Noob question re partition formats & VMs

[TheFu]

Which VMware? They make at least 6 different VM products.

For sharing files from a Linux host, use a Linux file system and use NFS or CIFS sharing over the network. The real file system doesn't matter, provided it is Linux (avoid NTFS, FAT-whatever, ... ). The fact that the OS trying to access the files is running inside a VM means nothing - it isn't important. I would avoid the "host file system sharing" stuff that desktop VM tools allow. IME, they suck, don't do file locking correctly and are just .... slow. NFS blows them away.

If the drive is portable and might be connected to non-Linux systems directly, use NTFS. Be prepared for occasional file corruption - maybe once every year or so. Also, always, always, "eject" the device or umount on Linux before unplugging it. A clean system shutdown does what you need as well.

Linux has no issue accessing GPT/MBR partitions with any sort of file system, provided you load the correct drivers. Regardless - avoid FAT or vfat - that file system needs to die, die, die.

Of course, YMMV on all these things. We all come from different backgrounds with different skills.

[at_first_light]

Cannot connect the virtual device sata0:1 because no corresponding device is available on the host.

Sorry to hear you are having troubles. I hate it when things that should work, don't.

Your error is odd; I would expect to see an error like this when using direct partition/disk mounting to add a disk to the virtual machine, but not when using shared folders??? This error is especially weird because by default VMware Player (and presumably VMware Workstation, I'm not sure about other VMware products) uses SCSI to connect virtual drives on Windows 7 vms, not SATA.

What VMware product are you using (Eg: VMware Player, VMware Workstation, and etc.)? In your vm's settings does it list any hard drives/cdrom drives as using SATA 0:1?