How to install the Fermi Virtual Machine on Windows using VMware Player

- A tutorial for the Fermi Solar Workshop 2012. v2

Introduction

The Fermi Virtual Machine is an image of a fully functional Operating System. It comes with pre-installed copies of all the software that will be demonstrated at the Fermi Solar Workshop 2012. The FermiVM is distributed as a single ISO image file that you will install into a Virtualization Platform. These instructions will guide users through the process of installing VMware Player, the chosen Virtualization platform for Windows machines at this Workshop. If you have another Virtualization platform such as Oracle Virtual Box then your setup process will be similar, but is not explicitly supported by this tutorial. Good Luck.

On a more technical note the FermiVM is an ISO image of the 32 or 64 bit variant of the Scientific Linux 6.2 operating system. SL6 is a variant of Red Hat Enterprises Linux (RHEL) and is the primary Operating System supported by the Fermi Science Support Center. FermiVM comes with the basic software packages you will need to conduct your analysis of astrophysical phenomenon including IDL, SSW, HEAsoft 12.6, and the Fermi ScienceTools.

Minimum System Requirements

• Dual Processer Core CPU
• More than 2 GB RAM
• 20 GB free storage space

Obtaining VMware Player

We have set up a download of VMware Player for Windows XP/Vista/Win7. The installation executable is available on the FERMI FTP site: ftp://legacy.gsfc.nasa.gov/FTP/glast/software/fermi_solar_workshop_2012/ You can Click Here to download the executable.

Installing VMware Player

The installation wizard is very straightforward and easy to use. Simply install the full version of the player and choose directory trees you feel are appropriate.

Obtaining the FermiVM ISO image

The FermiVM is distributed by the FSSC through it's FTP server: ftp://legacy.gsfc.nasa.gov/FTP/glast/software/fermi_solar_workshop_2012/
Here you will find 2 versions of FermiVM, one optimized for 32-bit machines and one for 64-bit machines. The two are identical in all other respects. For 64-bit machines download "FermiVM-64-1-7.iso" and for 32-bit machines download "FermiVM-32-1-7.iso".

If you do not know what your system type is see below.

Determining System Type (32 vs 64 bit) for Windows

1. Click the Start Button
2. Right-Click "My Computer" or "Computer" for newer models
3. Click "Properties"
4. You should see a window with your system information. On Windows and Vista machines the system type will be either "32-bit Operating System" or "64-bit Operating System". On Vista machines the system type will either be "64-bit" or there won't be any option.
   

For 64-bit machines download "FermiVM-64-1-7.iso" and for 32-bit machines download "FermiVM-32-1-7.iso".

Creating a new Fermi Virtual Machine

Note that this installation tutorial was created using version 1-6 of the Fermi-VM, and the current version is 1-7. There are no differences between the installation process for v1-6 and v1-7 other than the filename and label.

1. Launch VMware Player if you have not already done so. Click "Create a New Virtual Machine".
   
   
   
2. Select "Installer disc image file (iso):" and click "Browse". Navigate to your FermiVM ISO image and select it. Click "Next".
   
   
   
3. Now identify the OS and version. For "Guest Operating System" select "Linux". For "Version" select "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6" or "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 64-bit" if you are using the 64-bit ISO. Click "Next".
   
   
   
4. Choose a name for your VM. We suggest using the full name of the ISO you downloaded as it is descriptive and will allow the organizers of the workshop to quickly identify type and version should any bugs arise. "FermiVM-32-1-6" and "FermiVM-64-1-6" are descriptive enough. Do not change the "Location". Click "Next".
   
   
   
5. For "Maximum disk size" allocate 20 GB. Select "Store virtual disk into multiple files". Click "Next".
   
   
   
6. Click "Customize Hardware..."
   
   
   
7. Click "Memory" in the left column and allocate at least 2048 MB. You can allocate more if your system has more to spare.
   
   
   
   
   
8. You may add more processors as well if you want more processing power. This is optional. When your changes are complete click "Close". Click "Finish". The VM should start automatically. If it does not then simply launch it from the main interface.
   
   
   ###################### A special note about Mouse Capture ########################
   Interacting with the VMware Player window will cause the program to "Capture" your mouse and keyboard. That is, each action done by these devices will only affect the Virtual Machine until you "release" them through a special command. When you wish to interact with your Host Operating System again press the "Left-Ctrl + Left-Alt" buttons.
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9. You are now installing the FermiVM. You will see a number of pop-up bar on the bottom of your VMware Player window. Ignore that for now.
   
   
10. On the "Clonezilla" screen hit "return". When prompted enter "y" and hit return. When prompted again enter "y" and hit return again. Do not be afraid when prompted to allow overwriting the drive (the host operating system will not be affected by this, in this one very limited and particular case you do not  need to heed the warnings about losing all your data). The unpacking and first  boot process could take a large amount of time on slower machines.
    
    
    
11. When unpacking and installation is finished you will be prompted to enter 0, 1, 2, 3 for various options. Enter "1" [Reboot] and hit return. Hit enter when prompted about disc tray.
    
    
    
12. When you see the login screen you have successfully installed the FermiVM. You should log in to Fermi User with the password fermipw. Enjoy.