Anyone succeeded with installing vmware on TC?

[Ulysses_]

Just noticed the following:

I've seen posts where vmware player runs on TC but you'll never see an extension due to restrictions on distribution. The most you can get is step-by-step installation instructions, and I think I saw someone do that

But no luck yet locating those vmware player installation instructions.  Any hints what to search for, what is likely to appear in the instructions?

[danielibarnes]

Someone tried, but we never heard from him again. I'll give it a shot with the latest player and write up some instructions.

[Ulysses_]

If TC is not a debian derivative, was that guy wrong in copying directories from debian?

Vmware site says run-level related directories the installer is asking for should be just made and left empty.

[danielibarnes]

No, the installer expects certain directories to be present, but they are not required. I didn't copy them myself, I just created empty directories and it seemed happy with that.

[Ulysses_]

Any luck?

I tried the instructions with vmware player 2.5.4 and created those empty directories.  Installed ok but on execution it says something about Unicode.c.  You get the same error?  Is it source code from TC or vmware?

[danielibarnes]

Any luck?

I am trying to get 3.0 installed, but it keeps asking for the linux headers, even when I point it to the full kernel source. I have no idea what it needs. I'll keep trying.

[curaga]

If it tries to build modules, it needs a built-from kernel source. The headers extension is for that.

[danielibarnes]

VMware player 3.1.0 installed successfully with:
# yes no | bash VMware-Player-3.1.0-261024.i386.bundle

I tested first with Tiny Core 2.11.6 because I figure my odds are better with an older kernel. The header files are in /lib/modules/2.6.29.1-tinycore/build/include as expected, but:

# vmware-modconfig --console --install-all
gcc and kernel headers must be installed

# vmware-modconfig --validate-gcc $(which gcc) && echo OK
OK

# vmware-modconfig --validate-kernel-headers /lib/modules/2.6.29.1-tinycore/build/include || echo FAIL
FAIL

This indicates the kernel headers directory does not meet its requirements, and I don't know what it's requirements are. Out of curiosity I tried all directories with find / -type d, and they all failed. This means it isn't a matter of specifying the wrong directory but that something it expects is missing.

So I tried TC 3.2. The same command reports:
# vmware-modconfig --console --install-all
sh: /etc/init.d/vmware: not found
Unable to stop services

so as a hack I executed:
# echo true > /etc/init.d/vmware
# chmod +x /etc/init.d/vmware

and it installed successfully. I then started X and ran vmplayer, so only a few questions remain:
1) What is missing in the 2.x linux-headers that is present in the 3.x linux-headers?
2) Why wasn't /etc/init.d/vmware installed and what is necessary for it to install properly?

I expect to be able to resolve these with a little more effort, but I wanted to give the details I had so far. Note that I did not list all of the extensions I had to load because I want to make sure I know what the minimal set is first. Before that, I need to get it installing without any errors at all.

[danielibarnes]

What is missing in the 2.x linux-headers that is present in the 3.x linux-headers?

Using strace, I discovered the missing file is /usr/local/src/linux-headers-2.6.29.1/build/.config. Once I got that file and saved it as .config, vmware-modconfig worked.

Curaga: should it be in the 2.x linux-headers extension? It is in the 3.x version.

So, the full installation procedure for vmware player is:
1) Install extensions
$ for e in compiletc bash coreutils module-init-tools linux-headers-$(uname -r); do tce-load -i $e; done

2) Get config for Tiny Core 2.x only
$ sudo wget -O /lib/modules/2.6.29.1-tinycore/build/.config
http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/2.x/archive/src/config-2.6.29.1-tinycore

3) Install VMware Player
$ for n in $(seq 0 6); do sudo mkdir -p /etc/rc.d/rc$n.d/; done
$ yes no | sudo bash VMware-Player-3.1.0-261024.i386.bundle
$ sudo sed 's:/sbin/::' -i /etc/rc.d/init.d/vmware
$ sudo vmware-modconfig --console --install-all

I confirmed this exact sequence will install VMware Player in Tiny Core 2.11.6 and 3.2.
$ sudo /etc/rc.d/init.d/vmware start

Starting VMware services:
   VMware USB Arbitrator                    done
   Virtual machine monitor                  done
   Virtual machine communication interface  done
   VM communication interface socket family done
   Blocking file system                     done
   Virtual ethernet                         done
   Shared Memory Available                  done

My initial testing indicated you will probably need the following extensions loaded when running it:

• Xorg-7.5 (3.x) or Xorg-7.4 (2.x)
• GConf
• alsa
• bash
• coreutils
• module-init-tools

I was able to create a virtual machine and boot a Tiny Core iso using VMware Player after following these steps.

[curaga]

You should contact hats for that, he's the linux-headers extension maintainer.

[^thehatsrule^]

I'm not sure why that file isn't there, it's even stated in the .info that it was used.  Perhaps it was lost during update/conversion.

[Ulysses_]

I followed the instructions on a fresh install of TC on a usb flash drive with nothing but syslinux and dosfstools.  

Seems to install but when you power up a VM, it brings up a popup that says:

Error

The virtual machine is busy

The VM has a brand new .vmx and no other files in its folder initially.  Plays normally with vectorlinux as a host (it boots a ubuntu .iso).

Rebooting TC, it seems that vmware-related directories are deleted.  Is this supposed to happen?

[danielibarnes]

Rebooting TC, it seems that vmware-related directories are deleted.  Is this supposed to happen?

With Tiny Core, everything is stored in memory. When you reboot, you will lose anything which is not specifically saved. This lack of persistence is a benefit for many users (zero cruft), but it means that anything which needs to be permanent requires extra work.

The VMware Player install creates 4562 files, so your best bet is to create an extension (or backup file) containing those files. This might be a challenge for a new user. I was able to create an extension for my own personal use, so with some effort, I know it can be done. Unfortunately, since no one can redistribute vmware player, no one can resolve the dependencies and create a nice, tidy package.

As for the "virtual machine is busy" error, I got that once, but I don't know what caused it. I think it was not having Xorg or some dependency loaded but I'm not sure.

[Ulysses_]

When you do a shutdown there is an option to also do a backup.  Does that only include the home directory and the extensions, as in damnsmalllinux?  If yes, what's to stop us from also including other directories, or even the rebuilt kernel?

[danielibarnes]

The backup will include all files and directories listed in /opt/.filetool.lst. You can include whatever you want, but the more files you include the longer it takes to extract during bootup. Extensions are fast because they are simply loop mounted.