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non-CSIF Computers

Last updated 1.25.2013 (Reflected changes to MINIX VM files)

This section is specifically for creating a MINIX 3 Virtual Machine on non-CSIF computers OR integrating the 409MB (68MB home directory; expandable to 768MB) MINIX 3 default installation virtual machine found on CSIF servers for use on non-CSIF computers
  1. Download the compressed MINIX 3 ISO from the MINIX 3 website.
  2. Extract the ISO by executing the command below on Linux systems while making sure to change [full download path] to the location, including the filename, where the download is stored; if you are on a Windows system, then use winRAR, 7zip, or a similar archiver program to extract the ISO
    • $ bzip2 -dk [full download path]
  3. Start VMware Player if you haven't already done so, accept the End User License Agreement by clicking the Accept button, and then click on Create a New Virtual Machine in the right-hand side column of VMware Player's main window
    • Ignore any prompts to upgrade to VMware Workstation
  4. Fill the Use ISO image: bubble and click the Browse button
  5. Navigate to the folder where you downloaded the compressed MINIX 3 ISO, highlight the extracted ISO, and click the Open button.
  6. Click the Next button
  7. Fill the Other bubble under Guest Operating System and select Other from the Version: drop-down menu
  8. Fill in a name for the Name: field and click the Browse button to store the Virtual Machine settings; if you are on the CSIF computers, you will have to put this in your home directory (/home/[username] where [username] is your login username)
  9. Click the Next button
  10. Allocate the desired disk size by typing into the Maximum disk size (in GB): field while making sure you have enough physical hard drive space (this is especially important to people installing MINIX 3 on their CSIF home directories)
    • To install MINIX 3, you will need at least 403MB of disk space
  11. Fill the Store virtual disk as a single file bubble and click the Next button
  12. Un-check the Automatically power on this virtual machine after creation box and click the Finish button
  13. Highlight the created virtual machine in the left-hand side column of WMware Player's main window, and select Play virtual machine on the right-hand side column
    • If a hint pops up about 64-bit issues, then check the Never show this hint again box and click the Ok button
  14. Follow the instructions in the virtual machine after it boots off the MINIX 3 ISO to install MINIX 3 to the virtual hard drive
    • When prompted to enter in the network adapter, leave it as default
    • After typing in shutdown to the virtual machine, VMware will prompt you about a fault "causing a virtual CPU to enter the shutdown state"; check the Never show this hint again box and click the Cancel button
  15. To unmount the installation ISO, right-click the virtual machine name in the left-hand side column of VMware Player's main menu, and click on Virtual Machine Settings
  16. Highlight CD/DVD (IDE) in the right-hand list and fill the Use a physical drive: bubble under the Connection section on the right-hand side before clicking the Save button
  17. To start the virtual machine again, repeat #13

Integrating the pre-made CSIF MINIX 3 Virtual Machine

  • Use scp, WinSCP, or a similar program to grab the file DefaultMinix3-1.tar.bz2 from /home/software/vm/; provided below is a sample scp command where [username] is the username you use to log in to the CSIF machines and pcxx is any pc that corresponds to the List of CSIF Lab Computers
    • $ scp [username]@pcxx.cs.ucdavis.edu:/home/software/vm/minix320.tar.bz2 ~/
  • MD5 checksum: c91a1456ffb36397587a09830695835b
    • To verify the file is not corrupt or altered on a Linux system, execute the following command
      • $ md5sum ~/minix320.tar.bz2
    • If the checksum doesn't match, then re-download and verify the file again; if the problem still persists, then please contact us
  • After copying/downloading the compressed file to your home directory by executing one of the commands above, execute the following code below; if you copied/downloaded the file to a different directory than your home directory, then cd instead into the directory where the file is stored
    • If you are in the Windows environment, then use winRAR, 7zip, or a similar archiver program to extract the tar.bz2 file
$ cd ~/
$ bzip2 -dfv minix320.tar.bz2
$ tar -xvf Minix-book.tar
  1. Start VMware Player if you haven't already done so, accept the End User License Agreement by clicking the Accept button, and then click on Open a New Virtual Machine in the right-hand side column of VMware Player's main window
    • Ignore any prompts to upgrade to VMware Workstation
  2. Navigate to where you extracted your file and into the folder named Minix-book, and there should be a Minix-book.vmx file
  3. Highlight the Minix-book.vmx file and click the Open button
  4. Highlight the new virtual machine in the left-hand side column of WMware Player's main window, and select Play virtual machine on the right-hand side column
  5. When a prompt comes up notifying you of the virtual machine being edited, clicked the I copied it... button
Now you are ready to use the MINIX 3 virtual machine on non-CSIF computers
Please contact us if you have any further questions.
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