VMware tools on FreeBSD 9

[forrie]

I've installed the compat6x libraries and made a symlink to /lib for 
libc.so.6 as per some docs I found; however, the vmware tools 
installation is still failing with:

Unable to copy the source file
/usr/local/lib/vmware-tools/modules/binary/FreeBSD8.0-amd64/vmxnet.ko to 
the
destination file /boot/modules/vmxnet.ko.

The reason being is that /usr/local/lib/vmware-tools/modules/binary/ 
only contains:

FreeBSD6.0-amd64    FreeBSD6.0-i386        FreeBSD7.0-amd64    
FreeBSD7.0-i386

I am on FreeBSD-9-RELEASE.

Is this a bug in the vmware install script or have I missed 
something--or can I use a different option?



Thanks.

[eeg3]

Which versions of ESX(i) are you on?

[forrie]

Vsphere 4

[eeg3]

Is the script you're running to get that error, a custom script from the docs you're using or from the built-in tools script? Just a theory, but if it's a customer script, it may be expecting a file that doesn't exist in that version of VMware Tools.

[forrie]

The script I am running is provided directly from mounting the image from vSphere to the CDROM.    We haven't changed any scripts.  IE:  you go into the control center and right click "Install/Upgrade VMWare Tools" and mount the image.   Then untar the files and run the installation perl script.

[eeg3]

If you're running 4.0, it doesn't look like 8.0 is supported. That would explain why the directory does not exist in the VMware Tools package.

Here is an older community post on the topic (2 years old): http://communities.vmware.com/thread/244481

[forrie]

I don't admin the vmware system, but it's whatever the current version is

[forrie]

There is an article at

https://www.dan.me.uk/blog/2012/01/31/how-to-install-vmware-tools-in-freebsd-9/

that doesn't work for me -- I don't know how this guy got it working because it sidesteps the required files; I didn't get past the vmware-install.pl script.

Our official support channel says that FreeBSD 9.0 is not supported, though it's the most current mainstream release.   I've asked about an ETA on this.

In any case, if anyone else out there has an idea about how to get this working, I'd appreciate it.  I saw reference to the openvm tools -- but I've not a clue as to how they would work here or the ultimate differences.

I wonder if the older FreeBSD-8 objects would work... or has there been a significant change that would render those incompatible.

Thanks...