VMware to LivePC Conversion

This page contains an overview of how to convert a VMWare Virtual Machine into a moka5 LivePC™.

There are two sets of instructions below. 'Simple but no update' allows you to convert a virtual machine into a moka5 LivePC the fastest way. However, if you use this method to perform the conversion, it may be difficult to allow your users to update without losing their existing data.

The second set of instructions below, 'Convert and Enable Updates', allows you to create a moka5 LivePC such that your users will automatically get updates to the LivePC in the future, without losing existing data.

Simple but no update

These instructions assume that there is exactly one virtual disk in the virtual machine you wish to convert. Both the operating system and 'user data', including items like user documents, surfing history, application configuration, user profile etc..., are on that same disk. Most people build their virtual machines this way.

You could also build your virtual machine such that the 'system' is on a separate virtual disk from the 'user data'. One example of such a virtual machine is Virtual Bugzilla Server at http://deskzilla.com/vbugzilla.html. If your virtual machine was built this way, it is already ready for updates. Please go to section 'Convert and Enable Updates' below.

Use the instructions below if you do not need to publish updates for your users to fetch, or if you wish to get up and running as quickly as possible and investigate how to enable updates later.

Download our LivePC Engine™. We have a Windows application version, and a 'BareMetal / Dual-boot' version. (Please note that you cannot run the LivePC Engine inside a virtual machine!)
Before importing a VMware virtual machine, make sure that the filename for the bootup disk is system.vmdk. If it is not, please rename it to system.vmdk. This step is necessary for 'Bootup Optimization' to work. The 'Bootup Optimization' feature allows LivePCs to be started even though the entire LivePC has not been downloaded.
Import your LivePC using our Engine.
Configure your LivePC so that the single virtual disk in your LivePC is 'persistent'. This step is necessary to enable user data to be saved. If you skip this step, all user data will be lost whenever users shutdown the LivePC and start it again.
Start your LivePC and try out the common functions that you expect your users to use. Shut it down. (This step is necessary for 'Bootup Optimization' to work. The 'Bootup Optimization' feature allows LivePCs to be started even though the entire LivePC has not been downloaded.)
If you see an error when you import the virtual machine or when you start the imported virtual machine, please see 'Import Error' section below
Package the LivePC.
Upload the LivePC to an http server.
Visit www.moka5.com and register your LivePC.
Tell others how they can try out your virtual machine quickly and easily using the LivePC Engine!

Convert and Enable Updates

If you would like your users to be able to automatically get updates of your LivePC, you will need to change the disk layout of your virtual machine. You need to build your virtual machine such that the 'system' is on a separate virtual disk from the 'user data'. This is necessary because you can only adjust whether or not to persist data on the LivePC Engine at the disk level.

One example of such a virtual machine is Virtual Bugzilla Server at http://deskzilla.com/vbugzilla.html.

Use the instructions below to publish your LivePC so that users can automatically get updates of the LivePC:

Re-organize your virtual machine or LivePC such that its 'system' disk and 'user data' disk are separated as discussed above.
Download our LivePC Engine. We have a Windows application version, and a 'BareMetal / Dual-boot' version. (Please note that you cannot run the LivePC Engine inside a virtual machine!).
Before importing a VMware virtual machine, make sure that the filename for the bootup disk is system.vmdk. If it is not, please rename it to system.vmdk. This step is necessary for 'Bootup Optimization' to work. The 'Bootup Optimization' feature allows LivePCs to be started even though the entire LivePC has not been downloaded.
Import your LivePC using our Engine.
Configure your LivePC so that the 'user data' virtual disk in your LivePC is 'persistent'. This step is necessary to enable user data to be saved.
Start your LivePC, try out the common functions that you expect your users to use. Shut it down. (This step is necessary for 'Bootup Optimization' to work. The 'Bootup Optimization' feature allows LivePCs to be started even though the entire LivePC has not been downloaded.)
If you see an error when you import the virtual machine or when you start the imported virtual machine, please see 'Import Error' section below
Package the LivePC.
Upload the LivePC to an http server.
Visit www.moka5.com and register your LivePC.
Tell others how they can try out your virtual machine quickly and easily using the LivePC Engine!
In the future you can publish updates to your LivePC with new applications, security patches, etc.

Import Errors

There are different vmdk virtual disk formats, and currently the LivePC Engine import tool does not support all of them. For example, it does not support split files or snapshot volumes. If you see the following errors, it means that your virtual machine is in one of the vmdk formats that LivePC does not support. You will need to use the vmware-vdiskmanager tool to convert the vmdk file before you can perform the import.

When you try to import, you get this error: Cannot process disk (import.vmdk). Could it be a snapshot volume?
Even though the import was successful, when you try to start, you get this error: Cannot check for the existence of an old redo log for disk 'winxppro.vmdk'.

The vmware-vdiskmanager tool is distributed with VMWare Workstation and VMWare Server. You can download VMWare Server by going to VMWare's website here.

You can convert the vmdk by the steps below:

At the command line, type vmware-vdiskmanager.exe -r source.vmdk -t 0 target.vmdk
If necessary, delete or rename original vmdk files, then rename the target.vmdk file to match the one for the vmx.
Alternatively, edit the vmx file to rename source.vmdk file to target.vmdk, such that the target.vmdk file name matches the one for the vmx.
Also, edit the vmx file, replace .deviceType = "plainDisk" with .deviceType = "disk"
Now import the newly created vmdk file as described above.