VMware tools will not build with current configuration for Version 12.5.7

f16c · July 30, 2017, 3:40am

VMware apparently installs but the services back-end currently do not build in Leap 42.3. VMware is aware of the issue and there is a bug report in about the problem. My guess is that the issue is being addressed. The same report indicates no issues in Tumbleweed but for those of us not interested in or willing to rely on Tumbleweed the only thing to do for now is to wait.

tsu2 · July 30, 2017, 8:53am

I have not noticed anything not working in 42.3 (as a Guest) running in VMware Workstation 2.5.7.
And, there should not be a problem. You’d have to be running a very old Linux kernel for VMware Tools not to be included in the kernel (or running a Debian kernel).

I wrote the following SDB:VMware Tools awhile back, and haven’t noticed anything lacking in 42.3… I’ve checked the video driver, shared directories, hardware pass through. If there is something else I haven’t checked that’s not working, pls post.

https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:VMware_Tools

TSU

f16c · July 30, 2017, 7:19pm

This is a guest Windows 8 installation used to run MS Office for my Masters program. The Host OS is Leap 42.3. The problem is that when I try to run the Windows guest I get this:

“Stoping VMware Services: Compiling Virtual Machine Monitor” and “Compiling Virtual Network Device” with both flagged with caution signs and depmod not running. Then I get a popup that VMware cannot start services and to look at the log files which says much the same. I was actually surprised there was a problem as I’ve been using VMware Player for years and for openSuse long before the Leap series.

If you have this working I’d like to know what parts aren’t included in my install to get this to work. I have the kernel and sources along with the development bits for kernel modules. I’m not sure what else I would likely need to get this to run. Is there a separate .rpm file for kernel symbols as in the past or some other issue I’m not aware of?

f16c

Really Old Dude

hendwolt · July 30, 2017, 8:01pm

See this thread for more details:
https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/526166-VMware-WS-12-5-6-fails-to-compile-on-openSUSE-Leap-42-3-with-kernel-4-4-68-2-default

TL;DR: You need to fix this manually. How, is described in the thread linked above (comments from Wolfi323).

Hendrik

tsu2 · July 31, 2017, 6:04pm

This is a special case for Windows Guests.
Login to VMware first, then go to the following URL which is supposed to take you directly where you want to be

https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/login?bmctx=4C976C546DE4E8BA7BD58B8EEADF25A5B418821E70E4480C483939EC36F11A86&contextType=external&username=string&OverrideRetryLimit=1&action=%2F&password=sercure_string&challenge_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmy.vmware.com%2Fweb%2Fvmware%2Flogin&creds=username+password&request_id=2109311208609471340&authn_try_count=0&locale=en_US&resource_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmy.vmware.com%2Fgroup%2Fvmware%2Fdetails%3FdownloadGroup%3DVMTOOLS10110%26productId%3D615

I don’t think the other Forum thread you referenced is applicable… Ordinarily the Tools image isn’t built, they’re distributed as an iso file…

TSU

f16c · August 3, 2017, 2:03am

Tsu,
I’m not sure what the link above was to but it didn’t go anywhere when i clicked on it other then the VMware support query widget interface. Was this a link to somewhere else?

What did you mean that this was specific to Windows 8 guest on a Linux host. I thought I was attempting to compile monitor and networking services, not Windows tools?

tsu2 · August 3, 2017, 2:17am

The link won’t work until <after> you login to VMware,
That’s why I was so specific about that requirement.

So, if you just click on that link first, you’ll only see a general information page.

Regarding Tools, I repeat… NO.
There is no compiling or building required.
Tools are provided by an ISO file which is mounted, either manually in the Guest’s virtual CDROM or clicking on a link in the Guest window that mounts for you automatically.

Nowadays VMware Tools are distributed as part of Linux distros, and in the case of openSUSE when the install detects a VMware environment will automatically install (Other distros like Debian require package installation).

Windows does not do anything special to provide and install VMware Tools so <only> in the case of Windows Guests, you still need to install Tools which are either provided by the VMware Application (common nowadays, should be in the root of the VMware application and is an ISO file) or download the file from VMware. Wherever you get the Tools ISO file from, mount it in your Virtual CDROM, find the Windows versions and install.

TSU

f16c · August 3, 2017, 3:05am

In file included from /usr/src/linux-4.4.76-1/include/linux/pci.h:36:0, 
                from /tmp/modconfig-kkzFsP/vmnet-only/compat_netdevice.h:27, 
                from /tmp/modconfig-kkzFsP/vmnet-only/bridge.c:51: 
/usr/src/linux-4.4.76-1/include/linux/pci_ids.h:2255:0: note: this is the location of the pre
vious definition 
#define PCI_VENDOR_ID_VMWARE  0x15ad 
^ 
/usr/src/linux-4.4.76-1/Makefile:1428: recipe for target '_module_/tmp/modconfig-kkzFsP/vmnet
-only' failed 
make[3]: *** [_module_/tmp/modconfig-kkzFsP/vmnet-only] Error 2 
Makefile:150: recipe for target 'sub-make' failed 
make[2]: *** [sub-make] Error 2 
Makefile:24: recipe for target '__sub-make' failed 
make[1]: *** [__sub-make] Error 2 
make[1]: Leaving directory '/usr/src/linux-4.4.76-1-obj/x86_64/default' 
Makefile:120: recipe for target 'vmnet.ko' failed 
make: *** [vmnet.ko] Error 2 
make: Leaving directory '/tmp/modconfig-kkzFsP/vmnet-only' 
Starting VMware services: 
  Virtual machine monitor                                            failed 
  Virtual machine communication interface                             done 
  VM communication interface socket family                            done 
  Blocking file system                                                done 
  Virtual ethernet                                                   failed 
  VMware Authentication Daemon                                        done 
bob@Osprey:~> ^C 
bob@Osprey:~>

Tsu,
Above is the tail of what I get when I open a terminal box and run ‘vmplayer’. It still looks like it’t trying to compile something. This is on a system with VMware Player. I never had an IS image of anything to start with and I can’t find anything like that on my system. It’s talking about a “kernel module updater”. whatever it is does not complete and VMware player will not run without it. The tools for Windows 8 runs internal to Windows and shows up in the Windows system tray. Right now I can’t get VMware player to run at all.

You never saw this with the current version of VMware? I only saw this after installing VMware and trying to use it.

tsu2 · August 3, 2017, 4:47am

In your VMware Player file directory root, does the following command return any file?

ls "*.iso"

TSU

hendwolt · August 3, 2017, 8:11pm

The problem is with vmware modules, not with vmware tools.

Have a look into this thread (no login required):
https://communities.vmware.com/thread/565146
In comment 7. you find short, but complete instructions, what to do.

Hendrik

tsu2 · August 4, 2017, 4:36pm

OK.
I see that you are talking about two kernel modules for the base application.

TSU

f16c · August 22, 2017, 4:35am

This is correct. Mr Henrik Woltersdorf has been kind enough to edit and make available modified tar files for the modules that refuse to build as a download. Unpack the zip file modules in the / path after backing up the current contents of the /usr/lib/vmware/modules/source directory vmmon.tar and vmnet.tar files. Once this is done just start vmware and allow it to rebuild the modules for the current kernel and you should be good to go. This works for the current version of Leap.

The link is:http://www.hendrik-woltersdorf.de/linux/vmware/index.html

The above link is from his post on the vmware forums.

My apologies for confusing the tools with the vmware kernel modules used by the vmware application.