vmware 2.0.4 on SuSE 7.3 - HOWTO

7 Nov 2001

      Summarizing previous postings and my own experience:

http://volker.orcon.net.nz/linux/vmware/vmware2.0.4-SuSE7.3.txt

                                                                   07 Nov 2001

Installing VMware express 2.0.4 on SuSE Linux 7.3
=================================================

by Volker Kuhlmann

This text is based on an earlier version for SuSE Linux 7.2.

Applies to:
----------

SuSE Linux 7.3
Kernel 2.4.10-4GB
VMware 2.0.4 express     VMware-express-2.0.4-1133.i386.rpm
             (I can't see a reason why workstation should be different)

Symptom:
-------

During the configuration of vmware (by running vmware-config.pl as
root) and compilation of the vmware kernel modules, the compilation
fails with missing version.h and modversions.h.

Additionally, the vmware modules fail to compile on kernel version 2.4.7 and
up.

Cause:
-----

SuSE does not install version.h properly, and does not use kernel module
versions in their kernels.

VMware has not updated their module code for newer kernels.

Solution:
--------

Create the missing header files before compiling the vmware kernel
modules.

1) Install package kernel-source-2.4.10.SuSE
   (I used kernel-source-2.4.10.SuSE-8.i386.rpm from CD 2.)

2) Create header files

	cd /usr/src/linux
	make mrproper
	make cloneconfig

	Turn on module versions. Make no other change to the kernel
	configuration, and leave the maximum suported memory at 4GB (vmware
	won't work with 64GB). There are several ways to do this:

	make xconfig
		Enter "Loadable module support" (2nd down on the left),
		and set "set version information on all module symbols" to yes.
		Save and exit.
	make menuconfig
		...
	make config
		...

	make dep

   This has created the missing header files.
   DO NOT COMPILE MODULES OR INSTALL THE KERNEL OR MODULES!

3) Provide a missing symlink:

	ln -s ../../etc/init.d/vmware /usr/sbin/rcvmware

   This lets your start the vmware networking with rcvmware start/stop,
   like any other service.

4) Patch the vmware module code

   Download the patch:
   ftp://platan.vc.cvut.cz/pub/vmware/vmware-ws-1142-for-2.4.7a.tar.gz

	cd /usr/lib/vmware/modules/source
	tar -xpzf vmware-ws-1142-for-2.4.7a.tar.gz
	mv vmware-ws-1142-for-2.4.7a/* .

5) Configure vmware

	vmware-config.pl

   Pretty much all of the questions can be answered by pressing enter.

   This compiles the modules and overwrites the existing ones in
   /lib/modules/`uname -r`/misc/. The existing modules are
   SuSE-supplied (part of package k_deflt or similar) and may or may not work.

Have fun,

Volker