# Old ESXi Linux VMs --> Bhyve



## zader (Jun 24, 2020)

Just wondering if anyone has had experience converting older linux vms on ESXi to bhyve.. For example I have several ubuntu12 and centos 5 systems that dont seem to want to import into a modern version of free esxi .. so I was hoping to run them on a 12.1 server with bhyve.

any advce, help or notes would be awesome.

tia


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## SirDice (Jun 24, 2020)

I  would suggest ditching CentOS 5. It's been EoL for quite some time. The same can probably be said for Ubuntu 12. Migrate your stuff to a new version. Really.


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## zader (Jun 24, 2020)

believe you me .. I want nothing more than to dd them .. but they are 1 off mission critical development snowflakes.. I need to get them off the current host asap..


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## SirDice (Jun 24, 2020)

Mission critical on a single EoL server? That just doesn't add up. Tell the owner you won't be supporting it, if it dies it's their problem. Don't get burned by it.


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## zader (Jun 24, 2020)

> Mission critical on a single EoL server?


lol yup.. not my doing but I do need to deal with it..


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## Crivens (Jun 24, 2020)

zader said:


> lol yup.. not my doing but I do need to deal with it..


You mean someone else made this your problem. I hope they pay good, and in cash. They seem to like dancing in mine fields...


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## zader (Jun 24, 2020)

> You mean someone else made this your problem. I hope they pay good, and in cash. They seem to like dancing in mine fields...



haha! not far from the truth .. hey.. seeing hows you are cleary physic .. could I get this weeks powerball numbers please ...


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## ralphbsz (Jun 25, 2020)

You have two tasks. First, bring those "mission critical services" (ha ha) up to running on a modern OS. Then, migrate them to running under a current FreeBSD server using bhyve. I would suggest that you separate those tasks, and either solve only one of them, or solve them separately.

Approach 1: Give up on Ubuntu and CentOS completely, and try running the services natively on FreeBSD. The resulting system will be cleaner and simpler, easier to maintain and upgrade, and less likely to spontaneously break.

Approach 2: Give up on FreeBSD, and run those services direct-to-metal on whatever Linux installation they prefer. Again, less complexity.

Approach 3: First get them to run on an up-to-date version of Ubunto, CentOS or whatever OS they want to be on. Once that is up and stable, then start running those up-to-date OSes (with services) under an up-to-date version of FreeBSD.

Trying to run an old OS as a client in a modern VM setup is ... asking for trouble.


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