Installing VMware tool on Symantec Security Information Manager 4.7.4 fails

Products

• Security Information Manager

Issue/Introduction

When installing VMWare Tools on a fresh installation of SSIM 4.7.4 on ESX 4.1, you get the following error message: "No module megasr found for kernel 2.6.9-100.ELsmp, aborting."  VMware Tools installation then aborts

 

The full error message is :

The VMware pvscsi module is only supported on kernel version 2.6.18 and newer.
No X install found.

Creating a new initrd boot image for the kernel.
No module megasr found for kernel 2.6.9-100.ELsmp, aborting.
ERROR: "/sbin/mkinitrd -f  --with=vmxnet   --with=vmxnet3
/boot/initrd-2.6.9-100.ELsmp.img 2.6.9-100.ELsmp" exited with non-zero status.

Your system currently may not have a functioning init image and may not boot
properly.  DO NOT REBOOT!  Please ensure that you have enough free space
available in your /boot directory and run this configuration script again.

 

Resolution

When the VMware tool fails the installation it creates a backup of the file : /etc/modprobe.conf.BeforeVMwareToolsInstall

Warning : Before doing any command as a root make sure you have a backup and you are familiar with unix command line.

• List the file in the /etc folder:

run as root 'ls -l /etc/modprobe.conf*'

• If you have a file called /etc/modprobe.conf.BeforeVMwareToolsInstall that means you have a failed vmware install. If you do, follow these steps:

Rename called /etc/modprobe.conf (before doing this step make sure you have)

run as root 'mv /etc/modprobe.conf /etc/modprobe.conf.orig'

Replace the backup from VMware install:

run as root 'mv /etc/modprobe.conf.BeforeVMwareToolsInstall /etc/modprobe.conf'

• If you don't have a file called /etc/modprobe.conf.BeforeVMwareToolsInstall that means you have not run VMware install yet, so follow these steps

run as root 'cp /etc/modprobe.conf /etc/modprobe.conf.orig' (always make backup of file before editing)

•  Edit /etc/modprobe.conf
• Run as root 'vi /etc/modprobe.conf' 

Place a “#” before the first line in the file, which should be “alias scsi_hostadapter megasr”.  The line should look like this (including the “#”):
# alias scsi_hostadapter megasr

Save the file (escape :wq!)

• Re-run VMware tool installation