# VMWare SCSI Kernel options

## matop

I'm new to gentoo and Linux kernel rebuilding, but I've got the bug and am interested in rebuilding my kernel for a VMWare image that is as small and tight as possible.  Since I really want it to act like a server and the only real devices I care about are the networking and the disk and basic keyboard, it seems like it should be a really tight small kernel.

I have an x86 host (Windows XP/AMD Athalon64) running VMWare and have walked through the handbook and tried to manually configure the kernel.

I'm always getting an immediate kernel panic though because it can't seem to read sda3.  I'm assuming that is because I don't have the correct device driver built into the kernel (not a module).  I'm having a harder time figuring out what the right options are that I should select though.

According to lspci I have: SCSCI storage controller: LSI Logic / Symbios Logic 53c1030 PCI-X Fusion-MPT Dual

Sounds reasonable.  Now mapping that to the options presented in "make menuconfig" is slightly more daunting.  I've selected the various SCSI options, but I must still be missing something.  

Is there a pointer to where to track down kernel options to make hardware work?  Should I be looking at kernel.org, other guides, any pointers would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

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## EatMeerkats

If I remember correctly, you need either CONFIG_FUSION or CONFIG_FUSION_SPI built into your kernel (not as a module).  I have both enabled, and I don't remember which one VMWare uses, but you can definitely boot in VMWare with one of these.

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## s4e8

It's the CONFIG_FUSION_SPI.

VMware has 4 storage options:

1. IDE drive use the

CONFIG_ATA_PIIX

2. LSI 1030

CONFIG_FUSION_SPI

3. LSI SAS 1068

scsi0.virtualDev = "lsisas1068"

CONFIG_FUSION_SAS

3. PVSCSI

scsi0.virtualDev = "pvscsi"

CONFIG_VMWARE_PVSCSI

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## matop

Thanks for the responses.

I built the CONFIG_FUSION_SPI into the kernel and that worked perfect.

I was looking in the SCSI area and on the "make menuconfig" it was just under device drivers.  It took me a while to find it.  Luckily I discovered the "Search" function under "make menuconfig". 

My next issue is with the open-vmware-tools.

It installed fine - but it isn't automatically detecting my mouse leaving the VMware guest and going to the host.  When I looked at various sources it talks about running vmware-user, but that doesn't seem to be on the system any longer.  

Any ideas what setting I need to make?  I have X running fine and am using LXDE as my desktop.

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## s4e8

In make.conf, add:

VIDEO_CARDS="vmware"

INPUT_DEVICES="evdev vmmouse"

If you need desktop auto-resize, then "emerge open-vm-tools".

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## matop

I had brought done an emerge of open-vm-tools and that was what didn't work (as far as letting my mouse move between the Gentoo guest and the host).  The vmtoolsd process is running.  I had VIDEO_CARDS set right but only had INPUT_DEVICES="evdev".

I changed my make.conf to include vmmouse, and am doing an "emerge open-vm-tools" again.  It recompiled but I got the same result.

If it doesn't I may poke around in the tgz file directly from the open-vm-tools website and see if there's something I'm missing.

Is the source that is part of the "emerge" stay on the system?  I was poking around and it looks like there are "overlays" that may have changes to this package, but I haven't investigated that topic enough to understand what they are or how the interact.

Any pointers would be appreciated.

Thanks.

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## matop

I solved the problem with the mouse auto leaving the virtual machine.

I didn't have "X" in my USE flags.  I added it to the /etc/portage/package.use file and recompiled and it worked without issue.

In particular I added it using the line:

echo "app-emulation/open-vm-tools X" >>/etc/portage/package.use

I then recompiled using

emerge --update --newuse open-vm-tools

I probably should have put X in be global USE but I really didn't know where I was going when I started this process.

Just for other newbies - I found out what USE flags were active by doing the following command

equery uses open-vm-tools

which was included by doing the following command.

emerge gentoolkit

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## Box293

 *matop wrote:*   

> Luckily I discovered the "Search" function under "make menuconfig".

 

This really helped me.

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