldn't you have to change the machineID on the cloned VMs as well?


 
Thanks for the parts on Samba and especially cloning. It was a miracle that I got Samba working in the first place on both of my computers, so I don't think I could do it again. I also couldn't figure out how to clone the install. I think I will go with dual VMs on both rigs this weekend instead of VM+Windoze SMP. I should be able to squeeze out a few hundred more PPD that way.

One more thing: Wouldn't you have to change the machineID on the cloned VMs as well?



No need to change the machineID since a VM is like a separate box. The only time you need to change it is if you run more than 1 client in the same box, which isn't the case here.

 
Thanks for the great guide. I won't be running VM on my Q6600 yet as it's my main box and I do too much other stuff on it, but I will be sure to use this guide if/when I get a second quad just for folding.

 
Thanks for the great guide. I won't be running VM on my Q6600 yet as it's my main box and I do too much other stuff on it, but I will be sure to use this guide if/when I get a second quad just for folding.


You aren't [H]ard unless you do this on the main box. I'm doing that myself so I'm [H]ard :D

 
Thanks for the great guide. I won't be running VM on my Q6600 yet as it's my main box and I do too much other stuff on it, but I will be sure to use this guide if/when I get a second quad just for folding.

I've been running 2xVM on my quad box, and that's a gaming rig/workstation, so it's doable....just pause one when you need it, or both if you really need the power, then let em fly when you're done

 
One more thing: Wouldn't you have to change the machineID on the cloned VMs as well?
Its an either/or thing.
The machineindependent.dat file stores your UserID, the client.cfg file stores your MacineID.
You just need to alter one.
If your cloning within a boxen and your happy to use notepad to alter the client.cfg file then you can go that route.
But unless you know what your doing and also know the risks then just delete the machineindependent.dat file.

Luck ......... :D
 
You aren't [H]ard unless you do this on the main box. I'm doing that myself so I'm [H]ard :D


I would be [H]arder if i could get VMware and Vista 64 to play nice with out having to perform some sort of surgery, I know its posible but I just dont want to take the time (there i said it) I tried the MS virtual PC but I cannot seen to find where you limit each VM to 2 CPUs, so thats my little pet project for now.

 
Its an either/or thing.
The machineindependent.dat file stores your UserID, the client.cfg file stores your MacineID.
You just need to alter one.
If your cloning within a boxen and your happy to use notepad to alter the client.cfg file then you can go that route.
But unless you know what your doing and also know the risks then just delete the machineindependent.dat file.

Luck ......... :D

Actually, it's best to clone the VM before installing the client to avoid duplicates issues.

 
I've been running 2xVM on my quad box, and that's a gaming rig/workstation, so it's doable....just pause one when you need it, or both if you really need the power, then let em fly when you're done

So you can pause VMWare without messing up the work unit? Does it release its memory allotment when it's paused? I always shut down F@H, Ubuntu, and close VMWare when I game to recover memory.




 
The only way I got Vista & VMWare Server to run together correctly was to set Vista to use unsigned drivers.
At the end of POST and before Vista starts hit F8.
Now set Vista to run with unsigned drivers.
Now VMServer should work correctly.
Plus other programs like Core Temp will also work.

Not a major hassle but you do need to do it at every post.

Luck ............... :D
 
Yea i guess its not that big of a deal, and virtual machine is really not playing nice so looks like i may have a project for tonight afterall.
Thanks again for the guide Tigerbiten. Time is a valuable thing and i belive this guide was time well spent.

 
So you can pause VMWare without messing up the work unit? Does it release its memory allotment when it's paused? I always shut down F@H, Ubuntu, and close VMWare when I game to recover memory.





You can but in my case, the time it take to pause versus a shutdown is not worth pausing. When you pause, the HDD trash a lot and it can take 2-3 mins while shutting it down take less than 1 min.

I'm also afraid of using the pause since this can mess up and if you pause for over 3 hours, the client will think there is a problem and will crash with long 1-4 interactions.

 
So you can pause VMWare without messing up the work unit? Does it release its memory allotment when it's paused? I always shut down F@H, Ubuntu, and close VMWare when I game to recover memory.

i just kill the fah client since i've got 4 gigs of ram on that rig, and only allot 512 to each

 
i just kill the fah client since i've got 4 gigs of ram on that rig, and only allot 512 to each


Duh... faster solution :rolleyes:

Lemme try this tonight for my next gaming session (Don't make fun of me but I'm trying to complete Half-Life: Source for the first time 10 years after the game release :eek:).

 
I use two tricks when I'm gaming.

I stop folding in one of the VM's.
I use SMP Seesaw Pro to empty one core of everything but the game.

One or both tricks together means you can fold & still game at full speed.

Luck ........... :D
 
(Don't make fun of me but I'm trying to complete Half-Life: Source for the first time 10 years after the game release :eek:).

I don't think you need to free RAM for that. I first played HL with a Packard Bell upgraded to a Pentium 233, 72MB of RAM, and Voodoo Banshee :p :p :p :p :p



 
I use two tricks when I'm gaming.

I stop folding in one of the VM's.
I use SMP Seesaw Pro to empty one core of everything but the game.

One or both tricks together means you can fold & still game at full speed.

Luck ........... :D

Yes, stopping the folding client with ./folding stop (If you used Finstall to install the client) would be the simplest way because the VM cannot release cycles when Windows need it unfortunately and for gaming, a single core is usually enough.

 
I don't think you need to free RAM for that. I first played HL with a Packard Bell upgraded to a Pentium 233, 72MB of RAM, and Voodoo Banshee :p :p :p :p :p




It's not the ram which is the issue but the chopiness due to the video card competing for spare cpu cycles but it's playable still and I'm too lazy to do a full shutdown and restart. Also, i'm not playing the original version but the Source version (old HL maps but with updated graphics from the Source engine) which is a bit more intensive graphically.

 
It's not the ram which is the issue but the chopiness due to the video card competing for spare cpu cycles but it's playable still and I'm too lazy to do a full shutdown and restart. Also, i'm not playing the original version but the Source version (old HL maps but with updated graphics from the Source engine) which is a bit more intensive graphically.


The advantage of disabling private machine?:)

 
Thanks for the guide I will put it to good use!
 
I'm finding it impossible to download the dvd version of Cent OS at the linked site! the file states 4.1gig, the file size upon ftp'n is 140meg... I'm so lost... I may just have to do the multiple cd thing since this is not working for me... a bit frustrating to say the least I'm trying to get my new quad up and running today

 
There is a issue with DLing files greater then 4gb in size with internet explorer. You need third party DL client. I use one at work but i cant remember the name.

Give me a sec...

http://www.orbitdownloader.com/ thats the one.
[
URL=http://www.hardfolding.com?go=38&tnum=33&id=193197]
0.png
[/URL]
 
I just downloaded the torrent version of it.
Only took me around 6 hours if I remember correctly.

The advantage of the dvd version is that you don't need to burn it to a disk.
So working on a barebones rig, you can just aim the VM at the iso, so no DVD player is needed.
Also it will work without any updates or downloading the lib32 files which some other distros need before Folding will work.

Luck ............. :D
 
I think I'm gonna try this, 1 client on VM linux and 1 client on WinVista. That way, I can just shut down the windows client when I game, do some video stuff, or just need the spare power. I should be getting more PPD from my C2Q main rig, and this should do it. I'm downloading the VMserver install now, and I'll have to torrent the centos dvd iso over the next few days. Wish me luck.

 
Damn, VMserver not playing nice w/vista64. Vista's not allowing me to disable signed drivers anymore. Did MS patch that when I wasn't looking? The elevated cmd prompt command didnt't work for me either, still get errors installing VMserver. Might have to try something else...
 
Damn, VMserver not playing nice w/vista64. Vista's not allowing me to disable signed drivers anymore. Did MS patch that when I wasn't looking? The elevated cmd prompt command didnt't work for me either, still get errors installing VMserver. Might have to try something else...

Reboot and press F8 - disable drivers signing, you will have to do this at every booting...

 
I've tried that, I don't get the options screen anymore. I might try it again with a legacy keyboard, but it worked before with my saitek usb keyboard.
 
I've tried that, I don't get the options screen anymore. I might try it again with a legacy keyboard, but it worked before with my saitek usb keyboard.

That's odd... By any chance are you running the SP1 of Vista? If so then it may have broken something...
 
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