Debian Lenny + VMware Server 2

[Wizard of Wiring]

I can get it (vmware) to compile (on debian lenny) without vmon using the two export workarounds(ie export CC=). Can't connect to the server with anything other than a browser. Maybe I am out of touch with VMware but I am hoping to use the client server management application and I am assuming vmon not compiling is the problem (based on the error message). From what I have read I take it is some type of kernel problem in which a method is missing or something like that. So I can only connect to vmware server with firefox... which I am not diggin all that much. It is working spotty for me.

I looked at the current supported host list on the vmware site and debian is not listed so I decided to give suse a try. Suse is a painful transition. The footprint of my host system just multiplied by some unspecified factor in both space and resource use. Since I had to install a desktop using the suse install image I downloaded I figured I might as well install a vnc server. So now I am sitting here trying to figure out what package dependencies are required for fluxbox (have installed binutils gcc make xorg-x11 XFree86-devel xlibs-dev x-window-system-dev x11-devel gcc-c++ libstdc++.... and I am still missing a required x window systel library and header). I haven't gotten to vmware on suse yet so I don't even want to think about the problems I will run into there.

Anyway I would love a lenny + vmware 2 guide if it is possible to use the vmware server console or newer version of it (can't recall what newer version is called now). Then I can get back to a small console only host footprint and be in my nice cozy familiar debian console only environment and stop pulling my hair out over suse.

[Bombaci]

Here follow this tutorial. It worked for me...

http://failserver.nl/blog/?p=11

[Wizard of Wiring]

Here is a good description of the problem:

http://www.virtuallifestyle.nl/2008/...-vmware-tools/

which also links to this thread in VMware:

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1067686

I think this is a better workaround than the one you posted:
http://it-to-fit.at/doku.php/mywiki:...-install-lenny

baseservices:/home/user# export CC=gcc-4.1
baseservices:/home/user# export GXX=g++-4.1

I actually tried the one you linked first but it still did not compile and I needed the GXX=.

It also appears I am slightly out of touch with VMware as the server console is kind of depreciated but you can still use their other tools to manage a vmware server without using the browser with a good install.

It might be that getting this to compile is not doable but in my experience... anything is possible with linux.

[Wizard of Wiring]

p.s. I did finally get fluxbox to compile and found the x11 library I was missing. Compiled with one error though (ug). lol

[falko]

Take a look here: http://www.howtoforge.com/the-perfec...ebian-lenny-p5

[Bombaci]

Hmm thats odd, when i first installed Debian Lenny (A clean Install) it compiled with no problems using the tutorial... I will have a look at your prob... to be continued

[Wizard of Wiring]

Since some of my info was spotty I did a clean install of lenny to cut and paste the exact error. I was wrong when i cited the vmmon module. It is named vsock. It will not compile whether I use a symlink or export CC= methods. Everything else does compile. Some of what I have read is on this so far is a little beyond my linux skill level with regards to kernel specific methods. Can this be solved or not to use VM Infastructure Client or are we limited to the browser based management?

Here it is:

None of the pre-built vsock modules for VMware Server is suitable for your
running kernel. Do you want this program to try to build the vsock module for
your system (you need to have a C compiler installed on your system)? [yes]

Extracting the sources of the vsock module.

Building the vsock module.

Using 2.6.x kernel build system.
make: Entering directory `/tmp/vmware-config0/vsock-only'
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.26-1-486/build/include/.. SUBDIRS=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. modules
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.26-1-486'
CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vsock-only/linux/af_vsock.o
CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vsock-only/linux/driverLog.o
CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vsock-only/linux/util.o
CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vsock-only/linux/vsockAddr.o
LD [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vsock-only/vsock.o
Building modules, stage 2.
MODPOST 1 modules
WARNING: "VMCIDatagram_CreateHnd" [/tmp/vmware-config0/vsock-only/vsock.ko] undefined!
WARNING: "VMCIDatagram_DestroyHnd" [/tmp/vmware-config0/vsock-only/vsock.ko] undefined!
WARNING: "VMCI_GetContextID" [/tmp/vmware-config0/vsock-only/vsock.ko] undefined!
WARNING: "VMCIDatagram_Send" [/tmp/vmware-config0/vsock-only/vsock.ko] undefined!
CC /tmp/vmware-config0/vsock-only/vsock.mod.o
LD [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vsock-only/vsock.ko
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.26-1-486'
cp -f vsock.ko ./../vsock.o
make: Leaving directory `/tmp/vmware-config0/vsock-only'
Unable to make a vsock module that can be loaded in the running kernel:
insmod: error inserting '/tmp/vmware-config0/vsock.o': -1 Unknown symbol in module
There is probably a slight difference in the kernel configuration between the
set of C header files you specified and your running kernel. You may want to
rebuild a kernel based on that directory, or specify another directory.

The VM communication interface socket family is used in conjunction with the VM
communication interface to provide a new communication path among guests and
host. The rest of this software provided by VMware Server is designed to work
independently of this feature. If you wish to have the VSOCK feature you can
install the driver by running vmware-config.pl again after making sure that
gcc, binutils, make and the kernel sources for your running kernel are
installed on your machine. These packages are available on your distribution's
installation CD.
[ Press the Enter key to continue.]

[Wizard of Wiring]

Actually what the vsock is affecting is my bridge networking. Which makes sense now as I re-read the error message again and re-familiarize myself with vmware. I am now recalling external networking issues with version 1 and the any-any patch but I don't know if that will work with version 2.

Now that I have become familiar with the web interface it's ok. Not a fast performer though. Sometimes it takes quite a while to populate the page or read a directory from the datastore.

So with all of the modules but vsock I can load a virtual machine, power it up, but no bridged networking.

I also tried the symlink method in falko's tutorial and it did not compile vsock using that method either.

The only thing I have on this box is a basic debian lenny install, openssh server, and vmware.

[Wizard of Wiring]

For the hell of it i tried vmware server 1.08 and then tried 1.08 with the any-any patch.

Here is the output of ./runme.pl:

Updating /usr/bin/vmware-config.pl ... already patched
Updating /usr/bin/vmware ... No patch needed/available
Updating /usr/bin/vmnet-bridge ... No patch needed/available
Updating /usr/lib/vmware/bin/vmware-vmx ... No patch needed/available
Updating /usr/lib/vmware/bin-debug/vmware-vmx ... No patch needed/available
VMware modules in "/usr/lib/vmware/modules/source" has been updated.

Before running VMware for the first time after update, you need to configure it
for your running kernel by invoking the following command:
"/usr/bin/vmware-config.pl". Do you want this script to invoke the command for
you now? [yes]

Making sure services for VMware Server are stopped.

Stopping VMware services:
Virtual machine monitor done

Configuring fallback GTK+ 2.4 libraries.

In which directory do you want to install the mime type icons?
[/usr/share/icons]

What directory contains your desktop menu entry files? These files have a
.desktop file extension. [/usr/share/applications]

In which directory do you want to install the application's icon?
[/usr/share/pixmaps]

Trying to find a suitable vmmon module for your running kernel.

None of the pre-built vmmon modules for VMware Server is suitable for your
running kernel. Do you want this program to try to build the vmmon module for
your system (you need to have a C compiler installed on your system)? [yes]

Using compiler "/usr/bin/gcc-4.1". Use environment variable CC to override.

What is the location of the directory of C header files that match your running
kernel? [/lib/modules/2.6.26-1-486/build/include]

Extracting the sources of the vmmon module.

Building the vmmon module.


Building for VMware Server 1.0.0.
Using 2.6.x kernel build system.
make: Entering directory `/tmp/vmware-config16/vmmon-only'
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.26-1-486/build/include/.. SUBDIRS=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. modules
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.26-1-486'
CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config16/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o
/tmp/vmware-config16/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:171: error: unknown field ānopageā specified in initializer
/tmp/vmware-config16/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:172: warning: initialization from incompatible pointer type
/tmp/vmware-config16/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:175: error: unknown field ānopageā specified in initializer
/tmp/vmware-config16/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:176: warning: initialization from incompatible pointer type
make[2]: *** [/tmp/vmware-config16/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o] Error 1
make[1]: *** [_module_/tmp/vmware-config16/vmmon-only] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.26-1-486'
make: *** [vmmon.ko] Error 2
make: Leaving directory `/tmp/vmware-config16/vmmon-only'
Unable to build the vmmon module.

For more information on how to troubleshoot module-related problems, please
visit our Web site at "http://www.vmware.com/download/modules/modules.html" and
"http://www.vmware.com/support/reference/linux/prebuilt_modules_linux.html".

Execution aborted.

It seems i will need to scrap debian as the host os. Does anyone have a suggestion on a supported host os on the vmware list that will have a small footprint?

[Wizard of Wiring]

Update the howto forge guides here is the solution found on the ubuntu forums...

--- /usr/bin/vmware-config-tools.pl.old	2008-12-01 16:54:25.000000000 +0100
+++ /usr/bin/vmware-config-tools.pl	2008-12-01 16:55:59.000000000 +0100
@@ -4121,6 +4121,11 @@
     return 'no';
   }
 
+  if ($name eq 'vsock') {
+    print wrap("VMWare config patch VSOCK!\n");
+    system(shell_string($gHelper{'mv'}) . ' -vi ' . shell_string($build_dir . '/../Module.symvers') . ' ' . shell_string($build_dir . '/vsock-only/' ));
+  }
+
   print wrap('Building the ' . $name . ' module.' . "\n\n", 0);
   if (system(shell_string($gHelper{'make'}) . ' -C '
              . shell_string($build_dir . '/' . $name . '-only')
@@ -4143,6 +4148,12 @@
     if (try_module($name, $build_dir . '/' . $name . '.o', 0, 1)) {
       print wrap('The ' . $name . ' module loads perfectly into the running kernel.'
                  . "\n\n", 0);
+
+      if ($name eq 'vmci') {
+        print wrap("VMWare config patch VMCI!\n");
+        system(shell_string($gHelper{'cp'}) . ' -vi ' . shell_string($build_dir.'/vmci-only/Module.symvers') . ' ' . shell_string($build_dir . '/../'));
+      } 
+
       remove_tmp_dir($build_dir);
       return 'yes';
     }

In the forums they have created a patch (there is a link to it on the ubuntu forum thread) file and are using:

To patch server:
sudo patch /usr/bin/vmware-config.pl /path/to/vmware-config.pl.patch

To patch tools:
sudo patch /usr/bin/vmware-config-tools.pl /path/to/vmware-config-tools.pl.patch



Link to thread:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=975084&page=3

Here is what the services look like now after completing ./configure.pl on debian lenny:
Starting VMware services:
Virtual machine monitor done
Virtual machine communication interface done
VM communication interface socket family: done
Virtual ethernet done
Bridged networking on /dev/vmnet0 done
VMware Server Authentication Daemon (background) done
Shared Memory Available done
Starting VMware management services:
VMware Server Host Agent (background) done
VMware Virtual Infrastructure Web Access
Starting VMware autostart virtual machines:
Virtual machines done

The configuration of VMware Server 2.0.0 build-122956 for Linux for this
running kernel completed successfully.

So now bridged networking will work.