Arch Linux

cjdj

Member

From: Perth, Western Australia

Registered: 2004-05-07

Posts: 121

vmware slow startup

Anyone else having a problem with vmware taking a very long time to start up?    I've searched around, but hard to get any decent results when searching on the word "slow"   

When I start vmware, it takes about 5 minutes for it to come up.  And when I start a virtual machine, it takes about the same length of time again. 

Once the virtual machines have started it runs at normal speed.

I've tried removing it and reinstalling it... and also removing the ~/.vmware directory in case there was a weird setting in there.  Upgraded to the latest version and problem is still there.

Am thinking its a unique problem on my system, but hoping that someone has some ideas.

Thanks.

Lone_Wolf

Forum Moderator

From: Netherlands, Europe

Registered: 2005-10-04

Posts: 11,928

Re: vmware slow startup

- Check how many memory Vmware uses for all vm's together.
  When you have 512 Mb (or more) in your pc Vmware typically only leaves about 256 Mb for the host system. Depending on your WM/DE and running apps this can be too little to allow the host to work smooth.

I have 1536 Gb in my system with KDE , and initially VMware took 1280 Mb , slowing down everything including itself.

I have set it to use no more than 800 Mb and everything runs smooth. I can even run azureus downloading torrent files while running vmware with only minor delays.

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Disliking systemd intensely, but not satisfied with alternatives so focusing on taming systemd.

(A works at time B)  && (time C > time B ) ≠  (A works at time C)

cjdj

Member

From: Perth, Western Australia

Registered: 2004-05-07

Posts: 121

Re: vmware slow startup

Hmm.. you might be on to something there.  I used to use wireless networking (which didnt work with bridged at the time, I had to NAT everything).

But I stopped using the wireless, and have been using a direct connection, and that is about the time that I first noticed these startup delays.  I hadnt thought of that before.

I'll see if I can isolate it too.

Thanks.

FUBAR

Member

From: Belgium

Registered: 2004-12-08

Posts: 1,029

Website

Re: vmware slow startup

I'm having problems with an extremely slow VMware aswell. It's definitely network related: with networking enabled (eth0 and/or eth1) it easily takes a few minutes for VMware Server to open its main screen. When I want to start a VM, it takes just as long! Once the VM is started, it runs at normal speed.

When I disable networking (/etc/rc.d/network stop), all of this goes "instantly". I already tried to disable my wifi together with its modules, but it didn't matter. Somehow, it only happens in certain situations: I use different network profiles because this is a company laptop and I'm on a different LAN from time to time. So far it only happens on one specific company LAN ...

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A bus station is where a bus stops.
A train station is where a train stops.
On my desk I have a workstation.

Lone_Wolf

Forum Moderator

From: Netherlands, Europe

Registered: 2005-10-04

Posts: 11,928

Re: vmware slow startup

Do you have bridged networking enabled under vmware ?

Many company lans are configured to only accept specific mac addresses.
When a dhcp request is not answered by a dhcp server, the network drivers can take  a LONG time to accept they don't get a response.

---

Disliking systemd intensely, but not satisfied with alternatives so focusing on taming systemd.

(A works at time B)  && (time C > time B ) ≠  (A works at time C)

FUBAR

Member

From: Belgium

Registered: 2004-12-08

Posts: 1,029

Website

Re: vmware slow startup

I do, actually. I'll look into that.

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A bus station is where a bus stops.
A train station is where a train stops.
On my desk I have a workstation.