Errors when pointing VMWare install to kernel header files

[FlyingTriangle]

I'm running BackTrack4r2 which is based on Intrepid. I'm pulling my hair out over this problem. As I try to install VMWare Server 2.0 I'm getting stuck at a question the installer poses: Where are the kernel header files located? It would make sense that they're in /usr/src/linux-2.6.35.8 but when I put that it just says there's no subfolder "linux" as expected and to try again. If I use the default location that VMWare says (/lib/modules/2.6.35.8/build/include) I get an error:

make[3]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.35.8'             
/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.35.8/arch/x86/Makefile:39: /usr/src/linux-heade(rest got cut off)
make[3]: *** No rule to make target `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.35.8/arch/x86/Makefile_32.cpu' 
make[3]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.35.8'

I've done a thousand hours of research on the problem and I've tried to symlink my way to a solution. Here's my results:

When the symlink is:
/usr/src/linux -> /lib/modules/2.6.35.8/build/include/linux/
Error:

The path "/usr/src" is a kernel header file directory, but it is not part of kernel source tree.

When symlink is:
/usr/src/linux -> /usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.35.8/include/linux
Error:

The path "/usr/src" is a kernel header file directory, but it is not part of
kernel source tree.

When symlink is:
/usr/src/linux -> /usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.35.8/include/
Error:

The path "/usr/src" is a kernel header file directory, but it does not contain
the file "linux/version.h" as expected.  This can happen if the kernel has
never been built, or if you have invoked the "make mrproper" command in your
kernel directory.  In any case, you may want to rebuild your kernel.

Followed instructions here and got the following error.
backtrack-linux()org/forums/backtrack-howtos/28372-how-install-vmware-backtrack.html

When symlink is:
/usr/src/linux/include -> /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.35.8
Error:

/usr/src/linux-source-2.6.35.8/arch/x86/include/asm/msr-index.h:234:1: warning: this is the location of the previous definition
/tmp/vmware-config4/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c: In function 'LinuxDriverSyncCallOnEachCPU':
/tmp/vmware-config4/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:1423: error: too many arguments to function 'smp_call_function'
/tmp/vmware-config4/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c: In function 'LinuxDriver_Ioctl':
/tmp/vmware-config4/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:1987: error: 'struct task_struct' has no member named 'euid'
/tmp/vmware-config4/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:1987: error: 'struct task_struct' has no member named 'uid'
/tmp/vmware-config4/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:1988: error: 'struct task_struct' has no member named 'fsuid'
/tmp/vmware-config4/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:1988: error: 'struct task_struct' has no member named 'uid'
/tmp/vmware-config4/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:1989: error: 'struct task_struct' has no member named 'egid'
/tmp/vmware-config4/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:1989: error: 'struct task_struct' has no member named 'gid'
/tmp/vmware-config4/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:1990: error: 'struct task_struct' has no member named 'fsgid'
/tmp/vmware-config4/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:1990: error: 'struct task_struct' has no member named 'gid'
/tmp/vmware-config4/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:2007: error: too many arguments to function 'smp_call_function'
make[2]: *** [/tmp/vmware-config4/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o] Error 1
make[1]: *** [_module_/tmp/vmware-config4/vmmon-only] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-source-2.6.35.8'
make: *** [vmmon.ko] Error 2
make: Leaving directory `/tmp/vmware-config4/vmmon-only'
Unable to build the vmmon module.

I don't even know where to do from here. Here are some of the posts I've tried following to solve the problem none of which have been very helpful.

ubuntuforums()org/archive/index.php/t-240865.html
ubuntuforums()org/showthread.php?t=239232
offensive-security()com/backtrack/how-to-update-backtrack-2-6-34/
mokonamodoki()com/vmware-server-on-centos-5
backtrack-linux()org/forums/backtrack-howtos/28372-how-install-vmware-backtrack.html

[Nagarjuna]

Someone just posted this same issue, though they were experiencing it on the Mint distribution. One insightful poster recommended simply downloading and installing the vmtools package using the package manager.

If I'm not mistaken BackTrack4r2 uses the same package manager and repositories, so you can try the following command to see if it works:

sudo apt-get install open-vm-tools

Hopefully this will work, though it certaintly won't be the first time I've been wrong if it doesn't

Let us know how it goes.

[FlyingTriangle]

I installed open-vm-tools. How do I run vmware now? I still have a partial install of vmware using the original file I downloaded but I can't run /usr/bin/vmware because it says it's not configured to point to the kernel headers yet.

[coopstah13]

actually this is a different problem, since you are trying to run vmware server, what you are encountering is related to installing the host drivers for certain things, open-vm-tools is meant to be installed on guest OS only

have you installed kernel headers package? I don't have a ubuntu system at my disposal, but it should be called something like linux-headers-generic, it will depend on whatever kernel you are using is

[FlyingTriangle]

actually this is a different problem, since you are trying to run vmware server, what you are encountering is related to installing the host drivers for certain things, open-vm-tools is meant to be installed on guest OS only

have you installed kernel headers package? I don't have a ubuntu system at my disposal, but it should be called something like linux-headers-generic, it will depend on whatever kernel you are using is

The headers are installed. My src folder looks like this:

root@bt:/usr/src# ls
linux
linux-OLDVERSION.1300461978  linux-source-2.6.35.8
linux-OLDVERSION.1300356537  linux-OLDVERSION.1301314955  modules
linux-OLDVERSION.1300461342  linux-headers-2.6.35.8

If I point the install to 'linux-headers-2.6.35.8' then it says there's no subdirectory 'linux' as expected. I've tried symlinking to that folder with /usr/src/linux -> linux-headers-2.6.35.8 but I get varying error messages as seen in the first post of this thread.