VMware Communities: Vmware Tools for Debian Lenny

Up to Discussions in Virtual Machine & Guest OS

This Question is Answered (go to answer)

1 "helpful" answer available (6 pts)

17,417 Views 16 Replies Last post: Feb 24, 2009 2:21 AM by atte

1 2 Previous Next

jpiscaer

131 posts since
Dec 4, 2006

Currently Being Moderated

Oct 6, 2008 6:14 AM

Vmware Tools for Debian Lenny

When trying to install the VMware Tools for Debian Lenny, I get the following error:

These build errors only occur for the vmmemctl-only module, not for the other modules contained in the VMware Tools package. What steps do I need to take to let the vmmemctl module build correctly?

Gagravarr

11 posts since
Aug 7, 2008

Currently Being Moderated

1. Oct 6, 2008 6:57 AM

in response to: jpiscaer

Re: Vmware Tools for Debian Lenny

I saw something similar with Fedora 9. VMwareTools 3.5.0-110271 (from ESXi) gives several compile errors, but 2.0.0-116503 (from VMware server 2.0) compiled just fine. I'd suggest trying the vmware tools from server 2.0, if you haven't already?

Report Abuse

jpiscaer

131 posts since
Dec 4, 2006

Currently Being Moderated

2. Oct 6, 2008 7:01 AM

in response to: Gagravarr

Re: Vmware Tools for Debian Lenny

I haven't tried that. I'm on something about missing the 'gettext' package, I'll install this package and try the build again.

Cheers, Joep Piscaer VMware vExpert 2009 Virtual Lifestyle: http://www.virtuallifestyle.nl Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jpiscaer LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jpiscaer **If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points**

Report Abuse

jpiscaer

131 posts since
Dec 4, 2006

Currently Being Moderated

3. Oct 6, 2008 7:28 AM

in response to: jpiscaer

Re: Vmware Tools for Debian Lenny

It seems that the 2.6.26 kernel is missing the 'get_info' method alltogether...

Report Abuse

Gagravarr

11 posts since
Aug 7, 2008

Currently Being Moderated

4. Oct 6, 2008 7:33 AM

in response to: jpiscaer

Re: Vmware Tools for Debian Lenny

Fedora 9 is on 2.6.26 (2.6.26.5-45). The newer vmware tools from vmware server 2.0.0 builds fine on that, have you tried upgrading your tools?

Report Abuse

jpiscaer

131 posts since
Dec 4, 2006

Currently Being Moderated

5. Oct 6, 2008 8:16 AM

in response to: Gagravarr

Re: Vmware Tools for Debian Lenny

Using the VMware Tools (116503) from VMware Server 2 did the trick! Thanks!

Report Abuse

VirtualMachin…

46 posts since
Oct 26, 2008

Currently Being Moderated

6. Oct 26, 2008 7:16 AM

in response to: jpiscaer

Re: Vmware Tools for Debian Lenny

I am having similar problems; in this case I can't get mouse integration working so that the cursor can move out of the virtual machine window and onto my Mac without hitting the release keys. Perhaps the problem is also the tools that come with VMware Fusion 2. I have downloaded VMware Server, but how do I get the tools from it? Do I have to install the whole Server to get these?

Mac user with Linux tendencies

Report Abuse

jpiscaer

131 posts since
Dec 4, 2006

Currently Being Moderated

7. Oct 26, 2008 9:41 AM

in response to: VirtualMachin…

Re: Vmware Tools for Debian Lenny

I've downloaded the linux .tar.gz package, as it is the simplest way to extract the needed linux.iso file.The file can be found atvmware-server-distrib/lib/isoimages/linux.iso. Extract the file, and mount it inside your VM as you would do with usual ISO's.Do not use 'Install/Upgrade VMware Tools', as this will mount the original version.

I've also made a blogpost about it, read it here: http://www.virtuallifestyle.nl/2008/10/debian-lenny-vmware-tools/.

Report Abuse

VirtualMachin…

46 posts since
Oct 26, 2008

Currently Being Moderated

8. Oct 26, 2008 2:16 PM

in response to: jpiscaer

Re: Vmware Tools for Debian Lenny

I have now tried the VMware server version of the tools, following your instructions, but no change. I even started from scratch with an earlier version of Lenny; the end result was the same. No matter what I do, the vsock module won't build properly (message suggests a slight mismatch of the kernel), and the cursor cannot be moved out of the VM without invoking a key combo first to release it. The one thing interesting that I notice in regard to the error message is that in Synaptic, the headers are labelled with the same number as my kernel but the version information suggests 2.6-26-8 rather than 2.6-26.1. I don't know why the version doesn't match, but maybe that's the problem. At any rate, this is well beyond my ability to figure out, so I will stop using Lenny in VMware Fusion until the problem gets solved.

Mac user with Linux tendencies

Report Abuse

atte

12 posts since
May 18, 2005

Currently Being Moderated

9. Nov 28, 2008 4:40 AM

in response to: VirtualMachin…

Re: Vmware Tools for Debian Lenny

With VMwareTools-3.5.0-95350.tar.gz and these kernel images installed:

ii linux-image-2.6-amd64 2.6.26+16 Linux 2.6 image on AMD64

ii linux-image-2.6.26-1-amd64 2.6.26-10 Linux 2.6.26 image on AMD64

It's quite simple to compile vmmemctl. Linux kernel kiddies are simply just enjoying their favourite past time, breaking

API backwards compatibility. This time with procfs:

Extract vmware-tools-distrib/lib/modules/source/vmmemctl-only/os.c : line 580:

- global_proc_entry->get_info = os_proc_read;

+ global_proc_entry->read_proc = os_proc_read;

I'm not quite sure wether that alone will fix the tools however. I recall patching the tools package earlier on quite a bit for it

to compile against 2.6.25, those patches may be needed in addition to above. I could take a look at what exactly I did,

but naturally I can't guarantee it'll really work and VMWare support are sure to drop every bit of "service" if you use hacked

drivers.

Kinda weird though that vmware continuously fails to do this patching themselves; only a few hours' job to fix the tools

and be sure it's done right if you have vmware tools API & internal docs.

Mommy, I want Xen.

Report Abuse

atte

12 posts since
May 18, 2005

Currently Being Moderated

10. Nov 28, 2008 4:53 AM

in response to: atte

Re: Vmware Tools for Debian Lenny

umh, yeah, also need to comment out the tools' conflicting prototype for poll_initwait.

drop me a line to atte.peltomaki@iki.fi if you want me to throw you a readily created binary .deb or patches against the original sources or smth, in return

you could try to find out how much breakage they cause with ESX. right now I need a beer.

Report Abuse

spea

1 posts since
Jan 9, 2009

Currently Being Moderated

11. Jan 10, 2009 8:18 AM

in response to: atte

Re: Vmware Tools for Debian Lenny

its work, http://linux.chinaunix.net/bbs/viewthread.php?action=printable&tid=1035170

attachment:

"vmmemctl.tar" from VMwareTools-3.5.0-123629.tar.gz with changes in os.c

"os.zip" only os.c from VMwareTools-3.5.0-123629.tar.gz

Message was edited by: Texiwill - source removed due to possible EULA issues. Contact me if they are opensource.

Report Abuse

Texiwill

11,345 posts since
Jan 13, 2004

Currently Being Moderated

12. Jan 10, 2009 8:16 AM

in response to: spea

Re: Vmware Tools for Debian Lenny

Hello,

Also check out using opensource tools as a Merged Tools configuration. BTW, please do not post VMware Tools source modules to this forum. It is not quite legal to do so unless they are part of the OpenSource Tools. A diff is fine.

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Blue Gears and SearchVMware Pro Blogs: http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Blog_Roll

Top Virtualization Security Links: http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Top_Virtualization_Security_Links

Report Abuse

atte

12 posts since
May 18, 2005

Currently Being Moderated

13. Feb 20, 2009 5:44 AM

in response to: Texiwill

Re: Vmware Tools for Debian Lenny

Here's a patch against vmmemctl-only/os.c from VMwareTools-3.5.0-130756.tar.gz:

(EDIT: this funky web-bbs is breaking the patch so here's URL to it too:

http://kameli.org/vmmemctl-only-procfsfix.patch )

--- vmmemctl-only/os.c 2008-08-12 21:45:43.000000000 -0400

+++ vmmemctl-only/os.c 2009-02-20 08:05:56.000000000 -0500

@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@

#ifdef CONFIG_PROC_FS

#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(2,4,0)

-static int os_proc_read(char *, char **, off_t, int);

+static int os_proc_read(char *, char **, off_t, int, int *, void *);

static struct proc_dir_entry *global_proc_entry;

#else

static int os_proc_read(char *, char **, off_t, int, int);

@@ -529,9 +529,11 @@

#ifdef CONFIG_PROC_FS

#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(2,4,0)

static int os_proc_read(char *buf,

- char **start,

- off_t offset,

- int length)

+ char **start,

+ off_t offset,

+ int length,

+ int *eof,

+ void *data)

#else

static int os_proc_read(char *buf,

char **start,

@@ -587,7 +589,7 @@

#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(2,4,0)

global_proc_entry = create_proc_entry("vmmemctl", S_IFREG | S_IRUGO, NULL);

if (global_proc_entry != NULL) {

- global_proc_entry->get_info = os_proc_read;

+ global_proc_entry->read_proc = os_proc_read;

}

#else

proc_register(&proc_root, &global_proc_entry);

With this, the tools compile cleanly against Lenny default kernel. vmdesched compiles without

patching.

Cheers,

Report Abuse

atte

12 posts since
May 18, 2005

Currently Being Moderated

14. Feb 20, 2009 5:57 AM

in response to: atte

Re: Vmware Tools for Debian Lenny

Here's also some pointers for how to create a .deb package for the tools.

This works on a system that has had the vmware tools already installed,

so you need to repackage patched vmmemctl source into vmmemctl.tar and

run the installer. Or you can just copy the needed files manually.

The script is PSEUDO. You've been warned.

(EDIT: this script also gets broken by the bbs, so here's yet another link:

http://kameli.org/vmware-tools-debianization.txt )

mkdir vmware-tools-package-`uname -r`

cd vmware-tools-package-`uname -r`

mkdir -p etc/init.d

cp -a /etc/init.d/vmware-tools etc/init.d

mkdir -p etc/rc0.d

mkdir -p etc/rc2.d

mkdir -p etc/rc3.d

mkdir -p etc/rc5.d

mkdir -p etc/rc6.d

cp -a /etc/rc0.d/*vmware-tools ./etc/rc0.d

cp -a /etc/rc2.d/*vmware-tools ./etc/rc2.d

cp -a /etc/rc3.d/*vmware-tools ./etc/rc3.d

cp -a /etc/rc5.d/*vmware-tools ./etc/rc5.d

cp -a /etc/rc6.d/*vmware-tools ./etc/rc6.d

mkdir -p usr/lib/vmware-tools

cp -a /usr/lib/vmware-tools/* usr/lib/vmware-tools

mkdir -p usr/sbin

cp -a /usr/sbin/vmware-* usr/sbin

mkdir -p usr/share/doc/vmware-tools

cp -a /usr/share/doc/vmware-tools usr/share/doc/vmware-tools

mkdir -p lib/modules/`uname -r`/misc

cp -a /lib/modules/`uname -r`/misc/vm* lib/modules/`uname -r`/misc

mkdir DEBIAN

echo

Package: vmware-tools-package-2.6.26-1

Version: 2.6.26-1

Architecture: i386

Maintainer: Your Name <unixadmin@example.com>

Description: VMware ESX Tools for Linux 2.6.26-1

\> DEBIAN/control

echo

#!/bin/sh

vmxnet not needed for 64bit stuff. Enable for
i386 - vmxnet is good for you.

Update /etc/modules if neccessary

#data=\`grep vmxnet /etc/modules\` ; \

if test $? -ne 0 ; \
then echo \"vmxnet\" >> /etc/modules ; \
else exit 0; \
fi

Update initrd image

update-initramfs -u -k all

\> DEBIAN/postinst

chmod +x DEBIAN/postinst

cd ..

dpkg-deb -b vmware-tools-package-`uname -r`

Report Abuse

Go to original post 1 2 Previous Next

Go to original post

This Question is Answered (go to answer)

Oct 6, 2008 6:14 AM

Vmware Tools for Debian Lenny

Actions

Bookmarked By (0)

Share This Page

Communities