Update Parallel Tools, cannot log in, OpenSuse

S

SamanthaW

Bit poster
I'm running OpenSuse 11.4 as a guest OS.

Every time I update Parallels Tools and then reinstall them, I can no longer log into my GUI. I get to the login screen, enter my name and password...and after a moment, I end up back at the login screen. It's an endless cycle and I cannot get out of it. I'm running the most updated version of Parallels.

This has happened to me about 7-8 times now--when I was running OpenSuse 11.2 and 11.3. Each time, I've had to completely wipe the guest OS and reinstall it. What is causing this? And is there any way, at all, to update Parallels Tools without having this issue?

I saw that this issue was posted a long time back by someone else--but no solution was offered, and the Parallels Tech support staff was less than useless.
 
I am also using OpenSuSE 11.4 as Guest OS.
But, I completely fail to install the Parallel Tools.

The CD is shown, but I cannot open ist.
I am asked to select an application to open a [inode/blockdevice] file...

Ciao

dirk
 
@diwa
you need to use the console to install Parallel Tools. There's no setup.exe like in Windows. ;)

I have the same issues. I have Parallels 7 now and installing Parallels Tools again after updating OpenSUSE, I end up on the login screen. Don't know what's causing it. Hope someone has a solution.
 
Samantha,

I can't help with your core problem, but if you hit control-alt-F1 when you are at the login screen you should switch to a console login. You may be able to login using this method and check your logs to get some indication of what is going wrong during your desktop initialization.
 
If it's like with Fedora you have to install as root, which was new to me. Online docs state it has to be as super user (su command) but on a Mac apparently the password for root is already set to something. Here is how I got it to work, may not work for your setup but worth a try.

Open a terminal in the emulation. Since the su password is something other than the only password on my Mac the workaround was to use the sudo command to log in as the super user. Here is step by step how I did it.

In terminal type
sudo su <enter>

This prompts for your regular administrator password, type your password and hit <enter>. Now you are logged on as root using sudo to authorize su.

Now in the Parallels menu select Install Parallel Tools (or Update Parallel Tools). This mounts the iso file (looks like a CD) and on my system brought it to the front and opened the "CD". Now drag the image on the right of the Parallel Tools CD called "Install" to the Terminal to save typing and avoid misspellings in the path (you can also type the path and name if you prefer).

Terminal should now have the path to the Install file (in quotes perhaps) already typed for you. Click on the Terminal to ensure it's active and hit <return>. This should now start the install and prompt you as you install, remove or upgrade Parallel Tools. I have installed and now upgraded this way and it's worked for me, hope it works for you.
 
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Hi, I had this problem a while ago in openSUSE 11.2 and 11.3 and reported it to Parallels but no help! I know the reason for this problem is the way Paralles installs the Parallels Tools! This is not conform with KDE and openGL. Then, the next time you update a kernel and reinstalls the Parallels tools there are broken links and KDE fails to start after the login! This means you login but then falls back to the login screen because KDE does not start. You can login if you change the window manager to GDM (Gnome) which apparently does not relay on this broken links and so works. Anyway, I just can recommend not to update the kernel so that there is no need to reinstall the parallel tools.
 
PSR0437: I'm so glad someone else actually ran into this issue! I thought I was the only one, and I've run into it so many times. I usually install both everything associated with both KDE and Gnome when I install the OS. Once "locked out" from the GUI, is there a way to switch from KDE to Gnome from the command prompt?
 
Hi SamanthaW, yes there is a way to permanently change the window manager. In openSUSE, at the login screen in the lower left corner you can select the window manager you want to use after login. If you select Gnome there you should be able to login. openSUSE remembers the last session and window manager you used and so will use it also at the next login. You also can permanently change it using YAST. Open YAST and go to EDIT etc/sysconfig and click it. Then go to DESKTOP on the left side of the window which opens and click it. Then select Window Manager and there you find the option to permanently change the window manager from kde4 to e.g. gem.
BTW, I usually cope the VM before I try to install a new kernel etc so that I can copy it back if it fails or things fail. This problem of broken links after kernel update etc is independent of the openSUSE version. I had the problem with 11.2, 11.3. Now I use 11.4 but have just installed it and updated the newest kernel before I installed the Parallels Tools. In the documentation you can find that they suggest 1.) to deinstall the tools before you install or update them, 2.) to disable 3D acceleration and 4. to login as root for this task and 5. to do this from a terminal mode and not out of a KDE session. However, all this did not work in the cases I tried it. I therefore never updated the kernel.

To my opinion the problem is caused by the following: When I installed openSUSE and then wanted to install Parallel Tools I got the not that there is software missing and Parallel Tools installer offered to download the missing software and installs it. Thats the point where things break up! next time you update the kernel and reinstalls Parallel tools the software is already there but by updating the kernel the links are broken and not established and then KDE runs into this problem. Why KDE and not Gnome is not clear to me.
 
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