open-vm-tools-devel

[open-vm-tools-devel] Gentoo integration

[Elias P. <ma...@el...>]

Hi,

we're currently developing an open-vm-tools ebuild for inclusion into Gento=
o=20
Linux.
The development progress can be tracked here:
http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=3D192377

Our current blockers are:
=2D it doesn't build without X (missing libXrandr and probably libXtst too)=
,=20
although --disable-x and --without-multimon was given as argument=20
to ./configure
=2D the xferlogs tool which is mentioned in the packaging guide isn't inclu=
ded=20
in the sources - what happened to this tool?
=2D the file 'guestlib.so' isn't built - couldn't figure out why yet..

If anybody knows how to solve some of this points we'd be glad!

We're also doing some additional patching, maybe some of this changes sound=
=20
useful to the upstream developers for changing/including them.
=2D disabling the toolbox when X is not used (I'd wish to do this using=20
a ./configure argument like --disable-toolbox)
=2D modification of the VmwareDnD path, as /tmp is rather stupid if the use=
r=20
uses scripts which clean up /tmp on startup or similar. We're using=20
now /var/tmp/vmware/dnd. Would be nice as ./configure argument=20
like --dnd-dir=3D/var/foobar.
=2D Gentoo specific initscript for the vmware-guestd (dummy replacement com=
ing=20
soon...)

Regards, Elias P.


=2D-=20
A really nice number:
"09:F9:11:02:9D:74:E3:5B:D8:41:56:C5:63:56:88:C0"

Re: [open-vm-tools-devel] Gentoo integration - mail encoding

[Elias P. <ma...@el...>]

It seems Sourceforge has some problems detecting my mail encoding.
To see the bug at the Gentoo bugtracker, go to http://bugs.gentoo.org and=20
enter the number 192377 (one nine two three seven seven).

Regards, Elias P.

On Saturday 15 September 2007 05:22:43 Elias Probst wrote:
> Hi,
>
> we're currently developing an open-vm-tools ebuild for inclusion into
> Gentoo Linux.
> The development progress can be tracked here:
> http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=3D192377
>
> Our current blockers are:
> - it doesn't build without X (missing libXrandr and probably libXtst too),
> although --disable-x and --without-multimon was given as argument
> to ./configure
> - the xferlogs tool which is mentioned in the packaging guide isn't
> included in the sources - what happened to this tool?
> - the file 'guestlib.so' isn't built - couldn't figure out why yet..
>
> If anybody knows how to solve some of this points we'd be glad!
>
> We're also doing some additional patching, maybe some of this changes sou=
nd
> useful to the upstream developers for changing/including them.
> - disabling the toolbox when X is not used (I'd wish to do this using
> a ./configure argument like --disable-toolbox)
> - modification of the VmwareDnD path, as /tmp is rather stupid if the user
> uses scripts which clean up /tmp on startup or similar. We're using
> now /var/tmp/vmware/dnd. Would be nice as ./configure argument
> like --dnd-dir=3D/var/foobar.
> - Gentoo specific initscript for the vmware-guestd (dummy replacement
> coming soon...)
>
> Regards, Elias P.


=2D-=20
A really nice number:
"09:F9:11:02:9D:74:E3:5B:D8:41:56:C5:63:56:88:C0"

Re: [open-vm-tools-devel] Gentoo integration

[Adar D. <ad...@vm...>]

> we're currently developing an open-vm-tools ebuild for=20
> inclusion into Gentoo=20
> Linux.
> The development progress can be tracked here:
> http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=3D192377

Cool, thanks for letting us know. Did you find the packaging guidelines
useful? Was there anything that could have used clarification?

> Our current blockers are:
> - it doesn't build without X (missing libXrandr and probably=20
> libXtst too),=20
> although --disable-x and --without-multimon was given as argument=20
> to ./configure

As you said towards the end of your e-mail, adding a --disable-X =
configure
option sounds like a good idea, though I think you'll need to disable =
both
the toolbox and vmware-user (there may be some usable pieces of =
vmware-user
that could build without the X devel libraries; I'm not sure).=20

> - the xferlogs tool which is mentioned in the packaging guide=20
> isn't included=20
> in the sources - what happened to this tool?

I see it mentioned in the packaging guidelines, but it's not in the =
source.
I'll look into this...

> - the file 'guestlib.so' isn't built - couldn't figure out why yet..

Can you provide the build output? Is there some kind of error?

> We're also doing some additional patching, maybe some of this=20
> changes sound=20
> useful to the upstream developers for changing/including them.
> - disabling the toolbox when X is not used (I'd wish to do this using=20
> a ./configure argument like --disable-toolbox)
> - modification of the VmwareDnD path, as /tmp is rather=20
> stupid if the user=20
> uses scripts which clean up /tmp on startup or similar. We're using=20
> now /var/tmp/vmware/dnd. Would be nice as ./configure argument=20
> like --dnd-dir=3D/var/foobar.
> - Gentoo specific initscript for the vmware-guestd (dummy=20
> replacement coming=20
> soon...)

In general we'd like to accept patches, though we still don't have the
infrastructure for it. We're working on putting together the =
contribution
agreement, and we still need to get source control up and running. Stay =
tuned
for updates on that.

For now, make whatever changes you need on your end, and when we can =
take
patches, you'll be able to remove yours.

BTW, the reason VMwareDnD lives in /tmp is because it serves as the =
staging
directory for files that have been dropped into the guest. These files =
should
be wiped at startup time, otherwise they'll accumulate and fill up the =
disk.
Unfortunately, the DnD protocol doesn't specify any kind of lifespan for
dropped files, so we must keep them around until no application could
possibly use them anymore (such as at reboot time).

Re: [open-vm-tools-devel] Gentoo integration

[Elias P. <ma...@el...>]

On Sunday 16 September 2007 07:57:38 Adar Dembo wrote:
> > we're currently developing an open-vm-tools ebuild for
> > inclusion into Gentoo
> > Linux.
> > The development progress can be tracked here:
> > http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=192377
>
> Cool, thanks for letting us know. Did you find the packaging guidelines
> useful? Was there anything that could have used clarification?

Yeah, the packaging guidelines were really helpful! Wouldn't have managed it 
at all without them. Thanks for this nice documentation.
A little bit more clarification is needed, which tools are only needed in X 
environments.

> > Our current blockers are:
> > - it doesn't build without X (missing libXrandr and probably
> > libXtst too),
> > although --disable-x and --without-multimon was given as argument
> > to ./configure
>
> As you said towards the end of your e-mail, adding a --disable-X configure
> option sounds like a good idea, though I think you'll need to disable both
> the toolbox and vmware-user (there may be some usable pieces of vmware-user
> that could build without the X devel libraries; I'm not sure).

Is there a way to configure the tools without X (i.e. time sync between host & 
guest)?

> > - the file 'guestlib.so' isn't built - couldn't figure out why yet..
>
> Can you provide the build output? Is there some kind of error?

I've attached a complete buildlog (with-X-but-no-guestlib.txt) to this mail. 
I've also attached a buildlog of a failing compilation without X libs 
(without-X.txt).
Hope this helps finding the problem. If you guys need a developer access to a 
Gentoo box, contact me directly and I'll provide SSH access.


> BTW, the reason VMwareDnD lives in /tmp is because it serves as the staging
> directory for files that have been dropped into the guest. These files
> should be wiped at startup time, otherwise they'll accumulate and fill up
> the disk. Unfortunately, the DnD protocol doesn't specify any kind of
> lifespan for dropped files, so we must keep them around until no
> application could possibly use them anymore (such as at reboot time).

Ok, you're right. I've reverted this behaviour to the default one.

Regards, Elias P.


-- 
A really nice number:
"09:F9:11:02:9D:74:E3:5B:D8:41:56:C5:63:56:88:C0"

Re: [open-vm-tools-devel] Gentoo integration

[Adar D. <ad...@vm...>]

Looks like your e-mail was too large (40KB max? Hmm...), but I'll reply =
to it
on-list in case it'll help others.

> > > we're currently developing an open-vm-tools ebuild for
> > > inclusion into Gentoo
> > > Linux.
> > > The development progress can be tracked here:
> > > http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=3D192377
> >
> > Cool, thanks for letting us know. Did you find the=20
> packaging guidelines
> > useful? Was there anything that could have used clarification?
>=20
> Yeah, the packaging guidelines were really helpful! Wouldn't=20
> have managed it=20
> at all without them. Thanks for this nice documentation.
> A little bit more clarification is needed, which tools are=20
> only needed in X=20
> environments.

OK, I'll update the wiki.

> > > Our current blockers are:
> > > - it doesn't build without X (missing libXrandr and probably
> > > libXtst too),
> > > although --disable-x and --without-multimon was given as argument
> > > to ./configure
> >
> > As you said towards the end of your e-mail, adding a=20
> --disable-X configure
> > option sounds like a good idea, though I think you'll need=20
> to disable both
> > the toolbox and vmware-user (there may be some usable=20
> pieces of vmware-user
> > that could build without the X devel libraries; I'm not sure).
>=20
> Is there a way to configure the tools without X (i.e. time=20
> sync between host &=20
> guest)?

Yeah, though it's not completely intuitive. See pages 144-146 in the WS6
manual (http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ws6_manual.pdf).

> > > - the file 'guestlib.so' isn't built - couldn't figure=20
> out why yet..
> >
> > Can you provide the build output? Is there some kind of error?
>=20
> I've attached a complete buildlog=20
> (with-X-but-no-guestlib.txt) to this mail.=20
> I've also attached a buildlog of a failing compilation without X libs=20
> (without-X.txt).
> Hope this helps finding the problem. If you guys need a=20
> developer access to a=20
> Gentoo box, contact me directly and I'll provide SSH access.

>From the logs:

i686-pc-linux-gnu-gcc -shared  .libs/vmGuestLib.o =
.libs/vmGuestLibPanic.o
.libs/stubs.o -Wl,--whole-archive ../lib/rpcOut/shared/.libs/libRpcOut.a
../lib/string/shared/.libs/libString.a
../lib/message/shared/.libs/libMessage.a
../lib/backdoor/shared/.libs/libBackdoor.a -Wl,--no-whole-archive
-march=3Dnocona -msse3 -Wl,-z -Wl,defs -Wl,-lc -Wl,-soname =
-Wl,libguestlib.so.0
-o .libs/libguestlib.so.0.0.0
(cd .libs && rm -f libguestlib.so.0 && ln -s libguestlib.so.0.0.0
libguestlib.so.0)
(cd .libs && rm -f libguestlib.so && ln -s libguestlib.so.0.0.0
libguestlib.so)

It should be libguestlib.so.0.0.0 inside libguestlib/.libs.