Install VMware server 2 on Fedora13

This page introduce install VMware server 2 on Fedora13 kernel 2.6.33 useing the patch "raducotescu / vmware-server-linux-2.6.3x-kernel".

In Japanese


Install steps

Abstract: Create symbolic link to refer kernel header. Use git tool to down load patch from git repository. If you didn't install git, install git before do these steps. Make a "working directory". Copy (or download) the "VMware server 2 installer" to the "working directory". Download the "patch scripts set". Patch and execute "VMware server installer" with patch script. If you using "ubuntu", start step 2. The prompt "$" means execute command as non-root user. The prompt "#" means execute command as root.
  1. Make symblic links refer "Kernel Headers".

    # cd /usr/src
    # mkdir linux-headers-`uname -r`
    # cd linux-headers-`uname -r`
    # ln -s /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build/include include

  2. Make a "working directory" which store the "VMware server 2 installer" and "path scripts sets". Here make a "working directory" as ~username/download/vmware.

    $ mkdir -p ~username/download/vmware

  3. Download the "VMware server 2 installer" .tar.gz from VMWare site, save into ~username/download/vmware. Don't extract any files form tar.gz. Keep tar.gz. The following lines are example of "ls" output.

    $ ls ~username/download/vmware
    VMware-server-2.0.2-203138.x86_64.tar.gz

  4. Download the "patch scripts set" into ~username/download/vmware. If you don't have git, install git package as following note.

    $ cd ~username/download/vmware
    $ git clone https://github.com/raducotescu/vmware-server-linux-2.6.3x-kernel.git

    The following lines are example of "ls" output.

    $ ls ~username/download/vmware
    VMware-server-2.0.2-203138.x86_64.tar.gz
    vmware-server-linux-2.6.3x-kernel

  5. Change the "working directory" to patch scripts directory. now  current working directory is ~username/download/vmware, and then  ~username/download/vmware/vmware-server-linux-2.6.3x-kernel.

    $ cd vmware-server-linux-2.6.3x-kernel

  6. Checkout patch script suited for Fedora 13 (upto Kernel 2.6.34.x).

    $ git checkout f271f27c

    Note: If you want to change patch suited for latest kernel, type command "git checkout master".

  7. Execute patch script.

    $ su
    Password: type_root_password
    # sudo ./vmware-server-2.0.x-kernel-2.6.3x-install.sh ../

    Note: You should execute "vmware-server-2.0.x-kernel-2.6.3x-install.sh" with "sudo", even if login as root. If you execute without "sudo", you will fail with message "This script must be run as root!".


Note: How to install git package

To install git on GUI Desktop, follow menu as "System", "Administration" and "Add/Remove Software" and start tool. Or Useing command line as follows.

# yum install git


Note: Don't extract files from the "VMware server 2 installer" .tar.gz

If some files extracted from the "VMware server 2 installer" .tar.gz exist in the "working directory" (~username/download/vmware), the patch script will fail. remove all files under "vmware-server-distrib" directory before run the patch script.


Note: Script modifies "Kernel Header tree" or "Kernel Source Tree"

Patch script "vmware-server-2.0.x-kernel-2.6.3x-install.sh" modify "kernel source tree" or "kernel source header tree" structure. Make symbolic link as follows.


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