VMware Server 2.0.2 on Opensuse 11.2 is a big pain in the….

Jeremy Pavlov January 4, 2010 0 Comments

…module compilation process.

Seriously, folks.  I know there are others of you out there, like me, who upgraded to Opensuse 11.2 (the latest at the  time of this writing), without concern that VMware Server 2.0.2 (also the latest at this writing) may or may not run on it.  Well guess what: it doesn’t.  Well, not without help, that is.

To cut to the chase, as I write this, the problem is that VMware Server 2.0.2 will not work with the newest kernel and libraries that are shipped with Opensuse 11.2, version 2.6.31.x.and.so.forth.  So I found some work-arounds while Googlin’, that I wanted to record for posterity.  Here’s what I did:

1. Go to this post from Radu Cotescu.  Read up.  Note that Radu’s post, problem, and fixes are all about Ubuntu.  Do not fear.  (Post-publish update, 20100119:  See http://radu.cotescu.com/2010/01/19/how-to-install-vmware-server-ubuntu-fedora-opensuse/ for a new version that I have not tested yet.)
2. As he instructs in his step 1, download the VMware 2.0.2 tgz file from VMware themselves (version 2.0.2-203138 at this time), and drop it in a directory like /tmp/vmware.  DO NOT decompress the tgz file!  The script will do it for you.
3. Get Radu’s script, and as instructed in his step 2, drop it in the same folder as the VMware tgz file, for instance, /tmp/vmware.
4. Here is where we slightly vary from the plan… open the script up in a text editor (vi, gedit, emacs, etc.), go down to the “install” section around line 76, and comment out all the “dpkg-query” checks from line 77 to line 95.  Save, and quit.  Funny… but I don’t remember those checks being there a month or so ago, so he may be changing them from day to day.  Tread carefully, and don’t necessarily trust my indicated line numbers.
5. Make sure we have the necessary script support software installed;  you need your kernel version “devel” package (for me, since I have kernel-pae, I need kernel-pae-devel), kernel-source, linux-kernel-headers, gcc, and make.  Use zypper in <package-name> to get them installed.
6. Now return back to Radu’s step 3, and complete his commands as listed.
7. If all goes well, when you follow his instructions, it will compile everything, and launch you right into to the VMware installation, and continue into the configuration.  Make sure you have your VMware registration code handy.  Oh, and of course, ignore that GCC version mis-match warning… And you may want to do a chkconfig vmware off when you’re done, I always do.

So there you go.  That’s the only way I could get it all to work together.  But if you know of a better way, or if I missed something, please share it with the group!  I assume that VMware will get a corrected version out in the near future that will mitigate this issue, but in the meantime, it’s a real life-saver.  And many, many thanks to Radu and any others involved….

🙂