Kernel Security Update Breaks VMware Server 1.0.6

[MikeH30]

I am currently running SLES10-SP2.

I first installed VMware Server 1.0.6 on SLES10-SP1 and all was fine until a kernel security update was applied. After the kernel security update I could never get VMware Server 1.0.6 to load. I would click on the icon and it would just hang. SLES10-SP2 was soon available and I installed that from a clean install on my box rather than continuing to trouble shoot my issues with SLES10-SP1. I then installed VMware Server 1.0.6. on SLES10-SP2. All was fine until another kernel security update for SLES10-SP2. So once again, when I click on my VM Ware Server application icon, nothing happens and it just hangs.

I uninstalled VMware Server 1.0.6 with the uninstall script located in /usr/bin/vmware-uninstall.pl. I then proceeded to re-install VMware Server 1.0.6 and all is fine until I get to the line that reads:

"What is the location of the directory of C header files that match your running
kernel? [/usr/src/linux/include]"

I then type: "/usr/src/2.6.16.60-0.25-smp/include"

I get this response:

"The directory of kernel headers (version @@VMWARE@@ UTS_RELEASE) does not match
your running kernel (version 2.6.16.60-0.25-smp). Even if the module were to
compile successfully, it would not load into the running kernel."

The output when I type "uname -r" is: "2.6.16.60-0.25-smp"

The directory "/usr/src/2.6.16.60-0.25-smp" does not exist in my "/usr/src/" directory. All I have are these directories.

/usr/src/linux-2.6.18.2-34
/usr/src/linux-2.6.18.2-34-obj
/usr/src/linux-2.6.16.60-0.25.obj
/usr/src/linux-2.6.16.60-0.23
/usr/src/linux-2.6.16.60-0.21
/usr/src/packages

I uninstalled and re-installed kernel-source in Yast. The version listed is kernel-source 2.6.18.2-34.

Please advise.

-Mike

[gogalthorp]

When the kernel changes you must reinstall VMware since it links to the kernel.

It is just like a video driver in that you must reinstall after a kernel update.

You must also update your kernel-source and have gcc installed.

The installer always finds the correct path for the headers and I take the default without problems. The source should always be in the same place unless you have been hand compiling the kernel and have multiple sources.

[MikeH30]

Hello and thanks for the reply.

I had the following packages below installed prior to installing VMware Server 1.0.6. on Suse Enterprise Linux Server - SP2. I discovered these prerequisuites when I set up VMware on my desktop ( openSuse10.3 at the time ).

(Taken from The Perfect Desktop - OpenSUSE 10.3 (GNOME) | HowtoForge - Linux Howtos and Tutorials)

# findutils (needed by VMware Server)
# glibc-devel (needed by VMware Server)
# findutils-locate (needed by VMware Server)
# gcc (needed by VMware Server)
# flex (needed by VMware Server)
# lynx (needed by VMware Server)
# compat-readline4 (needed by VMware Server)
# gcc-c++ (needed by VMware Server)
# make (needed by VMware Server)
# kernel-source (needed by VMware Server)

After the kernel update I un-installed VMware Server 1.0.6 with the uninstall script "/usr/bin/vmware-uninstall.pl." I install/un-install all of my packages through YaST. VMware server is the only package I have installed/uninstalled manually. I confirmed via YaST that the packages above are still installed.

So I am still unsure how to address this question from the VMware installation:

"What is the location of the directory of C header files that match your running
kernel? [/usr/src/linux/include]"

The output when I type "uname -r" is: "2.6.16.60-0.25-smp"

I then type: "/usr/src/2.6.16.60-0.25-smp/include"

I get this response:

"The directory of kernel headers (version @@VMWARE@@ UTS_RELEASE) does not match
your running kernel (version 2.6.16.60-0.25-smp). Even if the module were to
compile successfully, it would not load into the running kernel."

How do I get "2.6.16.60-0.25-smp" to be a directory in "/usr/src/?" Or what do I need to do to re-install VMware Server without having to re-install my OS?

Regards,

-Mike

[gogalthorp]

You should only need to use

/usr/src/linux/include

it should be a link to the running kernel source.

fallow the link and see what is there it should be a bunch of folder containing *.h files.

The source is the same for single and SMP it is just compiled with different options.

[MikeH30]

I switched to Xen in Opensuse 11.0, KDE 4.1.2 for my virtualization solution. I suspect kernel updates will be a non-issue with Xen unlike with VMware Server.