Newbie needs help with VMware Tools

keen2learn · 08-18-2008, 08:47 AM

Hi Folks,

I've successfully installed Slackware 12.1 in VMware Workstation 6.0.4. Where I'm struggling is the successful installation of VMware Tools.

I'm new to this and I'd appreciate some advice. I've included the process I went through as it appeared in the terminal.

I don't know if it's a useful add, but I have checked and /usr/lib/vmware-tools/configurator/pam.d/vmware-guestd is present.

NB. The previous install referred to, was just the same as this one.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

K2L

Code:

 
bash-3.1# ./vmware-install.pl
A previous installation of VMware Tools has been detected.

The previous installation was made by the tar installer (version 4).

Keeping the tar4 installer database format.

Uninstalling the tar installation of VMware Tools.

Stopping VMware Tools services in the virtual machine:
   Guest operating system daemon:                          [  OK  ]

The removal of VMware Tools 6.0.4 build-93057 for Linux completed successfully.
Thank you for having tried this software.

Installing VMware Tools.

In which directory do you want to install the binary files?
[/usr/bin]

What is the directory that contains the init directories (rc0.d/ to rc6.d/)?
[/etc/init.d]

What is the directory that contains the init scripts?
[/etc/rc.d/init.d]

In which directory do you want to install the daemon files?
[/usr/sbin]

In which directory do you want to install the library files?
[/usr/lib/vmware-tools]

The path "/usr/lib/vmware-tools" does not exist currently. This program is
going to create it, including needed parent directories. Is this what you want?
[yes] yes

In which directory do you want to install the documentation files?
[/usr/share/doc/vmware-tools]

The path "/usr/share/doc/vmware-tools" does not exist currently. This program
is going to create it, including needed parent directories. Is this what you
want? [yes] yes

The installation of VMware Tools 6.0.4 build-93057 for Linux completed
successfully. You can decide to remove this software from your system at any
time by invoking the following command: "/usr/bin/vmware-uninstall-tools.pl".

Before running VMware Tools for the first time, you need to configure it by
invoking the following command: "/usr/bin/vmware-config-tools.pl". Do you want
this program to invoke the command for you now? [yes] yes

Unable to create symlink "/etc/pam.d/vmware-guestd" pointing to file
"/usr/lib/vmware-tools/configurator/pam.d/vmware-guestd".

Execution aborted.

keen2learn · 08-18-2008, 10:20 AM

I've found this thread which appears to offer an answer in post #10 -

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...26#post3223226

I'll work through this and see if I can turn it into a useful outcome.

Hangdog42 · 08-18-2008, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Unable to create symlink "/etc/pam.d/vmware-guestd" pointing to file
"/usr/lib/vmware-tools/configurator/pam.d/vmware-guestd".

Since Slackware doesn't use PAM, this is probably tripping up the installer. That thread you link to might work since they are faking a pam directory. If that doesn't work, you could just not use vmware-tools. I don't think they are absolutely required for the guests.

lgtrean · 08-18-2008, 01:18 PM

Hi keen2learn,

All you need to do is create the pam.d directory.

As root, create the required extra directory:
# mkdir /etc/pam.d

keen2learn · 08-18-2008, 01:49 PM

Brilliant

Thanks so much both of you for putting it in context and providing a fix - that's taken me over that hump. It's a really useful thing because apart from anything else, it means Slackware is now running at the correct resolution for my monitor. Makes reading the screen & concentrating on the good stuff a whole lot easier.