When pkg_add installing perl, compat6x-i386 or compat6x-amd64 on FreeBSD 7.x or 8.x or 9.0 or 9.1 or 9.2, fails with error "Unable to get ftp"

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

This article provides information on how to install VMware Tools on FreeBSD7.x, 8.x, 9.0, 9.1, 9.2 need perl, compat6x-i386 or compat6x-amd64 pre- installed.

Symptoms:
When you install the packages perl, compat6x-i386 or compat6x-amd64 using pkg_add on FreeBSD 7.x or 8.x or 9.0 or 9.1 or 9.2, you see an error similar to:

"Unable to get ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/amd64/packages-7.4-release/Latest/perl.tbz: Connection reset by peer
pkg_add: unable to fetch 'ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/amd64/packages-7.4-release/Latest/perl.tbz' by URL"

Note: FreeBSD ended support for 7.x on February 28, 2013, 8.x on August 1, 2015, 9.0 on March 31, 2013, 9.1 and 9.2 on December 31, 2014.

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 6.0
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.0
VMware vSphere ESXi 6.5
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.5
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.1

Cause

This issue occurs because the FreeBSD community ended support for FreeBSD 7.x and 8.x, 9.0, 9.1, 9.2 users would get an error like the following one when trying to install required packages with pkg_add before VMware Tools installation. It prompts the URL of:
ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/amd64/packages-7.4-release/
(ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/amd64/packages-7.4-release/) not found.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, change the default set binary .tbz packages repository.

1. Log into SSH client or terminal session and use the csh / bash PACKAGESITE variable
   • For csh type, run these command for FreeBSD 7.x (replace below 7.4 with 7.0, or 7.1, or 7.2, or 7.3 for other corresponding FreeBSD 7.x version):
     
     #setenv PACKAGESITE ftp://ftp-archive.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD-Archive/ports/amd64/packages-7.4-release/Latest/ 
     Or
     #setenv PACKAGESITE ftp://ftp-archive.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD-Archive/ports/i386/packages-7.4-release/Latest/  
   • Run these command for FreeBSD 8.x (replace below 8.4 with 8.0, or 8.1, or 8.2, or 8.3 for other corresponding FreeBSD 8.x version):
     
     #setenv PACKAGESITE ftp://ftp-archive.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD-Archive/ports/i386/packages-8.4-release/Latest/ 
     Or
     #setenv PACKAGESITE ftp://ftp-archive.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD-Archive/ports/amd64/packages-8.4-release/Latest/
   • For FreeBSD 9.0, 9.1.9.2 (replace below 9.2 with 9.0, or 9.1 for other corresponding FreeBSD 9.x version):
     
     #setenv PACKAGESITE ftp://ftp-archive.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD-Archive/ports/i386/packages-9.2-release/Latest/ 
     Or
     #setenv PACKAGESITE ftp://ftp-archive.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD-Archive/ports/amd64/packages-9.2-release/Latest/

       2. Then install the required packages for VMware Tools:

#pkg_add -vr perl
#pkg_add -vr compat6x-i386

Or 

#pkg_add -vr compat6x-amd64

Additional Information

Impact/Risks:
ESXi, Workstation and Fusion are affected.