Valutazione attuale: 1 / 5

Stella attivaStella inattivaStella inattivaStella inattivaStella inattiva
 

VMWare VCenter convert standalone 5.5.3 (oct. 2014) still fails when converting ubuntu server 14.04 when job was at 97%. (UPDATED 2022-08-26

 

2022-08-26 - UPDATED
I just got the same problem when I tried to convert ubuntu 20.04 with converter 6.2.0.1. I don't think there are more recent versions.
Problem is still the same: converter cannot make last operation after it converted the machine: create a primary partition with Grub installed.
This time to fix the problem I used the "ISO Boot Repair Disk". 
In short I mounted the ISO and boot the VM. After boot The first tool starts automatically and analyzes your system and tries to fix it. I got the warning "Create a primary partition not formatted with flag grub using GPARTED",
GParted is available in the start menu of ISO Boot Repair Disk.
STEPS 
- resized the partiion to get a free space of around 5MB
- created the primary partion not formatted
- applied the flag grub
- return in the first utility to check your system again and in my case the tool installed grup succesfully.
- Unmount the ISO and Restarted my ubuntu 20.04 worked fine!

I think I will write a new article with some screenshot,

 

This not a tutorial, just a couple of notes taken when I solved the case.

 

ERROR 

FAILED: An error occurred during the conversion: 
'GrubInstaller::InstallGrub: /usr/lib/vmware-converter/installGrub.sh failed with return code: 127,
 and message: Installing GRUB1 on (hd0)... /vmware-updateGrub.sh: line 52: grub: 
 command not found Error installing GRUB Command: 
 grub --no-floppy --batch --device-map="/vmware-device.map" root (hd0,0) setup (hd0) 
 Error running vmware-updateGrub.sh through chroot into /mnt/p2v-src-root /usr/lib/vmware-converter/installGrub.sh: 
 line 143: /mnt/p2v-src-root:
Is a directory

 

SCENARIO

The virtual machine was converted, the only issue regarding the boot: converter cannot manage grub properly.

/DEV on Phisical Machine

/dev/sda1 => grub
/dev/sda2 => ext4
/dev/sda3 => swap

/DEV on Virtual Machine

/dev/sda1 => ext4
/dev/sda2 => swap

As you can see grub partition was not created and now sda1 is the data partition and sda2 the swap partition.

The /etc/fstab and /boot/grub/grub.cfg contain the original configuration.

 

STEPS

In order to fix the server (virtual machine) we have to make some simple operations

  • Make a recovery boot using the iso image cd of ubuntu server 14.04
  • Create a primary partition for grub
  • Install grub
  • Change the /etc/fstab
  • Change the /boot/grub/grub.cfg

 

BOOT

Edit your virtual machine and connect the device cd/dvd to the ubuntu 14.04 iso image

Power on the virtual machine, choice recovery / rescue mode, follow the steps until you can get a terminal prompt on /dev/sda1 

 

PARTITION 

# parted /dev/sda

(parted) unit MB
(parted) p free
Number  Start       End     Size     File system     Name                   Flags
        0.02MB   0.07MB   0.05MB     Free Space
 2      0.07MB   7516MB   7516MB     ext4            Linux Filesystem Data
 3      7516MB   8052MB    536MB     linux-swap(v1)  Linux Swap
        8052MB  11273MB   3221MB     Free Space



(parted) mkpart primary xx yy
(parted) p
(parted) set x bios_grub on
(parted) p free

Partition Table: gpt
Number  Start     End       Size    File system      Name                         Flags
 3      0.02MB    0.07MB   0.05MB                    primary                      bios_grub
 1      0.07MB    7516MB   7516MB   ext4             Linux Filesystem Data
 2      7516MB    8052MB    536MB   linux-swap(v1)   Linux Swap
        8052MB   11273MB   3221MB   Free Space

(parted) q

 

SUGGEST - GDISK

if you have installed the gdisk tool, you could sort the part number.
So FSTAB and GRUB.CFG edit would be not necessary.
I suggest to install gdisk on phisical server before launch the convert: apt-get install gdisk
# gdisk /dev/sda
Command (? for help): s
Command (? for help): w

 

FSTAB

fstab file still contains the phisical machine information

/dev/sda2 / ext4 errors=remount-ro,relatime,usrjquota=quota.user,grpjquota=quota.group,jqfmt=vfsv0 0 1
/dev/sda3 swap swap defaults 0 0

 We have to change sda2 with sda1 and sda3 with sda2

 # nano /etc/fstab

 

GRUB.CFG

Before edit the /boot/grub/grub.cfg we need to know the UUID of the Phisical Machine and the new UUID of the Virtual Machine.
# blkid on phisical machine
# blkid on virtual machine

Suggest
blkid >> /boot/grub/grub.cfg

We have to replace sda2 with sda1 and the old UUID with the new one

# nano /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Nano command to replace a string is Ctrl + \

After saving the grub.cfg we have to install the grub, from the prompt # type exit, will appear the ubuntu menu from installation cd.

 

GRUB INSTALL

Now we have a new partition set as bootable and we already change the fstab and grub.cfg. we are ready to install the grub.

From the installation CD we can choice "Install grub on /deb/sda"

 

LAST STEP

reboot

 

[OT] Let me write some useful commands here

HOW TO CHANGE IP, GATEWAY AND DNS

# nano /etc/network/interfaces

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
address 192.168.0.150
netmask 255.255.255.0
gateway 192.168.0.1
network 192.168.0.0
broadcast 192.168.0.255
dns-nameservers 8.8.8.8  8.8.4.4

 

RECONFIGURE THE KEYBOARD

# sudo dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration

 

 REFERENCES

 - have fun -

DISQUS - Leave your comments here