Convert AstLinux install files to VMware

Obsolete info with AstLinux 1.2.5 and later. Use the ISO Installer Image.

You can convert an astlinux-XX.img file to a VMware .vmdk file and have a bootable system with a few simple steps.

1. Download an AstLinux 'geni586' .img.gz file
2. Decompress the image using gunzip, yielding a .img file
3. Use the VBoxManage (CLI) utility (VirtualBox) to convert the image to a virtual disk

Example:

gunzip astlinux-1.2.3-asterisk-11.18.0.img.gz

VBoxManage convertfromraw -format VMDK astlinux-1.2.3-asterisk-11.18.0.img astlinux-1.2.3.vmdk

Here is the complete manual of the VBoxManage convertfromraw command.

Now we are ready to create a new VM in VMware ¹⁾:

• VMware → New…
• Create a custom virtual machine
• Choose Operating System… “Linux → Other Linux 3.x kernel”
• Choose a Virtual Disk… “Use an existing virtual disk” → Choose virtual disk… “astlinux-1.2.3.vmdk”
• Finish, Customize Settings…

Then make custom Settings changes…

  Network Adapter: Bridged Networking (connect directly to the physical network)

  Processors & Memory: 2 processor cores (for fun) and 512 MB Memory

  Hard Disk: Disk size: 2.00 GB (enter), Advanced -> Bus Type: SCSI, check Pre-allocate disk space, then click Apply.

  Startup Disk: "Hard Disk (SCSI)"  (using "lsilogic" SCSI virtualDev)

The rest of the defaults should be OK.

Start the AstLinux Virtual Machine…

Finally, configure using the normal setup.