Gns3 vm is not available please configure gns3 vm before adding new appliance


Gns3 vm is not available please configure gns3 vm before adding new appliance:

You may get this error “gns3 vm is not available please configure gns3 vm before adding new appliance” while installing a new appliance in GNS3. You may face same error while creating a VM lab in GNS3. 



Sometime you get this message “VMware vmrun tool could not be found, VMware or the VIX API (required for VMware player) is probably not installed. You can download it from https://www.vmware.com/support/developer/vix-api/. After installation you need to restart GNS3. So this article provides a solution for this error.



You can resolve this issue with the following steps:

  1. Download and install any Software for creating Virtual Machines
  2. Download GNS3 VM from GNS3 .com
  3. Create Virtual machine for GNS3
  4. Connect this GNS3 VM with GNS3

 1. Download and install any Software for creating Virtual Machines:


You can use different software for creating virtual machines. But VMware the GNS3 recommended software for creating the virtual workstations. You can download the VMware workstation from their official website. Download and install the VMware and you are done with the first step.

2. Download GNS3 VM from GNS3 .com:


In next step you need you are required a VM for creating virtual labs on GNS3. There is pre-installed and pre-configured VM available on GNS3 website. You can download it from their website. You can find it link from Edit/preferences/GNS3 VM, see the following figure.



Or directly download VMware GNS3 VM from this link: https://github.com/GNS3/gns3-gui/releases/download/v2.1.20/GNS3.VM.VMware.Workstation.2.1.20.zip

3. Create Virtual machine for GNS3:


Once you have download this GNS3 VM, you need to extract it to folder and you will find file “GNS3 VM.ova”.



Now open the virtual Box and click on “open a virtual machine”, select the VM that you have downloaded in step 2.



Complete the wizard with default options and power on the GNS3 VM from virtual Box.

4. Connect this GNS3 VM with GNS3:


Now open the GNS3 and go to preferences and select the GNS3 VM from left side options.
Click the checkbox “enable the GNS3 VM”
OR create a new VM with this VMware machine.



Once you done you can install the GNS3 appliance successfully. Go to file menu and open the ‘import appliance”. Browse the appliance file and complete the wizard.

For more details you can watch the following Video:



This is complete troubleshooting guide for configuring the VMware with GMS3. If you are still getting any difficulty while using GNS3 appliances, you can share your views in comments. Thank you for visiting and have a good day.!

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