Screen command for VMware console?

[IMSM]

Does anyone know of a screen rpm you can install to the esx console?

http://www.gnu.org/software/screen/

I wanted to use screen in conjunction with Dominic's esx-autopatch script (http://vmprofessional.com/material/esx-autopatch.html) so we can update our VMware servers quick and easy.

Any ideas?

[Jae_Ellers]

I downloaded ftp://mirrors.kernel.org/gnu/screen/screen-4.0.2.tar.gz into /tmp

cd /tmp

gunzip screen-4.0.2.tar.gz

tar xvf screen-4.0.2.tar

cd screen-4.0.2

./configure

make

make install

then ./screen "worked", but I dunno how to test it since I haven't used the package before.

You may want to put this binary somewhere else.

You may want to copy the man pages to somewhere in the man path.

[hnehlsen]

Hi,

since I am a great fan of screen, does cool things, I installed the screen-rpm from rpmfind.net, no need to compile, even though I like to compile, . I just don't remember which version. There had to be installed another package as well, I think it was some sort of library. Just check the kernel version and try to be as close as possible. It worked fine

Harro,

[bertdb · Accepted solution]

the Service Console is based on RHEL3. A screen package that is made for RHEL3 or equivalent is the best choice. Since RHEL3 is a for pay product, you might not have it. However, the sources of the packages are available (in src.rpm format), and even better, the CentOS project rebuilds them, and CentOS3 is available for free.

Get http://isoredirect.centos.org/centos/3.8/os/i386/RedHat/RPMS/screen-3.9.15-10.i386.rpm

Transfer it to your ESX, and run "rpm -Uvh screen*rpm".

[bertdb]

by the way, there's also dtach

http://isoredirect.centos.org/centos/3.8/os/i386/RedHat/RPMS/dtach-0.5-7.i386.rpm

[IMSM]

It's complaining about libutempter dependecies... force install??

BTW that's awesome they have a prebuilt package ready

[IMSM]

Need dependencies installed in order to install screen. That's why I marked it as unanswered

[hnehlsen]

libutemper -- that was the package.

I haven't tried to install without the dependencies. You shouldn't force install, except on rare ocasions. At rpmfind.net you find an rpm for libutemper and a description on what it is for, it's from Mandriva Linux so since Mandriva is an offspring from RedHat, give it a try.

Harro,

[bertdb]

as hnehlsen said, don't --force anything, it should never be necessary. There are automatic dependency resolvers such as yum, but since the service console should be rather static (and updated only with VMware patches), I recommend you solve the dependencies manually: download the necessary packages from CentOS3, and install them together: rpm -Uvh screenrpm libutempterrpm

[guser]

I'm keen to get this installed too. I've searched for libutempter on www.rpmfind.net but can only find rpms for Fedora.

If anyone does have screen installed on the ESX console, can you please post the correct rpms you used?

[bertdb]

guser, I posted the links to the CentOS3 screen/dtach rpms, you can find utempter in the same directory of the same webserver:

http://isoredirect.centos.org/centos/3.8/os/i386/RedHat/RPMS/utempter-0.5.5-1.3EL.0.i386.rpm

that was too easy, wasn't it ?

[guser]

doh, i searched for libutempter. Thanks for the quick reply.

[Texiwill]

Hello,

While installing screen should not adversely affect ESX or your service console please remember that VMware Support may ask you to remove it. Installing RPMS from CentOS3, RHEL3, or Fedora Core 1 is generally the way to go but please remember what you installed as they are not part of the core of VMware and a patch to VMware could make your newly installed RPMS not work.

In general I would not install anything extra on the VMware consoles that is not absolutely required. To solve the problem you are seeing I often login to another Linux/UNIX host and run screen from there before hitting ESX.

Best regards,

Edward

[dreamgear]

My approach of late is to keep a "management pc" running XP, VI Client and Putty running all the time that has 1Gbps access to the ESX box. Then I just RDP to the XP box and can pick up all my ongoing tasks from anywhere I can get on our VPN.

Whew, alphabet soup there!

[bertdb]

and that's exactly why you shouldn't --force an rpm install. When two rpms collide (could be a 3rd party rpm and a VMware patch rpm e.g.), you are notified and the installation won't work. But you're notified before it becomes a real problem. You can just go and remove the offending package before you continue.

That's the beauty of having a package management system.

That said, screen is very very very unlikely to cause any rpm conflicts. But theoretically, yes, it is possible.