sudo vgscan --mknodes sudo vgdisplay If you see duplicate VG names, rename one:
sudo vgrename old_vg_name new_vg_name sudo vgchange -ay 3.3 Fix Inconsistent Metadata sudo e2fsck -f /dev/mapper/vg_name-lv_name # For ext filesystems sudo lvchange --refresh vg_name/lv_name 3.4 Ensure Device Mapper Nodes Exist sudo dmsetup ls sudo dmsetup mknodes Phase 4: Partition Table & Filesystem Oddities VMware Converter expects a standard MBR or GPT partition table. Nested partitions, hybrid MBR, or missing partx support cause failures. 4.1 Re-read the Partition Table sudo partprobe /dev/sda # or the main disk sudo partx -u /dev/sda 4.2 Convert Loop Devices or OverlayFS If you are trying to convert a container host, Docker‑in‑Docker, or an appliance with overlay filesystems ( aufs , overlay2 ), Converter cannot see the underlying block devices. Solution: Use the "VMware vCenter Converter Standalone for Linux" (a separate, deprecated helper) or clone the disk offline using a live CD. 4.3 Block Device in Use by Another Process lsof | grep /dev/sda – if a process holds the disk open (e.g., old NFS lock, fsck), reboot or stop the service. Phase 5: Advanced Debugging – Forcing Manual Disk Discovery If the Converter UI still fails, you can pre‑create a disk configuration file manually. Step 1: Dump Disk Layout in VMware-Compatible Format On the Linux source, run: sudo vgscan --mknodes sudo vgdisplay If you see
sudo bash -c '( echo "DISKLABEL=msdos" for disk in /dev/sd[a-z] /dev/hd[a-z] /dev/vd[a-z]; do [ -b "$disk" ] && sudo fdisk -l "$disk" | grep "^$disk" | while read line; do start=$(echo $line | awk "print \$2") end=$(echo $line | awk "print \$3") size=$(echo $line | awk "print \$4") echo "PARTITION: $disk,$start,$end,$size" done done ) > /tmp/vmware_disk_layout.txt' This is a direct input to Converter but helps you understand alignment. Step 2: Use the VCenter Converter Helper CLI (Advanced) The helper binary vmware-converter-helper has a diagnostic mode: Solution: Use the "VMware vCenter Converter Standalone for