This page describe the install and build of vmware tools under Debian Testing (with Squeeze/Sid).
You can install the testing version of debian directly (without going through the stable version) with the install available here : http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/.
You need to install the following packages :
Attention, with the current alpha install of squeeze, the default kernel is 2.6.32-trunk which is no more available in debian repository. You have to switch to the current 2.6.
You can also install debian from the businesscard cd image which install the correct kernel image.
Follow the steps :
root@debian:~# mount /cdrom/ mount: block device /dev/sr0 is write-protected, mounting read-only root@debian:~# ls -l /cdrom/ total 102973 -r--r--r-- 1 root root 1996 21 mai 06:38 manifest.txt -r--r--r-- 1 root root 105441986 21 mai 06:38 VMwareTools-8.4.2-261024.tar.gz root@debian:~#
tar -zxvf /cdrom/VMwareTools-8.4.2-261024.tar.gz
root@debian:~/vmware-tools-distrib# ./vmware-install.pl Creating a new VMware Tools installer database using the tar4 format. Installing VMware Tools. In which directory do you want to install the binary files? [/usr/bin] What is the directory that contains the init directories (rc0.d/ to rc6.d/)? [/etc] What is the directory that contains the init scripts? [/etc/init.d] In which directory do you want to install the daemon files? [/usr/sbin] In which directory do you want to install the library files? [/usr/lib/vmware-tools] In which directory do you want to install the documentation files? [/usr/share/doc/vmware-tools] The path "/usr/share/doc/vmware-tools" does not exist currently. This program is going to create it, including needed parent directories. Is this what you want? [yes] The installation of VMware Tools 8.4.2 build-261024 for Linux completed successfully. You can decide to remove this software from your system at any time by invoking the following command: "/usr/bin/vmware-uninstall-tools.pl". Before running VMware Tools for the first time, you need to configure it by invoking the following command: "/usr/bin/vmware-config-tools.pl". Do you want this program to invoke the command for you now? [yes] Initializing... Stopping VMware Tools services in the virtual machine: Guest operating system daemon: done Virtual Printing daemon: done Unmounting HGFS shares: done Guest filesystem driver: done Before you can compile modules, you need to have the following installed... make gcc kernel headers of the running kernel Searching for GCC... Detected GCC binary at "/usr/bin/gcc-4.3". The path "/usr/bin/gcc-4.3" appears to be a valid path to the gcc binary. Would you like to change it? [no] Searching for a valid kernel header path... Detected the kernel headers of the running kernel at "/lib/modules/2.6.32-5-amd64/build/include". The path "/lib/modules/2.6.32-5-amd64/build/include" appears to be a valid path to the kernel headers of the running kernel. Would you like to change it? [no] Using 2.6.x kernel build system. make: entrant dans le répertoire « /tmp/vmware-root/modules/vmmemctl-only » make -C /lib/modules/2.6.32-5-amd64/build/include/.. SUBDIRS=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. \ MODULEBUILDDIR= modules make[1]: entrant dans le répertoire « /usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.32-5-amd64 » CC [M] /tmp/vmware-root/modules/vmmemctl-only/backdoorGcc64.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-root/modules/vmmemctl-only/os.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-root/modules/vmmemctl-only/vmballoon.o LD [M] /tmp/vmware-root/modules/vmmemctl-only/vmmemctl.o ..... ..... ..... make[1]: « postbuild » est à jour. make[1]: quittant le répertoire « /tmp/vmware-root/modules/pvscsi-only » cp -f pvscsi.ko ./../pvscsi.o make: quittant le répertoire « /tmp/vmware-root/modules/pvscsi-only » No X install found. Creating a new initrd boot image for the kernel. update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-5-amd64 Checking acpi hot plug done Starting VMware Tools services in the virtual machine: Switching to guest configuration: done Paravirtual SCSI module: done Guest filesystem driver: done Mounting HGFS shares: failed Guest memory manager: done VM communication interface: done VM communication interface socket family: done Blocking file system: done Guest operating system daemon: done Virtual Printing daemon: done The configuration of VMware Tools 8.4.2 build-261024 for Linux for this running kernel completed successfully. You must restart your X session before any mouse or graphics changes take effect. You can now run VMware Tools by invoking "/usr/bin/vmware-toolbox-cmd" from the command line or by invoking "/usr/bin/vmware-toolbox" from the command line during an X server session. To enable advanced X features (e.g., guest resolution fit, drag and drop, and file and text copy/paste), you will need to do one (or more) of the following: 1. Manually start /usr/bin/vmware-user 2. Log out and log back into your desktop session; and, 3. Restart your X session. Enjoy, --the VMware team root@debian:~/vmware-tools-distrib#