Convert VMware VM to KVM

[IamSpartacus]

Has anyone here successfully converted their VMware VM's to work in UnRAID?  I have a Linux Ubuntu Svr VM and a Windows Server 2012 VM I'd like to convert over to run on my UnRAID box.

[jfeeser]

Not sure if you ever got this done, but if anyone else finds this topic, here's how i did it:

 

1)  Stop the VM in ESXI

2)  Export the VM as an OVF template

3)  Make a folder on your unraid box called /mnt/user/domains/<NameOfVM>

4)  Copy the VMDK file from the export folder to the folder you created in step 3

5)  Run the following command:  "qemu-img convert -p -f vmdk -O raw <vmdkfile> <vmdkfilename>.img".  This will convert the file to the KVM/OVirt format. 

6)  Create a new VM, change the bios to "SeaBIOS", and choose the .img file created in step #5 for the first hard drive.

 

At this point, if it's a linux machine, you can boot it and it pretty much Just Works (tm).  If it's a windows box, you've got a couple more steps.

 

7)  Boot the windows box, let it freak out that there is a bunch of new hardware and attempt to install drivers for it.  Let it do it's thing - it'll probably reboot a couple times.

8 ) go to add/remove programs and uninstall vmware tools

9)  As part of the creation process, you'll end up with a D (or first available) letter drive with the OVirt client VM files (basically vmware client for OVirt).  Open that up, go to the client install folder and install it.  Reboot.

10) after the reboot, go to device manager and install drivers for anything that wasn't detected properly.  All the drivers you need should also be on that D drive disk.  

11)  Reboot one last time and you should be good to go!

 

That's pretty much it.  The only other snag i noticed is that a couple VMs that i converted that had static IPs flipped back over to DHCP (my assumption is because of the change in virtual network hardware), so make sure to check that.  Let me know if you (or anyone else) runs into any issues!

[itimpi]

Strictly speaking step 5 is normally not necessary as KVM can handle .vmdk files directly.   To do so you need to enter the path to the .vmdk file directly into the template as the unRAID  GUI does not offer such files automatically.

[Whizadree]

would this method work for OSX?