Special note: I am reorganizing/re-writing these pages. If you have found useful information here, or think that something could be expanded, please drop me an e-mail and tell me about it. It seems the most popular items are the latest SuSE's and VMware. I can't afford to purchase the new versions of VMware so I will always have the info on how to run version 3.2 on SuSE ... if it will. I will probably quit updating my versions of SuSE when my 3.2 VMware no longer works.

VMware Install

    Now then, an "Out of the Box" version of VMware 3.2 will just flatly not install in SuSE 9.2 with the new kernel. As mentioned, in my Installation of SuSE 9.2, the update failed so I had to do a full blown install. Therefore, my VMware setup was lost. I tried to just re-install VMware and could not ... until I fanagled it.
Note: Some of the fanagling was described in VMwareOn91 and will not be repeated here.

The Kernel

    First off, we have switched from version 2.4.21 (9.0) to version 2.6.5-7.95 (9.1) and now to version 2.6.8-24 (9.2). VMware has to have code matched to the version of Linux that it is running on. It needs vmmon and vmnet. Both of these are supplied by VMware. The sources for vmmon and vmnet are in: /usr/lib/vmware/modules/source. The sources for the Kernel are in: /usr/src/linux.

    Do a full compile of the kernel before trying the install so that all the dependancies are loaded and in the correct locations. Besides, if you can't compile the kernel, then you can't install VMware. The two go hand in hand.

1. cd /usr/src/linux
2. make cloneconfig
3. make prepare
4. make modules

Download the patch

    You should check the patch site for new releases.

  The releases are named vmware-any-any-update*.tar.gz.
  I downloaded the most recent patch: vmware-any-any-update84.tar.gz

This info was obtaineed from Markus at KernelTrap.org. I just used a newer version of the update file. I was able to use this info when all that was required for SuSE 9.1 was an update.

Patching BEFORE Install:

     We need to make some changes. You must be root to do this. Of course I am making the assumption that you work like I do. In case you don't, I untar'd both archives into /root's home directory and work from there. The files can be removed afterwards.

1. In ~/vmware-distrib/bin you will find vmware-config.pl which is read-only. Change that with: chmod u+w vmware-config.pl
2. Bring vmware-config.pl up in your favorite programmer's editor.
3. Change every occurance of ksyms to kallsyms and re-save the file.
4. copy ~/vmware-any-any-update84/vmmon.tar to ~/vmware-distrib/lib/modules/source/
5. copy ~/vmware-any-any-update84/vmnet.tar to ~/vmware-distrib/lib/modules/source/
6. Note: The reason for the above two is... in order to use update84 VMware must be installed. Because of changes in the new SuSE the Out of the Box version won't compile and therefore will not get installed. So, we replace the two items that need compiling, and won't, with two items that will compile.
7. In the ~/vmware-distrib dir execute ./vmware-install.pl to install VMware. You will possibly see an error or failure notice at the end of this. But do not fear... continue.
8. Now in the ~/vmware-any-any-update84 execute ./runme.pl This will complete the updates.
9. Install and update is now done.

    Get out of root.

     Now in your home dir with your license file installed in .vmare you can setup VMware. In order to run VMware you must use the following:

     LD_ASSUME_KERNEL=2.4.21 /usr/bin/vmware

VMware will come up and you can finish the install/configuration just like normal. I set mine up for Win2K. The above command setup is required "everytime" you execute VMware.

    You may get the following message:

       
This version of the Linux kernel is newer than the newest series
with which VMware Workstation is supported.  It may or may not
work.  Would you like to continue?

when you startup VMware with your guest system installed. So far, at least in version 9.1, I have not had any problems. I've always ignored the message. Haven't had enough time in 9.2 yet to say whether or not it will be a problem. Of course you won't see the message at all if you turn it off. I just leave it on to remind myself that I am treading on dangerous ground.

Oooops.. No LAN

    Well that is not exacty true. It sees the other machines, just not letting me access the files on them. More work. (I swear... this is the last time!!) We are using Samba version 3.0.8 in this new SuSE. With all this permission changing there is probably something else that I need to do. (That ACL stuff).

    Well, not exactly... nmbd didn't get started. So, I need to see what the problem there. No nmbd, no name translation, no connections. nmbd is supposed to start first and then smbd.

nmbd

  This daemon handles all name registration and resolution requests. 
  It is the primary vehicle involved in network browsing. It handles 
  all UDP based protocols. The nmbd daemon should be the first command 
  started as part of the Samba start-up process.
   
smbd

  This daemon handles all TCP/IP based connection services for file 
  and print based operations. It also manages local authentication. 
  It should be started immediately following the start-up of nmbd. 

    In /etc/rc.d we find smb and nmb so they both are there. I seem to remember that there was one file that contained them both. But first let's check YAST and make sure that I have specified everyting correctly. Made that mistake last version. Nothing in YAST. Says start smb. Looking in the rc.d files. First mention is in rc3.d, so we'll look there.

    Stopped smbd. Started nmbd and then smbd. Fired up VMware and I still can not access windrve. Strange, the message I get is "\\Dusty-tr\windrive is not accessible, the network path was not found" So, we are back to square one. Oooops... I messed up when setting up the system. windrvd and windrve are not part of /windows as in /window/D and /windows/E, they are /windrvd and /windrve by themselves. I need to change the smb.conf file! hmmmmm... still not accessible. I can see all the PCs and the Networked folders but I can not access them.

    Well, in looking at windrve->Properties->share->Configure file sharing->windrve->change-> more samba optiona->Advanced I see NT ACL support is checked. For experimentation I unchecked it.

How Interesting

    I can see Dusty-tr, Dusty2, Dars-pc and PSD55465 in the network neighborhood of Win2K but I can not access the folders in Dusty-tr. However, I can access the files in Dars-pc... a totally separate machine. Still think that it has something to do with ACLs.

    Nope!! As you can read in the Install of SuSE 9.2, the problem was the FireWall that was enabled during the install. It wouldn't let me access the items inside Linux from Win2K. Since I have a hardware FireWall, I just killed this software one all together. Now I can access all my files like I wanted to in the first place. The VMware/Win2K box is just a convient aplication for me to use. Like I have said in other places, I still have my Windows Apps that I enjoy using, Homesite being the biggest. The rest is Linux. Don't know how long this version of VMware will work in the future updates ... but I guess we'll see.