Is there some place where one can get gcc 4.2.3 for Ubuntu 8.04? I need it to install my version of VMWare free server.

Thanks for the information.

vmware server installs fine onto 8.04. what problems are you actually having?

Everything installed fine under Ubuntu 8.04 when I installed things on the first machine in May.

Now, I'm trying to get things set up the same way on another, virtually identical machine hardware-wise. I even used my original 8.04 CD.

In following falko's article on HowToForge.com, when I get part way through the VMWare installation it says:
"Your kernel was built with "gcc" version "4.2.3", while you are trying to use "/usr/bin/gcc" version "4.2.4". This configuration is not recommended and VMware Server may crash if you'll continue. Please try to use exactly same compiler as one used for building your kernel. Do you want to go with compiler "/usr/bin/gcc" version "4.2.4" anyway? [no]

I don't remember if I got this message in May or not. If I say "no", the installation aborts right there. If I say "yes" then it proceeds but as I get near the end then it aborts with:

"The installation of the VMware VmPerl Scripting API succeeded.

Generating SSL Server Certificate

Unable to get the last modification timestamp of the destination file
/etc/vmware/ssl/rui.key.

Execution aborted."

I've done two complete Ubuntu reinstalls but the same thing happens. Is it possible that there is a bit of a netinstall feature to the live CD such that it goes out for some files rather than installing just from the CD?

I should add that my original Ubuntu 8.04 machine continues to work fine even when I do a kernel update and have to re-run install-config.pl. I get that message about gcc 4.2.4 but I say "yes" and it goes through fine.

I re-burned the CD and ran the media check but it says that it's ok.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Well, I believe I've found the source of the problem, though I don't know how to correct it.

I did a complete re-install and then carefully watched the VMWare installation process for the HowToForge article.

The first thing it says to do is:
sudo apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r` build-essential xinetd

As the command executed, it substituted gcc 4.2.4 routines for the gcc 4.2.3

That's where the later disconnect comes from as VMWare tries to install and says that the kernel was created with 4.2.3 but advises against using 4.2.4.

After the reinstall, did you allow your package-manager to fetch the updates?
I am currently running (K)ubuntu 8.04.1
If it helps, my current kernel is 2.6.24-21-generic and my gcc is 4.2.4

I didn't. I was trying to keep things in sync with what would have been available when the article was written.

I may go ahead and do a re-install again. If I do, I'll do a complete update before I try to install VMWare.

Thanks for the suggestion.

No need to reinstall, just do the updates.
I think what was happening is that the kernel you are running was compiled with gcc 4.2.4, but your installed gcc is 4.2.3
This doesn't matter, as long as you are not compiling anything.
A simple "update" should fix that (by removing gcc 4.2.3 and installing 4.2.4 and maybe fixing up some other stuff as well).
Then the compile should work.
Let us know how you get on.

Thanks for the suggestion. I did both, an update (no luck) and a re-install (also no joy). However, I installed VirtualBox this weekend and so far, it's working fine.

The only thing that I can think of is that when VMWare originally compiled that version of their software, they used 4.2.3 which is why I was having the problem. Oh well.