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import .ovf vm into vmware fusion on mac?
Does anyone have experience importing vms in .ovf format into VMware Fusion (4.1.3)? I have a redhat linux image I would like to run through VMware Fusion that is installed on a Mac (Darwin).
It appears the .ovf needs to be converted to .vmx and Fusion does not do this by default.
I'm finding a tool called ovftool on the VMware site, that can be used to convert .ovf to .vmx, but not a lot of details on its use or installation.
Any hints?
Thanks,
bg
jase_mccarty
17 Posts
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July 6th, 2012 06:00
You'll need to start with the OVF tool as you mentioned.
It can be found here:
http://communities.vmware.com/community/vmtn/server/vsphere/automationtools/ovf
or here:
http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/ovf/
You'll have to have a VMware.com account to download it, and you will be given different binaries to choose from (Windows/Mac/etc).
Once you have downloaded/installed the OVF Tool, you will use it to convert the OVF. On my MBP w/Lion, it installed to /opt/vmware/ovftool
You will use the OVF Tool from a Terminal window. Here is the command to see the examples of how to use it:
/opt/vmware/ovftool/ovftool --help examples
From the examples that are detailed, you should see an OVF to vmx command example.
So, if your OVF and additional files are located on your desktop (with the account WBGaynor) the command would look something like this (if you want the destination VM on your Desktop in a new folder):
/opt/vmware/ovftool/ovftool -tt=vmx /Users/WBGaynor/Desktop/VMNAME.ovf /Users/WBGaynor/Desktop/VMNAME/
The command /opt/vmware/ovftool/ovftool --help should point you in the right direction.
WBGaynor
28 Posts
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July 6th, 2012 15:00
Jase,
Thanks for the reply. Interesting after installing, running install.sh as root, /opt/vmware/ovftool is empty, no ovftool in it. Hum ...
Plus the install.sh script seems to have created an odd symbolic link from /usr/bin with double '//' in it:
bash-3.2$ pwd
/usr/bin
bash-3.2$ ls -l ovftool
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 28 Jul 6 11:46 ovftool -> /opt/vmware/ovftool//ovftool
So with some trail and error and examining the script ovftool, I just ran ovftool out of the Applications directory where the package had place it and OK a .vmwarevm directory was created under the directory where the original .ovf, .vmdk, and .mf reside.
Contents are a .vmdk. .vmsd. and .vmx.
But Fusion is not letting me import, the .vmarevm directory is "grayed out" on attempting to import it. The directory is label as a virtual machine through the MAC Finder app.
I must still be missing something in the process. I did try chmod 777 the .vmwarevm directory and its contents.
Any suggested of where I'm missing the link?
Thanks,
bg
WBGaynor
28 Posts
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July 6th, 2012 16:00
Well, after double clicking the vm in Finder, the vm was loaded into Fusion and I was able to bring it up. Hum ... not much of a procedure, bit like a monkey at a keyboard, but it worked.
Thanks,
bg
jase_mccarty
17 Posts
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July 7th, 2012 06:00
Very interesting.
I may have an older version of the OVF Tool... I've had it on the Mac for a while.
Good to know that you got it working.
There should be an "ovftool" binary somewhere on your file system... I'd check out Finder/Spotlight for it, just in the case that you have the need to use it at a later time.
Cheers,
Jase