VMware-Tools

vmware-config-tools.pl finished with “Could not find Parent Node”

September 9, 2013September 9, 2013 Christian Leave a comment

Well, today I encountered a old problem (or so I thought). Basically a specific udevadm version causes the vmware-config-tools.pl script to error out like this:

The vmblock enables dragging or copying files between host and guest in a
Fusion or Workstation virtual environment.  Do you wish to enable this feature?
[no]

!!! [EXPERIMENTAL] !!!
VMware automatic kernel modules enables automatic building and installation of
VMware kernel modules at boot that are not already present.  By selecting yes,
you will be enabling this experimental feature.  You can always disable this
feature by re-running vmware-config-tools.pl.

Would you like to enable VMware automatic kernel modules?
[no]

No X install found.

Could not find Parent Node...

The vmblock enables dragging or copying files between host and guest in a

Fusion or Workstation virtual environment. Do you wish to enable this feature?

[no]

!!! [EXPERIMENTAL] !!!

VMware automatic kernel modules enables automatic building and installation of

VMware kernel modules at boot that are not already present. By selecting yes,

you will be enabling this experimental feature. You can always disable this

feature by re-running vmware-config-tools.pl.

Would you like to enable VMware automatic kernel modules?

[no]

No X install found.

Could not find Parent Node...

I’ve had encountered this before in the past, and before there was some explanation on the VMware forums, which I couldn’t locate. Lucky me, the VMware Tools updater keeps modified versions of vmware-tools-config.pl around. So I ended up creating this short diff, so that I may find it in the future – if I still need it:

--- /usr/bin/vmware-config-tools.pl     2013-09-09 09:43:13.000000000 +0200
+++ vmware-config-tools.pl      2013-09-09 09:43:04.000000000 +0200
@@ -6880,7 +6880,7 @@
       my $txt = $1;
       if ($txt =~ m/{vendor}=="VMware/is) {
          # Get the udev device path from this node
-         if ($txt =~ m/'(.*?)':/s) {
+         if ($txt =~ m/^'(.*?)':/s) {
             unshift(@scsiNodes, $1);
             unshift(@nodeText, $txt);
          } else {

--- /usr/bin/vmware-config-tools.pl 2013-09-09 09:43:13.000000000 +0200

+++ vmware-config-tools.pl 2013-09-09 09:43:04.000000000 +0200

@@ -6880,7 +6880,7 @@

my $txt = $1;

if ($txt =~ m/{vendor}=="VMware/is) {

# Get the udev device path from this node

- if ($txt =~ m/'(.*?)':/s) {

+ if ($txt =~ m/^'(.*?)':/s) {

unshift(@scsiNodes, $1);

unshift(@nodeText, $txt);

} else {

KMP: Define a new subpkg template

October 24, 2009June 21, 2013 Christian Leave a comment

There might be reasons, you’d wish you could make the kernel module package do other things. Two already pop into my head: 1) The mpp-Image upgrades for the ibm-rdac kernel module packages and 2) the “adjustments” which need to be done post install for the VMware kernel module package in /etc/vmware-tools/locations.

What you basically do is this:

Add the new subpkg template to your sources list
Call the %suse_kernel_module_package macro with the option -s and then add your source number

For me this looks like this:

...
Source4:          vmxnet.tar
Source5:          preamble
Source6:          subpkg
...
%suse_kernel_module_package -p %{S:5} -s %{S:6} um

...

Source4: vmxnet.tar

Source5: preamble

Source6: subpkg

...

%suse_kernel_module_package -p %{S:5} -s %{S:6} um

After that, you just need to copy over /usr/lib/rpm/rpm-suse-kernel-module-subpackage to /usr/src/packages/SOURCES/subpkg and make your adjustments to that copy.

For example the diff between those two could look like this:

--- /usr/lib/rpm/rpm-suse-kernel-module-subpackage
+++ /usr/src/packages/SOURCES/subpkg
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@
 &#039; $spec
 )
 Provides: %{-n*} = %(echo %{-v*}-%3 | tr - _)
-Requires: kernel-%1
-AutoReqProv: on
+Requires: kernel-%1 = %( echo %2 | sed &quot;s,-%1,,&quot; )
+AutoReqProv: off
 %{-p:%{expand:%(cd %_sourcedir; cat %{-p*})}}
 %description -n %{-n*}-%1
 %(
@@ -77,6 +77,21 @@
        done
     fi
 fi
+if [ -f /etc/vmware-tools/locations ] ; then
+  for kmodule in ${modules[@]}; do
+    echo &quot;file $kmodule $( stat -c %Y $kmodule )&quot; 
+      &gt;&gt; /etc/vmware-tools/locations
+    echo &quot;file $( echo $kmodule | 
+      sed -e &quot;s,.ko,.o,&quot; -e &quot;s,updates,misc,&quot; )&quot; 
+      &gt;&gt; /etc/vmware-tools/locations
+    echo &quot;answer $( echo ${kmodule##*/} | sed -e &quot;s,.ko,,&quot; | 
+      tr &#039;[:lower:]&#039; &#039;[:upper:]&#039; )_CONFED yes&quot; 
+      &gt;&gt; /etc/vmware-tools/locations
+  done
+
+  [ -f /etc/vmware-tools/not_configured ] &amp;&amp; 
+    rm -f /etc/vmware-tools/not_configured
+fi
 %{-i:%{expand:%(cd %_sourcedir; cat %{-i*})}}
 %preun -n %{-n*}-%1
 version=%(echo %{-v*}-%3 | tr - _)
@@ -116,8 +131,29 @@
        done
     fi
 fi
+if [ -f /etc/vmware-tools/locations ] ; then
+  for kmodule in ${modules[@]}; do
+    MOD=&quot;$( echo ${kmodule##*/} | sed -e &quot;s,.ko,,&quot; | 
+      tr &#039;[:lower:]&#039; &#039;[:upper:]&#039; )_CONFED yes&quot;
+    [ -n &quot;$( grep &quot;$MOD&quot; /etc/vmware-tools/locations )&quot; ] &amp;&amp; 
+      sed -i &quot;/$MOD/d&quot; /etc/vmware-tools/locations
+
+    [ -n &quot;$( grep &quot;file $kmodule&quot; /etc/vmware-tools/locations )&quot; ] &amp;&amp; 
+      sed -i &quot;/file ${kmodule////\/}.*/d&quot;  /etc/vmware-tools/locations
+
+    MOD=&quot;$( echo $kmodule | sed -e &quot;s,.ko,.o,&quot; -e &quot;s,updates,misc,&quot; )&quot;
+    [ -n &quot;$( grep &quot;file $MOD&quot; /etc/vmware-tools/locations )&quot; ] &amp;&amp; 
+      sed -i &quot;/file $( echo $MOD | sed -e &quot;s,/,\/,g&quot; )/d&quot; 
+        /etc/vmware-tools/locations
+  done
+
+  [ ! -f /etc/vmware-tools/not_configured ] &amp;&amp; 
+    touch /etc/vmware-tools/not_configured
+fi
 %{-u:%{expand:%(cd %_sourcedir; cat %{-u*})}}
 %files -n %{-n*}-%1
 %{-f:%{expand:%(cd %_sourcedir; cat %{-f*})}}
 %{!-f:%defattr (-,root,root)}
 %{!-f:/lib/modules/%2}
+
+# vim: set syntax=on ft=sh :

--- /usr/lib/rpm/rpm-suse-kernel-module-subpackage

+++ /usr/src/packages/SOURCES/subpkg

@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@

' $spec

)

Provides: %{-n*} = %(echo %{-v*}-%3 | tr - _)

-Requires: kernel-%1

-AutoReqProv: on

+Requires: kernel-%1 = %( echo %2 | sed "s,-%1,," )

+AutoReqProv: off

%{-p:%{expand:%(cd %_sourcedir; cat %{-p*})}}

%description -n %{-n*}-%1

@@ -77,6 +77,21 @@

done

+if [ -f /etc/vmware-tools/locations ] ; then

+ for kmodule in ${modules[@]}; do

+ echo "file $kmodule $( stat -c %Y $kmodule )"

+ >> /etc/vmware-tools/locations

+ echo "file $( echo $kmodule |

+ sed -e "s,.ko,.o," -e "s,updates,misc," )"

+ >> /etc/vmware-tools/locations

+ echo "answer $( echo ${kmodule##*/} | sed -e "s,.ko,," |

+ tr '[:lower:]' '[:upper:]' )_CONFED yes"

+ >> /etc/vmware-tools/locations

+ done

+ [ -f /etc/vmware-tools/not_configured ] &&

+ rm -f /etc/vmware-tools/not_configured

+fi

%{-i:%{expand:%(cd %_sourcedir; cat %{-i*})}}

%preun -n %{-n*}-%1

version=%(echo %{-v*}-%3 | tr - _)

@@ -116,8 +131,29 @@

done

+if [ -f /etc/vmware-tools/locations ] ; then

+ for kmodule in ${modules[@]}; do

+ MOD="$( echo ${kmodule##*/} | sed -e "s,.ko,," |

+ tr '[:lower:]' '[:upper:]' )_CONFED yes"

+ [ -n "$( grep "$MOD" /etc/vmware-tools/locations )" ] &&

+ sed -i "/$MOD/d" /etc/vmware-tools/locations

+ [ -n "$( grep "file $kmodule" /etc/vmware-tools/locations )" ] &&

+ sed -i "/file ${kmodule////\/}.*/d" /etc/vmware-tools/locations

+ MOD="$( echo $kmodule | sed -e "s,.ko,.o," -e "s,updates,misc," )"

+ [ -n "$( grep "file $MOD" /etc/vmware-tools/locations )" ] &&

+ sed -i "/file $( echo $MOD | sed -e "s,/,\/,g" )/d"

+ /etc/vmware-tools/locations

+ done

+ [ ! -f /etc/vmware-tools/not_configured ] &&

+ touch /etc/vmware-tools/not_configured

+fi

%{-u:%{expand:%(cd %_sourcedir; cat %{-u*})}}

%files -n %{-n*}-%1

%{-f:%{expand:%(cd %_sourcedir; cat %{-f*})}}

%{!-f:%defattr (-,root,root)}

%{!-f:/lib/modules/%2}

+# vim: set syntax=on ft=sh :

This is my final version of the subpkg template and I hopefully demonstrated how powerful a customized subpkg template can be!

Autoinstalling VMware-Tools

October 13, 2009August 8, 2014 Christian Leave a comment

As I wrote before, I have been working on our AutoYaST setup. That entitles determining whether or not we’re currently inside a VMware environment. AutoYaST rules wise, that’s pretty easy (even though the MAC-tag is empty :shock:):

     &lt;!-- Addons: Install VMware Tools / KMP --&gt;
    &lt;rule&gt;
      &lt;custom1&gt;
        &lt;script&gt;
if ip a | grep "link/ether 00:50:56" &gt;/dev/null ; then
  echo -n vmware
fi;
        &lt;/script&gt;
        &lt;match&gt;*&lt;/match&gt;
        &lt;match_type&gt;exact&lt;/match_type&gt;
      &lt;/custom1&gt;
      &lt;result&gt;
        &lt;profile&gt;addons/@custom1@.xml&lt;/profile&gt;
      &lt;/result&gt;
    &lt;/rule&gt;

<rule>

if ip a | grep "link/ether 00:50:56" >/dev/null ; then

echo -n vmware

fi;

</script>

<match_type>exact</match_type>

</custom1>

<profile>addons/@custom1@.xml</profile>

</result>

</rule>

The hard part is figuring out ways, to make the VMware Tools installation as pain free as possible. One thing I can’t do, is running vmware-config-tools.pl …

Since I already install my VMware-Tools Kernel modules package, I really don’t need to. I just needed to find out, what exactly the configuration script does in order to enable the loading of the modules through the init-script.

Finding that out is rather easy, just copy /etc/vmware-tools/locations to locations.orig on a freshly installed system, run vmware-config-tools.pl and then run a diff of those two files.

--- /etc/vmware-tools/locations.orig
+++ /etc/vmware-tools/locations
@@ -68,3 +68,110 @@
 file /usr/bin/vmware-hgfsclient
 remove_file /sbin/mount.vmhgfs
 file /sbin/mount.vmhgfs
+file /lib/modules/2.6.27.19-5-pae/misc/vmmemctl.o 1255413193
+file /lib/modules/2.6.27.19-5-pae/misc/vmmemctl.ko
+answer VMMEMCTL_CONFED yes
+file /lib/modules/2.6.27.19-5-pae/misc/vmhgfs.o 1255413195
+file /lib/modules/2.6.27.19-5-pae/misc/vmhgfs.ko
+answer VMHGFS_CONFED yes
+file /lib/modules/2.6.27.19-5-pae/misc/vmxnet.o 1255413196
+file /lib/modules/2.6.27.19-5-pae/misc/vmxnet.ko
+answer VMXNET_CONFED yes
+file /lib/modules/2.6.27.19-5-pae/misc/vmblock.o 1255413196
+file /lib/modules/2.6.27.19-5-pae/misc/vmblock.ko
+answer VMBLOCK_CONFED yes
+file /etc/vmware-tools/tools.conf 1255413196
+file /etc/vmware-tools/xautostart.conf 1255413196

--- /etc/vmware-tools/locations.orig

+++ /etc/vmware-tools/locations

@@ -68,3 +68,110 @@

file /usr/bin/vmware-hgfsclient

remove_file /sbin/mount.vmhgfs

file /sbin/mount.vmhgfs

+file /lib/modules/2.6.27.19-5-pae/misc/vmmemctl.o 1255413193

+file /lib/modules/2.6.27.19-5-pae/misc/vmmemctl.ko

+answer VMMEMCTL_CONFED yes

+file /lib/modules/2.6.27.19-5-pae/misc/vmhgfs.o 1255413195

+file /lib/modules/2.6.27.19-5-pae/misc/vmhgfs.ko

+answer VMHGFS_CONFED yes

+file /lib/modules/2.6.27.19-5-pae/misc/vmxnet.o 1255413196

+file /lib/modules/2.6.27.19-5-pae/misc/vmxnet.ko

+answer VMXNET_CONFED yes

+file /lib/modules/2.6.27.19-5-pae/misc/vmblock.o 1255413196

+file /lib/modules/2.6.27.19-5-pae/misc/vmblock.ko

+answer VMBLOCK_CONFED yes

+file /etc/vmware-tools/tools.conf 1255413196

+file /etc/vmware-tools/xautostart.conf 1255413196

There is a lot more within that diff, but the important part about those changes are the CONFED parts. Apparently it’s completely enough (at least for the VMware Tools of ESX 3.5u4) to add those to the locations file. *Tada*

Once you start /etc/init.d/vmware-tools the next time, it’ll load the modules.

Novell KMP: vmware-tools-kmp and ibm-lin_tape-kmp

May 10, 2009August 8, 2014 Christian Leave a comment

Disclaimer: I don’t take any responsibility for faults within the software, I just provide the RPM’s! Feel free to ask me about stuff concerning these RPM’s, but I ain’t accountable if your stuff goes kaboom … Oh, and those RPM’s aren’t recommended or supported by Novell or IBM!

After working with the novell-kmp solution, I think it’s actually rather easy to create a “Kernel Module Package“. In the end, I created two additional KMP’s, one for the tools component of the VMware-Tools shipped with VMware ESX, and another for the lin_tape SCSI driver, used by our IBM TS3400 as well as the IBM TS7530.

Some parts (especially the build system used within the VMware kernel modules) took some figuring out/playing around, but I actually got it working. Now each time I update the VMware-Tools I just need to install the new RPM, tada! No need for a fully fledged build environment on every box.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10:

ibm-lin_tape-1.24.0_2.6.16.60_0.37_f594963d-0.1 (i586, x86_64, ~~SRPM~~)
- ibm-lin_tape-kmp-bigsmp (i586)
- ibm-lin_tape-kmp-debug (i586, x86_64)
- ibm-lin_tape-kmp-default (i586, x86_64)
- ibm-lin_tape-kmp-kdump (i586, x86_64)
- ibm-lin_tape-kmp-kdumppae (i586)
- ibm-lin_tape-kmp-smp (i586, x86_64)
- ibm-lin_tape-kmp-vmi (i586)
- ibm-lin_tape-kmp-vmipae (i586)
vmware-tools-kmp-3.5.0_153875_2.6.16.60_0.37_f594963d-0.1 (~~SRPM~~)
- vmware-tools-kmp-bigsmp (i586)
- vmware-tools-kmp-debug (i586, x86_64)
- vmware-tools-kmp-default (i586, x86_64)
- vmware-tools-kmp-kdump (i586, x86_64)
- vmware-tools-kmp-kdumppae (i586)
- vmware-tools-kmp-smp (i586, x86_64)
- vmware-tools-kmp-vmi (i586)
- vmware-tools-kmp-vmipae (i586)
- vmware-tools-kmp-xen (i586, x86_64)
- vmware-tools-kmp-xenpae (i586)

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11:

ibm-lin_tape-1.24.0_2.6.27.21_0.1-0.1 (i586, x86_64, ~~SRPM~~)
- ibm-lin_tape-kmp-debug (i586, x86_64)
- ibm-lin_tape-kmp-default (i586, x86_64)
- ibm-lin_tape-kmp-pae (i586)
- ibm-lin_tape-kmp-trace (i586)
- ibm-lin_tape-kmp-vm (i586, x86_64)
vmware-tools-kmp-3.5.0_153875_2.6.27.21_0.1-0.1 (~~SRPM~~)
- vmware-tools-kmp-debug (i586, x86_64)
- vmware-tools-kmp-default (i586, x86_64)
- vmware-tools-kmp-pae (i586)
- vmware-tools-kmp-trace (i586, x86_64)
- vmware-tools-kmp-vmi (i586)
- vmware-tools-kmp-xen (i586, x86_64)