Vmware Standalone Converter Unable To Query The Live Linux Source Machine Full |link| (HD)

The user account must be assigned /bin/bash in /etc/passwd . Accounts with /sbin/nologin will fail.

touch /tmp/test && rm /tmp/test

VMware Standalone Converter is a popular tool used to convert physical machines to virtual machines (VMs) without requiring access to the vCenter Server. It's a handy utility for administrators who need to migrate physical servers to a virtual environment. However, like any complex software, it's not immune to errors. One such error that has been reported by several users is the inability to query the live Linux source machine.

The information in this article is based on official VMware/Broadcom knowledge base articles and community troubleshooting discussions. For further details, you can refer to the primary source documents: The user account must be assigned /bin/bash in /etc/passwd

. This process involves connecting via SSH, transferring a script (typically via ), and running it with elevated privileges. Broadcom support portal 1. Permissions & Shell Requirements Passwordless Sudo : If using a non-root user, that user must be able to run without a password prompt. Use username ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL Permit Root Login : If authenticating as root, ensure PermitRootLogin yes /etc/ssh/sshd_config Standard Shell : The user must be assigned instead of /sbin/nologin or other restricted shells in /etc/passwd Clean .bashrc : Ensure the file for the user does not contain

To avoid encountering the "unable to query the live Linux source machine" error in the future, follow these best practices:

VMware Converter is notoriously sensitive to name resolution. If the Converter server cannot resolve the Linux machine's hostname (or vice versa), the handshake will fail. It's a handy utility for administrators who need

If any link in this discovery chain drops, the user interface returns the universal "Unable to query the live Linux source machine" blocker. 2. Root Causes and Resolutions A. Strict /tmp Mounting Restrictions (Noexec)

Even if SSH is working, the Converter uses other ports for communication during the cloning process, and network misconfigurations are a primary suspect for this error.

: Ensure the SSH daemon is running and reachable on port 22. Some environments may fail if the SSH configuration uses unsupported HMACs; VMware Converter typically expects hmac-sha1 or hmac-md5 . 2. File System and Execution Permissions The information in this article is based on

If the above steps fail, the logs will reveal the exact command that is failing.

Open with an administrative text editor.

The Converter executes several commands on the source to map out the disk layout. If certain system utilities are missing, the query fails.

Check /etc/hosts.allow and /etc/hosts.deny to ensure the Converter’s IP isn't being restricted. 6. Analyze the Logs for Specific Triggers

Find the PermitRootLogin directive. It is often set to prohibit-password or no . Change it to yes .