We needed to install new Oracle Grid software on one of our Virtual Machines (VM) development boxes which is running Enterprise Linux Server release 5.4 (64bit). We are using Vmware Server as the virtualisation platform. The issue is that you need X session to be running on the VM in order to install Oracle software as the Oracle Installer is a GUI.
So we started X session (through init 5) on the VM, and connected to the console of the VM (through Vmware Console), but the screen resolution was only 800×600 and this is not enough to be able to use the Oracle Installer.
The maximum display that was available in the Linux guest was 800×600, so how to increase the resolution?
After a bit of research on the Internet we managed to solve the issue. None of the direct suggestions that we found solved the issue, but it did help us put together what worked for us.
This is how we did it:
- Stop the virtual machine (VM).
- Edit the vmx file of the Vmware server guest (VM) and add the following lines:
svga.maxWidth = "1280" svga.maxHeight = "800"
- Restart the VM.
- Ensure vmware tools is installed on the VM.
- Run vmware-config-tools.pl on the VM and change the resolution:
/usr/bin/vmware-config-tools.pl Stopping VMware Tools services in the virtual machine: Guest operating system daemon: [ OK ] Guest filesystem driver: [ OK ] Trying to find a suitable vmhgfs module for your running kernel. None of the pre-built vmhgfs modules for VMware Tools is suitable for your running kernel. Do you want this program to try to build the vmhgfs module for your system (you need to have a C compiler installed on your system)? [yes] Using compiler "/usr/bin/gcc". Use environment variable CC to override. What is the location of the directory of C header files that match your running kernel? [/lib/modules/2.6.18-164.el5/build/include] Extracting the sources of the vmhgfs module. Building the vmhgfs module. Using 2.6.x kernel build system. make: Entering directory `/tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only' make -C /lib/modules/2.6.18-164.el5/build/include/.. SUBDIRS=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. modules make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/kernels/2.6.18-164.el5-x86_64' CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only/cpName.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only/cpNameLinux.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only/dev.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only/driver.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only/hgfsUtil.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only/main.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only/staticEscape.o LD [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only/vmhgfs.o Building modules, stage 2. MODPOST CC /tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only/vmhgfs.mod.o LD [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only/vmhgfs.ko make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/kernels/2.6.18-164.el5-x86_64' cp -f vmhgfs.ko ./../vmhgfs.o make: Leaving directory `/tmp/vmware-config0/vmhgfs-only' The module loads perfectly in the running kernel. Detected X.org version 7.1. Do you want to change your guest X resolution? (yes/no) [no] y Please choose one of the following display sizes (1 - 13): [1] "640x480" [2] "800x600" [3] "1024x768" [4] "1152x864" [5] "1280x800" [6] "1152x900" [7] "1280x1024" [8] "1376x1032" [9] "1400x1050" [10] "1680x1050" [11] "1600x1200" [12] "1920x1200" [13] "2364x1773" Please enter a number between 1 and 13: [3] Starting VMware Tools services in the virtual machine: Switching to guest configuration: [ OK ] Guest filesystem driver: [ OK ] DMA setup: [ OK ] Guest operating system daemon: [ OK ] The configuration of VMware Tools 1.0.6 build-91891 for Linux for this running kernel completed successfully. You must restart your X session before any mouse or graphics changes take effect.
- Restart the X session (init 3, and then init 5) in the VM.
- We can now choose a higher resolution in the VM and were able to run the Oracle Installer and install the Grid software. Dbvisit
