Relocatability

[d4lu0orf]

Installing VMware Workstation 9.0.1 via

  VMware-Workstation-Full-9.0.1-894247.x86_64.bundle -custom

the installer permits to define explicit install directories and maps collected info into config variables in /etc/vmware/bootstrap (columns: name, config var, default value):

  <SYSTEM_PATH_PREFIX> PREFIX [/usr]

  <SYSTEM_LIB_DIR> LIBDIR [PREFIX/lib]

  <ARCH_INDEPENDENT_FILES_DIR>  DATADIR [PREFIX/share]

  <USER_BIN_DIR> BINDIR [PREFIX/bin]

  <SUPERUSER_BIN_DIR> SBINDIR [PREFIX/sbin]

  <DOC_DIR> DOCDIR [DATADIR/doc]

  <MAN_DIR> MANDIR [DATADIR/man]

  <HEADER_DIR> INCLUDEDIR [PREFIX/include]

  <SYSTEM_SERVICE_RUN_DIR> INITDIR [SYSCONFDIR/init.d]

  <SYSTEM_SERVICE_SCRIPT_DIR> INITSCRIPTDIR [SYSCONFDIR/init.d]

where SYSCONFDIR=/etc is set.

This configuration gives the impression that VMware workstation is relocatable, that is specifying the directories, the installation works.

Practical tests showed, that istallations work as supposed if

  PREFIX=/usr

  PREFIX=/usr/local/usr

  PREFIX=ANY_PATH + LIBDIR=/usr/lib + INITDIR=INITSCRIPTDIR=/etc/init.d

  PREFIX=ANY_PATH + LIBDIR=/usr/local/lib + INITDIR=INITSCRIPTDIR=/etc/init.d

However:

1 The installer does not allow changing "/etc" in INITDIR, INITSCRIPTDIR .

2 As soon as LIBDIR is different from /usr/lib, /usr/local/lib , after finishing the installation vmware doesn't load.

In particular the GUI doesn't show up and an error message indicates an "interrupt".

Furthermore, when launching BINDIR/vmplayer, an error message appears communicating a loading the included dynamic SSL-lib appears.

This indicates problems of missing load paths for the dynamic loader.

The particular SSL-problem (vmplayer) could be overcome by setting a link /usr/lib/vmware or /usr/local/lib/vmware to LIBDIR/vmware .

However these links solved neither the problem of the GUIs not showing up nor the interrupt message (vmware).

Hence BINDIR, SBINDIR were included into PATH, LIBDIR, LIBDIR/vmware/lib into LD_LIBRARY_PATH, both variables were exported

Then vmware was interrupted after printing

Logging to /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-modconfig-20658.log

filename:       /lib/modules/3.4.6-2.10-desktop/misc/vmmon.ko

supported:      external

license:        GPL v2

description:    VMware Virtual Machine Monitor.

author:         VMware, Inc.

srcversion:     E783FDBB1C0BA5AFB9B0A32

depends:       

vermagic:       3.4.6-2.10-desktop SMP preempt mod_unload modversions

lsmod | grep '^v' didn't show pecularities:

vmnet	59896  13
vsock	52919  0
vmci	95775  1 vsock
vmmon	84287  0

Neither did dmesg and /var/log/messages .

strace LIBDIR/vmware/lib/bin/vmware showed the message

--- SIGSEGV {si_signo=SIGSEGV, si_code=SEGV_MAPERR, si_addr=0x8} ---

Questions;

How can one reach true relocatability ?

Q1 Can the problem with /etc" in INITDIR, INITSCRIPTDIR be solved by modifying SYSCONFDIR in /etc/vmware/bootstrap ?

Q2a Is the interrupt (SIGSEGV ?) of vmware a problem of missing libraries ?

Q2b Is there any solution to the problem of the configuration of LIBDIR ?

WBR