Init Scripts for VM

Community Support
1

I’m attempting to understand how datastore init scripts files operate for contextuailization.

My idea is to write a bash script that installs some software on first boot only. I thought adding a shell script to the datastore and selecting it on the template would work.

I’ve read about VM_Hooks. However, from my understanding these are executed on every VM. While I only want to execute it on a specific VM, which is why I am adding it to the VM Template.

I am assuming the INIT_SCRIPTS

I’ve tried uploading a bash script (e.g., program-init.sh) and selecting it to no avail. Same with creating an ISO with the bash script and uploading it to the file datastore.

My question is, where does INIT_SCRIPTS look for an init.sh script? What is it expecting?

2

Hi, I used it in past. You have to upload you scripts to FILES type datastore and them select that “files” in VM tempalte and and set it as init_script. It will be automatically added to context cdrom and executed.

If you want execute only one, you can add some check to the start of the script.

3

Thanks for the reply. So let me get this straight, I need to do the following:

  1. So, you can upload a bash script, lets say named program-init.sh.
  2. You then select it as a context file for the VM I intend to use.
  3. In the textfield for INIT_SCRIPTS on this VM, I am to input program-init.sh

There is no special format for the files?

4

yes, when you adding new file form contains name field which should contain real file name (program-init.sh)

Screen Shot 2017-04-16 at 21.06.53.png1970×1104 55.3 KB

5

Okay, I wasn’t aware of that. Did I miss this in the documentation?

6

I don’t know, I figure out this by testing, so I was see what is in context cdrom.

7

Thanks. I’ll try it out and get back to you