I have installed VMWare Server 1.0.4 onto Oracle Enterprise Linux 5.1 (rebranded RedHat EL 5.1, as in exact same binaries). Kernel is version 2.6.18-53.el5xen. Running as root, I can create a virtual machine through the server console but when I click the Power On button to start the VM to install a guest OS (Windows Server 2003 SE) it sits for a minute, then eventually pops up with an error window with the following contents:
"Unable to change virtual machine power state: The "/usr/lib/vmware/bin/vmware-vmx" process did not start properly
Try running "/usr/lib/vmware/bin/vmware-vmx /var/lib/vmware/Virtual Machines/Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition/Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition.vmx" from the command-line on the server.."
A vmware-vmx process is in fact started and consumes in upwards of 100% of the processor utilization and sits there. Trying to start the VM via the command line does not seem to help. Also, when I close this error window the vmware-vmx process continues so I need to kill the process if I want it gone.
As far as the logs go, vmware-serverd.log shows:
Mar 11 12:13:36: app| Attempting to launch vmx : /var/lib/vmware/Virtual Machines/Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition/Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition.vmx
Mar 11 12:15:06: app| Error during launch: 11, The "/usr/lib/vmware/bin/vmware-vmx" process did not start properly
Mar 11 12:15:06: app| Try running "/usr/lib/vmware/bin/vmware-vmx /var/lib/vmware/Virtual Machines/Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition/Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition.vmx" from the command-line on the server.
Mar 11 12:15:06: app| VmsdVmStatePendingCmdFailed: cmd status is already set
The log in /tmp/vmware-root shows:
Mar 11 12:13:36: vmx| Log for VMware Server pid=27489 version=1.0.4 build=build-56528 option=Release
Mar 11 12:13:36: vmx| Command line: "/usr/lib/vmware/bin/vmware-vmx" "-C" "-@" """" "/var/lib/vmware/Virtual Machines/Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition/Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition.vmx"
Mar 11 12:13:36: vmx| vmxvmdb: Index name being generated from config file
Mar 11 12:13:36: vmx| VMXVmdbConnectServerd - Trying to discover serverd
As you can see the last entry is "Trying to discover serverd". Any idea what would cause this?