Copyright © 2001-2003 by Volker Kuhlmann                      07 May 2003
Location: http://volker.dnsalias.net/linux/


Installing VMware express 2.0.4 on SuSE Linux 8.2
=================================================


This text is based on earlier versions for SuSE Linux 7.2, 7.3, 8.1.


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

SuSE Linux 8.2
Kernel 2.4.20-4GB	(presumably all kernel versions shipped with 8.2)
VMware 2.0.4 express    VMware-express-2.0.4-1142.i386.rpm
			(last VMware express version)


Symptom:
-------

During the configuration of vmware (by running vmware-config.pl as root), a
suitable module can't be found, and the subsequent compilation of the vmware
kernel modules fails.

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

VMware express 2.0.4 will not work with the vmware modules shipped by SuSE
(I did not investigate which one or whether both are at fault).


Cause:
-----

VMware does not run on kernels newer than about 2.4.3 (or 2.4.7).

SuSE does not use kernel module versions in their kernels and thus has no
modversions.h, and does not install version.h in a place where it can be found.

VMware has not updated their module code for newer kernels.

VMware takes no interest in whether people who purchased VMware Express can
still use it on a current Linux system.


Solution:
--------

Replace the module source code with a patched version which actually compiles.
All following steps need to be done as root.

1) Install the kernel source, package kernel-source-2.4.20.SuSE-30.i586.rpm
   (This package was updated by SuSE, but I guess for this purpose the version
   on the distributipon CDs will do equally well.)
   
   Note: unlike for SuSE 7.3, it is not necessary to do anything with the
   kernel sources. They just have to be installed.

   Note: it is necessary that the currently running kernel matches the
   installed kernel source.

2) Install vmware, package VMware-express-2.0.4-1142.i386.rpm
   Do not run vmware-config.pl yet.

3) Install the patched module source code

   Download ftp://platan.vc.cvut.cz/pub/vmware/vmware-any-any-update30.tar.gz
   and unpack it somewhere.
   
       cd /usr/lib/vmware/modules/source
       tar -xpzf vmware-any-any-update30.tar.gz
       cd vmware-any-any-update30
       ./runme.pl
   
   This will install patched module source, patch the vmware binary, and patch
   the vmware service startup/shutdown script /etc/init.d/vmware. The new
   /etc/init.d/vmware now can be used with chkconfig/insserv.
   
   It also asks whether to run vmware-config.pl now - you might as well. You
   can do it later, but vmware won't run until you've done it. The patched
   module source is compiled, and new modules are installed, replacing the
   SuSE-supplied ones.

4) Fix the status output of the vmware service startup script

   Download
   http://volker.dnsalias.net/linux/vmware/VMwareexpress-2.0.4-SuSE8.1service.diff.gz
   and apply with

       gunzip < VMwareexpress-2.0.4-SuSE8.2service.diff.gz | patch -p0

5) Provide a missing symlink:

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

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

6) Decide whether you want to load the vmware modules at boot

   If yes, run:  chkconfig -a vmware
   
   If no, you can start (and stop) them any time with:
   
       rcvmware start
       rcvmware stop

vmware can now be started by any user.

Volker