VMware Server 1.0.8 on openSUSE 11.1

vjohari · December 19, 2008, 10:56am

Hi,

I am trying to configure VMware Server 1.0.8 on openSUSE 11.1. But not able to configure it …

vmware-config.pl

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]

/usr/share/applications/vmware-server.desktop: warning: value “vmware-server.png” for key “Icon” in group “Desktop Entry” is an icon name with an extension, but there should be no extension as described in the Icon Theme Specification if the value is not an absolute path
/usr/share/applications/vmware-console-uri-handler.desktop: warning: value “vmware-server.png” for key “Icon” in group “Desktop Entry” is an icon name with an extension, but there should be no extension as described in the Icon Theme Specification if the value is not an absolute path
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] yes

Using compiler “/usr/bin/gcc”. Use environment variable CC to override.

Your kernel was built with “gcc” version “4.3.2”, while you are trying to use
“/usr/bin/gcc” version “4.3”. This configuration is not recommended and VMware
Server may crash if you’ll continue. Please try to use exactly same compiler as
one used for building your kernel. Do you want to go with compiler
“/usr/bin/gcc” version “4.3” anyway? [no] yes

What is the location of the directory of C header files that match your running
kernel? [/lib/modules/2.6.27.7-9-pae/build/include]

Extracting the sources of the vmmon module.

Building the vmmon module.

Using 2.6.x kernel build system.
make: Entering directory /tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only' make -C /lib/modules/2.6.27.7-9-pae/build/include/.. SUBDIRS=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. modules make[1]: Entering directory /usr/src/linux-2.6.27.7-9-obj/i386/pae’
make -C …/…/…/linux-2.6.27.7-9 O=/usr/src/linux-2.6.27.7-9-obj/i386/pae/. modules
CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o
In file included from /tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/./include/x86.h:20,
from /tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/./include/machine.h:24,
from /tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/linux/driver.h:15,
from /tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:49:
/tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/./include/x86apic.h:79:1: warning: “APIC_BASE_MSR” redefined
In file included from include2/asm/fixmap_32.h:29,
from include2/asm/fixmap.h:5,
from include2/asm/apic.h:9,
from include2/asm/smp.h:13,
from /usr/src/linux-2.6.27.7-9/include/linux/smp.h:28,
from /usr/src/linux-2.6.27.7-9/include/linux/topology.h:33,
from /usr/src/linux-2.6.27.7-9/include/linux/mmzone.h:687,
from /usr/src/linux-2.6.27.7-9/include/linux/gfp.h:4,
from /usr/src/linux-2.6.27.7-9/include/linux/kmod.h:22,
from /usr/src/linux-2.6.27.7-9/include/linux/module.h:13,
from /tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:12:
include2/asm/apicdef.h:134:1: warning: this is the location of the previous definition
In file included from /tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/./include/machine.h:24,
from /tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/linux/driver.h:15,
from /tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:49:
/tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/./include/x86.h:830:1: warning: “PTE_PFN_MASK” redefined
In file included from include2/asm/paravirt.h:7,
from include2/asm/irqflags.h:55,
from /usr/src/linux-2.6.27.7-9/include/linux/irqflags.h:57,
from include2/asm/system.h:11,
from include2/asm/processor.h:17,
from /usr/src/linux-2.6.27.7-9/include/linux/prefetch.h:14,
from /usr/src/linux-2.6.27.7-9/include/linux/list.h:6,
from /usr/src/linux-2.6.27.7-9/include/linux/module.h:9,
from /tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:12:
include2/asm/page.h:22:1: warning: this is the location of the previous definition
In file included from /tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/linux/vmhost.h:13,
from /tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:71:
/tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/./include/compat_semaphore.h:5:27: error: asm/semaphore.h: No such file or directory
/tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:146: error: unknown field ‘nopage’ specified in initializer
/tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:147: warning: initialization from incompatible pointer type
/tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:150: error: unknown field ‘nopage’ specified in initializer
/tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:151: warning: initialization from incompatible pointer type
/tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c: In function ‘LinuxDriver_Ioctl’:
/tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:1670: error: too many arguments to function ‘smp_call_function’
make[4]: *** [/tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o] Error 1
make[3]: *** [module/tmp/vmware-config5/vmmon-only] Error 2
make[2]: *** [sub-make] Error 2
make[1]: *** [all] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory /usr/src/linux-2.6.27.7-9-obj/i386/pae' make: *** [vmmon.ko] Error 2 make: Leaving directory /tmp/vmware-config5/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.

Can anyone help !!

swerdna · December 19, 2008, 12:57pm

I read on the Forums that VMware server 2 cannot be installed in openSUSE 11.1 either. It works fine in 11.1. Suggest if you don’t get a useful reply to your query that you pop over to the VMware forums and ask there and let us know the result. But wait for a reply from here first.

swerdna · December 19, 2008, 1:36pm

OK I decided to try it myself. Installed VMware server 2.0, the newer version. It works just fine (with windows 2000) in openSUSE 11.1. I suggest you move up to the newer version. Here’s a tutorial for installing it:
Install VMware server 2 in Suse / openSUSE 11 & USB support

ThomasSchallar · December 19, 2008, 8:34pm

Hello!

I have the very same problem.

For a couple of reasons I can’t move to VMware Server 2 (yet). For the time being I have to stick with version 1. So I need a solution, if 11.1 will become a host OS for me.

As VMware Server has serious performance issues with openSuSE 10.3 and 11.0, I’d like to verify 11.1 if the problems still apply. Currenty I’m stuck with 10.2 when I want to install a reliable VMware host. Unfortunately, all the nice drivers for 3ware RAID controllers and iSCSI are only available for newer SuSE releases. So I started to look for alternatives to the SuSE distributions. Sad, because I use SuSE Linux since SuSE 4.2!

Back to the issue compiling the VMware modules: I tried to circumvent the problem by installing the vmware-any-any patch. But that didn’t change the error message.

Does anybody have useful information on how to install VMware Server 1.0.8 on openSuSE 11.1?

regards,
Thomas

Magic31 · December 19, 2008, 8:52pm

VMWare 2 should be able to handle everything 1.x can? Performance is good on openSUSE 11.0 and should also be on 11.1. Curios to the thing holding you back?!

Anyway… give the patched files here a try with 1.0.8 (or VMWare Workstation 6.0.5) : HOWTO: VMware 6.0.5 with kernel 2.6.27 - credits to the guys over at Ubuntu!

Don’t use the vmware-any-any patch, -fi you’ve done so first remove VMWare, cleanup, reinstall the package and paste the 3 vm*.tar files in /usr/lib/vmware/modules/source

After this retry the vmware-config.pl script.

Hope that helps!
Wj

ThomasSchallar · December 19, 2008, 9:28pm

Main problem: VMware Server 2 can’t be controlled by VMware VirtualCenter. I have zillions of virtual machines running at several locations in many countries. Without VirtualCenter I would momentarily loose any insight on what’s going on.

Thank you for your help. I’ll try that Ubuntu HowTo and let you know.

I tried vmware-any-any only after it didn’t work regularly.

by,
Thomas

Magic31 · December 20, 2008, 9:05am

Ah yes… that one hit me buy surprise too as it was first planned or said to be so!

I moved some customers to ESXi for this reason as it also performs better… would be nice if USB support gets in there too.

Hoping the files fix it for you!
Wj

user · December 20, 2008, 2:22pm

:)Ubuntu link linked to chinese web site, got the 3 vmmon.tar, vmnet.tar, vmblock.tar and put them in /usr/lib/vmware/modules/source

reran the perl script and it created the new vmware just fine. I put the 3 files in:
drop.io pp0xe3b in case that might be helpful.

ThomasSchallar · December 20, 2008, 2:51pm

Hi!

I was able to compile the VMware modules with those patches. Thank you! But VMware Server doesn’t work properly. When I try to start a newly created VM it just says that there was “an error”. No Logfile entries. Nothing. Hum.

Playing around with file access rights and other things won’t help.

My experiences with VMware Server 2 on the other hand were unsuccessful. I’m sure that the V.2 Server will become a reliable product soon; but at the moment it’s not useable [for me] in a production environment.

So L’m still on SuSE 10.2 when I need a reliable Host OS for VMware Server. Pitty, that it’s life cycle ended a few days ago.

So I started looking around for other Linux distributions which may be used as a stable VMware host OS.

thanks,
Thomas

user · December 20, 2008, 9:57pm

I apologize; I got the client to start and then went out to buy a Christmas tree, thinking I’d solved the problem. I get exactly the same thing - “Unable to change virtual machine power state: The process exited with an error:End of error message”

I deleted my vmware server 1.06 and installed 1.08, did the replace of vmnet and vmmon with the Chinese files to make the compile work, and get the same error message.

erikro · December 20, 2008, 10:37pm

Hi,

Same here. I was able to compile the modules, vmware startet, I could even built a machine but I wasn’t able to start it. The log says:



Dec 20 21:52:50: app| Msg_Post: Version mismatch with vmmon module: expecting 138.0, got 169.0.
Dec 20 21:52:50: app| You have an incorrect version of the `vmmon' kernel module.
Dec 20 21:52:50: app| Try reinstalling VMware Server.
Dec 20 21:52:50: app|
Dec 20 21:52:50: app| Msg_Post: Error
Dec 20 21:52:50: app| [msg.vmmonPosix.initFailed] Failed to initialize monitor device.
Dec 20 21:52:50: app| [localized] Failed to initialize monitor device.

VMware Server is a crap. I installed it and was really dissapointed. Where is the player gone? Where is te console? I just couldn’t believe that there is only a we interface for managing the machines and opening the console. No, that’s a step back.

Greetings

Erik

Magic31 · December 21, 2008, 6:47am

Guess it depends on your POV… They are actually going a step up with their server product. You can also use the VI client to manage the 2.0 server, not just the web interface. What’s good about the interface is that it makes you platform independent in managing the server.

VMWare workstation is the product to use on the desktop and VMWare player can be installed as separate free product.

If you are looking for a free Desktop visualization product, I’d say: have a look at VirtualBox.

erikro · December 21, 2008, 11:25am

Hi,

Sure, everything depends on how ppl look at the things.

AFAIK a VI-Client only exists for Windows. That’s not my OS. With the VMPlayer which shoud work (I didn’t try it) you cannot manage your machines but only start them.

Sure, a web based technology makes you independent from the OS but

You have to use http which is one of the slowest protocols we have.
You have to use SSL-encryption. Even slower.
You make your technology depending on browsers. I don’t know any browser which had no exploits in the last year. I don’t think that things will go better next year. Within a browser is one of the most insecure applications we have on our computer. I really don’t want to manage a server with such a technology.
You have to install a plugin in your browser to make the vmware work. So with every browser update you run the risk that your plugin doesn’t work any longer. I have Seamonkey 1.1.13 and Firefox 3.0.4 here. The plugin doesn’t work with none of both. Searching the internet I found that I have to install another plugin to make the vmware plugin work. More software, more security risks.

Ok, that’s why the web based technology is bad in this case even though in many cases it is my choice too. But there is another point which made me uninstall server 2. It uses Java. Why that? WTF made them using a technology which needs a thing like Tomcat? That server is known that it slows down the machine. I want a fast machine on which I run my vm. And again, every piece of software is a potential risk.

To make the risk smaller we run Tomcat applications in a sandbox. AFAIK this means that we cannot make any system calls. A vm technology without system calls? So what has to be the solution? Another layer which lays under the Tomcat application. That makes things even slower.

Conclusion: The new server 2 uses a lot of slow technolgy to realize a feature for that I need the machine as fast as possible.

Nice tip. >:) Will you convert my several vmm to that system? I’m using vmware now for several years now. I cannot pass my whole development enviroment in one day to another system. That’s why we need a solution to install server 1 under Suse 11.1

Greetings

Erik

erikro · December 21, 2008, 11:26am

Hi,

sorry, I posted this twice since the server said to me that I wasn’t logged in. So that’s why I deleted the second version.

Greetings

Erik

Magic31 · December 22, 2008, 7:28am

Hi Erik,

True… that’s the beauty about POV’s

As I’m hearing… You won’t be able to hold on to that for much longer… I’ve read on a couple of blogs VMWare has started development for the Linux platform… hopefully it’s not too far away & it’s also as feature rich as the Windows version.

As far as the VirtualBox suggestion… Well, guess I was talking Desktop easy going… Not thinking big development.
You won’t need to convert machines though… both VirtualBox and Xen can tap into a VMWare virtual disk… and if you want to have native performance it’s not to big a task to image your VM’s from one to an other.
As said earlier - ESXi is a much better product for bigger type of environments. - and as of this year, it’s free too!!

In that line I’ve got a much more responsive R&D & Live environment using Xen than using VMWare Server… the only drawback is you don’t have some nice built in easy-management features VMWare’s Server brings. If you know your way around Xen it’s a breeze to get things running / snapped etc…

Anyway… just wanted to give some suggestions.

Happy Xmas,
Wj

lucmove · December 22, 2008, 1:37pm

Summing up, VMware server 1.x won’t work on Suse 11.1, period. Is that correct?

user · December 30, 2008, 3:54pm

I’ve got it working. Install 1.0.8 as normal but don’t configure it yet.

go to this site (vmware-specific-specific 5.5.x and kernel 2.6.27 | insecure) and follow the instructions there. the runme.pl will call the vmware config after patching vmmon for you.

You will still need to install the c++ development environment if you haven’t already done so.

May be someone out there can port the version 1 interface on to the version 2 product otherwise I can see a gradual drift away from vmware to other environments as they mature and pass the functionality we now have with version 1.

Magic31 · December 30, 2008, 4:52pm

Hi Renhart,

Thanks for sharing & I think you have made many happy with that link!

Also welcome

Cheers,
Wj