VMWare Workstation 11 Kernel Headers Issue

English Virtualization
1

Hi!

I have installed VMWare Workstation 11 on openSUSE 13.2 x86-64 and encountered the Kernel Header problem.

http://i.imgur.com/T1X6iDz.png

It required Kernel Headers 3.16.6-2, however the version of kernel-source installed from YaST was the newer 3.16.7-7.1.
How do I install the older 3.16.6-2 version of kernel-source?

Thanks!

2

Use the “Versions” tab in YaST to select the older version, or run:

sudo zypper in kernel-source-3.16.6

But why would you want to do that?
Update your system and boot to Kernel 3.16.7 instead… :wink:

3

Thanks for the suggestion!
However, I am already running the fully updated openSUSE 13.2, but the kernel version was still on 3.16.6-2.
Am I missing something? I am fairly new to openSUSE.
Thanks!

4

If your openSUSE 13.2 is fully updated, you should have Kernel 3.16.7 installed. But you have to reboot to use the newer Kernel.

By default two Kernels are installed and kept in openSUSE. So you can select the older one in “Advanced Options” in the boot menu, if you would have problems after a kernel update.
If you still boot the old kernel (although you have the newer one installed), you must have set that entry as default (in YaST->System->Boot Loader, e.g.). If that’s the case, you could also choose 3.16.7 manually in the boot menu.

5

Thanks for your explanations.
That’s weird.

1190×747 51.3 KB

There is no option for kernel 3.16.7 in the boot menu.
Any suggestions?

6

Check whether you have Kernel 3.16.7 installed, either in YaST (“Versions” tab below the package list), or with:

rpm -q kernel-desktop
7

Yes. Kernel 3.16.7 was installed.

edward@linux-ioxh:~> rpm -q kernel-desktop
kernel-desktop-3.16.6-2.1.x86_64
kernel-desktop-3.16.7-7.1.x86_64
8

Then it should show in the boot menu.

Do you maybe have a separate /boot? Might not have been mounted when you installed Kernel 3.16.7.
Is it in /boot?

ls -l /boot
9

1068×709 151 KB

10

Hm, it’s there as well.

Try to run this to recreate the boot menu:

sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg

And reboot. Do you see the kernel in “Advanced Options”?

11

I will try to rebuild the GRUB boot menu and report back tomorrow. It’s late here. :slight_smile:
Thanks for helping me out!

12

Try the first “opensuse” in your Picture in Commend #5 or press then “e” to see the Commandline for this Choice.

13

Maybe wolfi wasn’t entirely clear (and he’s entirely correct).

When your installed kernel and the kernel source(including headers) aren’t the same version, then you need to execute the following command to ensure your system is updated

zypper update

Reviewing the steps to ensure success in all scenarios(not just this thread)…

  1. Verify version of kernel source is installed. It may not be the same version as the installed kernel, but a kernel source package must exist before it can be upgraded. Run the following, and look for an “i” to the far left which would indicate it is installed.
zypper se kernel-devel
  1. Run the update command
zypper update

Your kernel and kernel source (including headers) should now be the same version.

HTH,
TSU

14

Thanks for the suggestion.
The zypper update command updated only the yast2-inetd-doc package.

1034×284 41.1 KB

And the kernel source package does exist.
1068×709 49.7 KB

But still, the system kernel and the kernel source version did not match.
1213×769 144 KB

15

Yes, the first “opensuse” is the default selection in the GRUB menu.
However, it boots up openSUSE 13.2 with kernel 3.16.6-2.

I will try to rebuild the GRUB menu later when I reboot as wolfi323](https://forums.opensuse.org/member.php/40214-wolfi323) has suggested.

16

Just to avoid some misconceptions:

kernel-source is not the same as kernel-devel. And there’s also kernel-desktop-devel as well.
I’m not sure at the moment which one(s) you would need for building the VMware kernel module, but better make sure all are the same version as your running kernel.

And you probably shoud add the “-s” option to “zypper search” to show the version numbers as well…

But still, the system kernel and the kernel source version did not match.

As I already wrote in the beginning, you can of course also install the older 3.16.6 kernel source.
Just click on “Versions” below the package list to see all available/installed versions and (un)install specific ones.

17

I’ve rebuilt the GRUB boot menu and rebooted my laptop just now.

978×658 31.2 KB

Problem solved!

Thanks again.

18

Congrats on a successful solution.

BTW - I have always found that if you only need to modify the existing kernel, the kernel-devel package will provide all you need (except the build tools), and that includes the headers. From what I understand, the kernel-source (or anything source for that matter) would be used if you want to make deeper modifications, like building your own kernel or app.

AFAIK,
TSU

19

Got it. Thanks!
That’s fine. Maybe I would want to make deeper modifications in the future. :slight_smile: