: A compressed query utility ( vmware-sysinfo ) is uploaded directly into the remote server's temporary directory.
: Unmount any duplicate mounts of the same device (e.g., if /dev/sda5 is mounted in two different locations) before starting the conversion.
Before diving into deep troubleshooting, ensure these basic requirements are met. Most "unable to query" errors stem from simple configuration oversights. Port 22 must be open on the source machine.
sudo visudo -f /etc/sudoers.d/vmware-converter # Add line: converter_user ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL
Edit ~/.bashrc (and ~/.bash_profile or /etc/bash.bashrc ) and comment out or remove any echo commands. : A compressed query utility ( vmware-sysinfo )
When you point the VMware Standalone Converter at a live Linux source, the converter engine establishes an SSH connection and attempts to push a specialized data-gathering utility called vmware-sysinfo to the Linux environment. The converter executes this script to discover hardware layouts, storage disks, logical volumes, and network components.
Troubleshooting "VMware Standalone Converter Unable to Query the Live Linux Source Machine"
sudo partprobe /dev/sda # or the main disk sudo partx -u /dev/sda
The error "unable to query the live Linux source machine" typically occurs when the VMware Standalone Converter is trying to connect to a live Linux source machine. This error can be caused by several factors, including: Most "unable to query" errors stem from simple
John decided to dig deeper into the issue. He checked the VMware Standalone Converter logs and found the following error:
sudo setenforce 0
Check the Worker logs: C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter Standalone\Logs\converter-worker.log
: Edit /root/.bashrc (or the relevant user's file) and comment out any lines starting with echo by adding a # before them. When you point the VMware Standalone Converter at
Temporarily umount the secondary mount points on your Linux machine until the initial query and cloning task completes. 2. Sudo Without Password Prompting
The source machine lacks necessary libraries (like tar or libc6 ) or requires specific shell settings. Step-by-Step Solutions 1. Configure Sudo for Passwordless Access
The VMware Converter relies on SSH to communicate with the source Linux machine, run temporary diagnostic scripts, and copy necessary files. When this fails, it is usually due to:
If time is critical, bypass live query altogether: shut down the source, clone the disk offline, or use an alternative converter tool. However, in most cases, cleaning the remote execution environment resolves the issue, allowing you to perform a seamless P2V migration to VMware.