ISO and AGP annoyances creating Linux VMs

I've been creating a bunch of Linux VMs in a row, and I keep running into the same two problems:

1. When trying to choose the ISO for the Linux installation, Parallels displays the File Open dialog, and then switches focus back to the wizard. So the Mac just beeps if I try to select any files!

I've been able to work around this with various random combinations of back, forward, command-tab, timing, trying to go "Forward", etc. And I suppose a better workaround would be to tell it NOT to install Linux, and then attach the CD later.

Has anyone else run into this?

2. When installing the OS, at least for Red Hat based distros (I haven't tried Debian), I need to manually set the "agp=off" kernel option, or else I get a kernel panic. That wouldn't be so bad except for the multiple reboots during installation before I can edit /etc/grub.conf directly - at least one of which is guaranteed to happen while I'm not looking.

Again, anyone run into this? Is there a workaround?

 

For file selection dialog, it seems to me very strange
Please try to upgrade to 5608 http://www.parallels.com/en/download/desktop/
As for several keys, it is installer problem, as it is hardcoded, and only way to pass kernel parameters.

 

5608 didn't fix it. Did you have a reason to believe that this bug was fixed in 5608, or did you just want to make me download, install, kernel panic, reboot, and lose my suspended VM state for fun?

I have no idea what you're trying to say here. Between this and your other posts, I am starting to become convinced that you're a shill, placed here by VMware to make Parallels support look bad.

Attention Parallels management: I was wrong! I admit it! I used to say that Parallels would be better if their support team was more active on the forum. I take it back! Totally wrong! Please take them away.

 

The real example of such hardcoded problem is situation with Ubuntu server, it by default tries to install PAE kernel, and you need to recompile or change loaded kernel
As for download new version, I suppose you have some problems with interface, which resolves in 5608, I do not understand why do you think that upgrade can somehow break your VM, they are unrelated to Parallels Desktop application, you can just copy VM folder to another Mac, and can start suspended VM?

 

Which has absolutely nothing to do with my problem.

The problem did NOT get resolved in 5608. The release notes for 5608 don't mention any interface-related changes. I don't know why you thought 5608 would fix my problem.

I can believe that.

It doesn't work that way. It didn't work that way. If you do not understand why your software does not work the way you think it does, I suggest you ask someone else from your own company. I am not tech support for tech support.

 

Emotions are not the right way to find solution,
Problem with interface is fixed in 5608, and this was exactly situation when dialog boxes are not responded.
For agp=off,
The same situation is with vmware
http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=159362
and for xen
http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cach...ff+vmware&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&client=firefox-a

 

Well, reporting them to you certainly hasn't worked either! You've consistently ignored everything I've said in this thread, only to tell me things that are clearly wrong and that you haven't even tried.

Let's review:

1. I report that there's an interface bug installing Linux ISOs.
2. You tell me to try 5608.
3. I tell you that I tried 5608, that it didn't fix the bug, and that the upgrade caused a kernel panic, followed by a loss of suspended VM state.
3. You tell me that 5608 resolves the problem, and that you can't understand why I "think" that upgrading would cause a kernel panic or a loss of suspended VM state.
4. I explain that 5608 doesn't fix the problem, and that the upgrade did cause the panic/dropped VM.
5. You tell me, again, that this is "fixed" in 5608.

You're. Not. LISTENING. Or, worse, you're not understanding.

Watch this movie, which demonstrates me having the problem in 5608:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9SyWCp5XaM

Then:

1. Tell me if you can duplicate the problem yourself
2. Tell me if it's fixed in 5608 (hint: no)
3. Tell me why you repeatedly told me it was fixed in 5608 after I explained the first time that it wasn't

John, did you read the post you linked to? That is VMWare Workstation, not Fusion, from a year ago. It's utterly irrelevant.

Did you try duplicating it yourself? I just successfully installed into VMWare Fusion 2.0 beta 1, using the exact same CentOS 5.1 32-bit ISO that crashes Parallels.

So, once again, you've given me incorrect and irrelevant information.

Before you post your next reply, please check with a manager, or ANYONE, to see if they think that what you're about to post is accurate, or at least helpful.

 

Yes, I referred posts that shows common problem in Virtual Machines, not Fusion, or something else, xen also is not on MacOS .
agp problem is raised with new kernel 2.6.2x series.
About CentOS, - I have RHEL 5.1 installed
I will check YouTube and will reply later

 

You mentioned Fusion, did you run upgrade when Fusion was running?

 

Checked Video,
Agree such situation can sometimes happens, and build 5604 (unofficial), 5608 was checked against this on following conditions
- Airport Disk
- Disk with errors on file system

Questions:
1. Where are those ISOs are located on main HDD, or attached?
2. What is file system there?
3. Is Fusion is running at the same time?

 

They are on the main HDD, under /Parallels/ISOs

The standard one - Mac OS Extended (Journaled). The only thing that's potentially unusual is that this filesystem is on an Areca RAID card, as a RAID-10 volume. But OS X doesn't know that; it sees it as a standard parallel SCSI drive.

Nope. I only installed Fusion beta to try out a few things; it doesn't run with Parallels running (it crashes, IIRC).

Thanks for the more detailed questions; now we're getting somewhere!

 

Thank you, for details, can you also privately send me following information:


* Parallels Desktop version and build: Parallels Desktop- -> About Parallels Desktop
* an XML file with a copy of system profile: Applications --> Utilities --> System Profiler --> File --> Save as
* Guest OS full version with SP included (if they are);
* a copy of /home/<username>/Documents/Parallels/<VM name>/<GuestVM>.pvs
* Archive of /Library/Parallels/bugreports/ (right click on folder --> Create Archive)
or ~/Library/Parallels/bugreports/

* /Library/Logs/panic.log
or ~/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/Parallels.crash.log from the Mac side;

 

Answered in ticket

 

Solution?

So what was the solution to the ISO image selection dialog focus problem? I have that problem also on 5608.

 

I created a support ticket, I was asked for a whole bunch of probably-not-relevant log files, I uploaded them, the ticket system lost my log files, I gave up and switched to Fusion 2.0b2, and now it doesn't happen anymore

 

Did you try to reinstall Parallels Desktop