This little chestnut just caught me out. I’m trying to test some theories with maximum users and groups etc on linux using a ldap backend for authentication. I’ve run a little script which happily created me 65536 groups and 65536 users but when I use ‘getent group’ or ‘getent password’ it only seems to return 500 ldap entries.

It turns out the problem lies not with getent but with slapd limiting the returned results for any given query, the default is 500 (man 5 slapd.conf). The solution is to add ‘sizelimit -1’ to slapd.conf, restart and now getent should return the correct answer.

It seems I really do take a lot of pictures of trains. sigh.

1. 125 approaching Didcot, 2. Abandoned train, 3. Want that one, 4. Weybridge station in the fog, 5. Leaving home…, 6. Bank branch, 7. Tube animation, 8. Belgium train, 9. Eurostar, 10. old and new, 11. Paignton Level Crossing, 12. Steam engine, 13. Train crane, 14. Birds nest, 15. Train trucks, 16. Oily cans, 17. A pair of trains, 18. Passing Cockwood Harbour, 19. Moving quickly towards Teignmouth, 20. Heading into Dawlish Warren, 21. Train driver!, 22. Virgin Trains heading south to Teignmouth, 23. Heading south towards Teighmouth, 24. Freshwater leaving Havenstreet, 25. Inside the cab of Freshwater

Created with fd’s Flickr Toys.

I’ve just installed vmware on Fedora Core 6 without any hassles, this is how I did it.

1. I knew that I needed the following packages so I installed these with yum before starting:
   1. kernel-devel
   2. gcc
   3. xinetd
2. I ran yum update next, this is optional, but I think it is best to do this now because vmware builds a module for your kernel so you really want to grab any kernel updates now.
3. I disabled the iptables firewall at this point, the machine is internal therefore it was not required: ``` [root@zaphod init.d]# chkconfig iptables off

  4. reboot the machine
  5. There is a compile error while the config script builds the kernel module (this is with kernel version 2.6.18-1.2869.fc6). An empty file needs touching to fix this: 
    ```
touch /lib/modules/2.6.18-1.2869.fc6/build/include/linux/config.h

6. Download and install the application, for reference I used the rpm named VMware-server-1.0.1-29996.i386.rpm
7. Run vmware-config.pl, I accepted most of the defaults, the output of mine is shown below: ``` [root@zaphod ~]# vmware-config.pl Making sure services for VMware Server are stopped.

Stopping VMware services:
   Virtual machine monitor                                 [  OK  ]
   Bridged networking on /dev/vmnet0                       [  OK  ]
   Virtual ethernet                                        [  OK  ]

Configuring fallback GTK+ 2.4 libraries.

In which directory do you want to install the mime type icons?
[/usr/share/icons]

What directory contains your desktop menu entry files? These files have a
.desktop file extension. [/usr/share/applications]

In which directory do you want to install the application's icon?
[/usr/share/pixmaps]

Trying to find a suitable vmmon module for your running kernel.

None of the pre-built vmmon modules for VMware Server is suitable for your
running kernel.  Do you want this program to try to build the vmmon module for
your system (you need to have a C compiler installed on your system)? [yes]

Using compiler "/usr/bin/gcc". Use environment variable CC to override.

What is the location of the directory of C header files that match your running
kernel? [/lib/modules/2.6.18-1.2869.fc6/build/include]

Extracting the sources of the vmmon module.

Building the vmmon module.

Using 2.6.x kernel build system.
make: Entering directory `/tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only'
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.18-1.2869.fc6/build/include/.. SUBDIRS=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. modules
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/kernels/2.6.18-1.2869.fc6-i686'
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/linux/hostif.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/common/cpuid.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/common/hash.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/common/memtrack.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/common/phystrack.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/common/task.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/common/vmx86.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/vmcore/moduleloop.o
  LD [M]  /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/vmmon.o
  Building modules, stage 2.
  MODPOST
  CC      /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/vmmon.mod.o
  LD [M]  /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/vmmon.ko
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/kernels/2.6.18-1.2869.fc6-i686'
cp -f vmmon.ko ./../vmmon.o
make: Leaving directory `/tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only'
The module loads perfectly in the running kernel.

Do you want networking for your virtual machines? (yes/no/help) [yes]

Configuring a bridged network for vmnet0.

The following bridged networks have been defined:

. vmnet0 is bridged to eth0

All your ethernet interfaces are already bridged.

Do you want to be able to use NAT networking in your virtual machines? (yes/no)
[yes] no

Do you want to be able to use host-only networking in your virtual machines?
[no] no

Extracting the sources of the vmnet module.

Building the vmnet module.

Using 2.6.x kernel build system.
make: Entering directory `/tmp/vmware-config1/vmnet-only'
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.18-1.2869.fc6/build/include/.. SUBDIRS=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. modules
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/kernels/2.6.18-1.2869.fc6-i686'
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config1/vmnet-only/driver.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config1/vmnet-only/hub.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config1/vmnet-only/userif.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config1/vmnet-only/netif.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config1/vmnet-only/bridge.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config1/vmnet-only/procfs.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config1/vmnet-only/smac_compat.o
  SHIPPED /tmp/vmware-config1/vmnet-only/smac_linux.x386.o
  LD [M]  /tmp/vmware-config1/vmnet-only/vmnet.o
  Building modules, stage 2.
  MODPOST
WARNING: could not find /tmp/vmware-config1/vmnet-only/.smac_linux.x386.o.cmd for /tmp/vmware-config1/vmnet-only/smac_linux.x386.o
  CC      /tmp/vmware-config1/vmnet-only/vmnet.mod.o
  LD [M]  /tmp/vmware-config1/vmnet-only/vmnet.ko
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/kernels/2.6.18-1.2869.fc6-i686'
cp -f vmnet.ko ./../vmnet.o
make: Leaving directory `/tmp/vmware-config1/vmnet-only'
The module loads perfectly in the running kernel.

Please specify a port for remote console connections to use [902]

Stopping xinetd:                                           [  OK  ]
Starting xinetd:                                           [  OK  ]
Configuring the VMware VmPerl Scripting API.

Building the VMware VmPerl Scripting API.

Using compiler "/usr/bin/gcc". Use environment variable CC to override.

Installing the VMware VmPerl Scripting API.

The installation of the VMware VmPerl Scripting API succeeded.

Generating SSL Server Certificate

In which directory do you want to keep your virtual machine files?
[/var/lib/vmware/Virtual Machines]

The path "/var/lib/vmware/Virtual Machines" does not exist currently. This
program is going to create it, including needed parent directories. Is this
what you want? [yes]

Please enter your 20-character serial number.

Type XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX or 'Enter' to cancel:  XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

Starting VMware services:
   Virtual machine monitor                                 [  OK  ]
   Virtual ethernet                                        [  OK  ]
   Bridged networking on /dev/vmnet0                       [  OK  ]

The configuration of VMware Server 1.0.1 build-29996 for Linux for this running
kernel completed successfully.

[root@zaphod ~]#

  8. Reboot the machine
  9. When it finishes booting you should have some vmware processes

I also installed the Web Management Interface, the steps involved were:

  1. Download the tarball. I grabbed VMware-mui-1.0.1-29996.tar.gz
  2. Extract it and cd into the `vmware-mui-distrib` directory
  3. Run `./vmware-install.pl`. The output of mine is shown below: 
    ```
[root@zaphod vmware-mui-distrib]# ./vmware-install.pl
Creating a new installer database using the tar3 format.

You must read and accept the End User License Agreement to continue.
Press enter to display it.

VMWARE MASTER END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

Do you accept? (yes/no) yes

Thank you.

Installing the content of the package.

In which directory do you want to install the binary files?
[/usr/bin]

What is the directory that contains the init directories (rc0.d/ to rc6.d/)?
[/etc/rc.d]

What is the directory that contains the init scripts?
[/etc/rc.d/init.d]

In which directory do you want to install the VMware Management Interface
files? [/usr/lib/vmware-mui]

The path "/usr/lib/vmware-mui" does not exist currently. This program is going
to create it, including needed parent directories. Is this what you want?
[yes]

In which directory would you like to install the documentation files?
[/usr/lib/vmware-mui/doc]

The path "/usr/lib/vmware-mui/doc" does not exist currently. This program is
going to create it, including needed parent directories. Is this what you want?
[yes]

The installation of VMware Management Interface 1.0.1 build-29996 for Linux
completed successfully. You can decide to remove this software from your system
at any time by invoking the following command:
"/usr/bin/vmware-uninstall-mui.pl".

Before running VMware Management Interface for the first time, you need to
configure it by invoking the following command:
"/usr/bin/vmware-config-mui.pl". Do you want this program to invoke the command
for you now? [yes]

Configuring httpd.conf to run Apache as:
User: nobody and Group: nobody

Set the number of minutes before a http session times out. (This is the length
of time before someone connecting to VMware Management Interface will be logged
out) [60]

Generating SSL Server Certificate

   Starting httpd.vmware:                                  [  OK  ]
The configuration of VMware Management Interface completed successfully.

[root@zaphod vmware-mui-distrib]#

4. The install should have started it ok, you can now browse to http://your.host.name:8222/

Both the web interface and vmware itself chkconfig themselves on so they should run ok at boot. I rebooted my machine now to check all was well.

I borrowed a 14mm F2.8 lovely lens, this is handheld at night, lovely and wide and almost no light. Now I so want one of these!

So we made some people redundant, and got some more office space. I’m no businessman but that strikes me as weird! Anyway, now I have a bigger desk!

Found these cool patterns on the car as I came home. Brrrr cold night!

Found this nice spiders web hanging on the fence on my way to work this morning. Taken with my new phone, not bad really.

I’ve been reading about converting colour to b&w in photoshop, this is a first go using the channel mixer and curves. Quite fun.

This might be an embedded sideshow of my pics from edinburgh…

Taken with the phone whilst walking to work with a bit of a hangover, I forget how impressive phone cameras are. Should use it more often!