Slackware 11, VMTools and kernel headers
 

I've come across a Slackware 11 install on a VMWare environment. It doesn't have VM Tools installed. Not feeling up for trying to figure out how to get open vm tools installed on such an old distribution, I figured I'd compile the official VM Tools.

I found a guide (https://www.slackwiki.com/VMware_Guest_Install) and it went largely to plan. I didn't upgrade from the stock 2.4.33.3 to 2.6 because that's getting more involved than I'm looking for at the moment. (I'll replace the whole VM later). I discovered that the kernel-headers weren't on this machine, so I found the 2.4.33.3 kernel header package and installed it.

However, I can't figure out what path I need to enter when prompted by the VMTools config tool. I've tried various paths I've found on the Internet and none of them seem to work.

Ideas?

It will have a default: have you tried guessing from that?
e.g. default = /usr/local; use it or perhaps go to /usr, if building as root. If building as a luser, ~/ is always a safe one, because rm -rf can be done when you figure stuff out.

/usr/
/usr/local/
/usr/include/linux/

All no dice.

I didn't build anything (well, other than VMtools which can't find the headers), I just downloaded the package and installed it.

Are you asking about the prompts from when you run ./vmware-install.pl?

What is the prompt from VMtools that you respond to? What is the response when you enter anything?

I've tried at least as many of the paths I mentioned above in that last field.

You've hit a problem with the kernel headers.

Over the versions, the directories and sub directories in the kernel headers have changed. If you have slackware-11.0 in there, you want to be compiling and installing for slackware-11.0 in slackware-11.0, because anything current will be seriously incompatible. IIRC (It's back quite a while) you also need a kosher version of gcc & glibc from the period

Can you get online with slackware-11.0? One solution is to get your local mirror, which should have slackware-11.0. Mine is ftp://ftp.heanet.ie/mirrors/slackwar...lackware-11.0/
cd to the slackware directory for (.tgz) packages or ../slackware-iso which has an iso for download.
Just squinting, the slackware-11.0 has gcc-3.4.6, kernel 2.4.33 + kernel headers, & glibc-2.3.6. 2.4.33 was one of the good kernels - they weren't all good back then.

If you need VMtools for the host, compile on the host and hope. BTW, slackware-11.0 by now is vulnerable to a host of security issues. Your biggest protection is that hackers will be more up to date than you, and won't be circulating things that were patched years ago.

mhammett --

Hoo boy ... a 2.4 kernel and VMWare ...

As you figured out ( and as business_kid said ), vmware-config-tools.pl isn't seeing your kernel headers so it can't build the kernel modules for the Kernel.

Looking at the Slackware 11.0 MANIFEST, the Kernel Headers should be in 'the usual spot' ( /usr/include/linux/ ).
What version of /usr/local/bin/vmware-config-tools.pl are you trying to run ?

If I recall, the Program Name used to be 'different' ... vmware-config-tools.pl may be 'too new' for the 2.4.x Kernel ???

I know I ran vmware on my Slackware 10.2 Laptop but that was long ago and the hardware is far away.

After Slackware 10.2 my next Laptop ran Slackware 12.2 which had a 2.6 Kernel -- IOW, I skipped Slackware 11.0 ...

Looking back thru my vmware directory, Slackware 11.0 would be contemporary with ( something like ) VMWare 4.5 or 5.5 ... not sure ...

I do have a copy of the vmware tools install procedure for VMWare 4.0.5 ( attached as a .pdf file ).

Maybe that will help ?

If not, sounds like a lotta googling is in order ?

Good Luck !

-- kjh