Hidden Pre-Reqs for Sametime VMCU - Surprise!

Building out another Sametime environment this week and I hit a roadblock. Fortunately because I’m a control freak I always read along with the documentation when I do an install, no matter how many times I’ve done it before.  I do this because it’s always possible IBM have updated their documentation since I last saw it…..and so I found,  buried in the documentation here, on the install page of the VMCU.. under

Deploying -

Deploying Common Component -

Deploying Audio and Video -

Sametime Media Manager on Linux or Windows -

Installing the Sametime Media Manager’s VMCU component -

Installing the Sametime the Sametime Video MCU - Step 9)

I find this

Download and install the following prerequisite RPMs if they are not already installed.

For the list of RPMs to install, see the IBM Technote, List of RPMs to install on the Sametime Video MCU

Yes a shiny list of pre-reqs required only by the VMCU and not on the system requirements.  Unfortunately they are all fairly old RPMs and at the current site although the packages are there, they are all newer versions of the ones needed.  The tech note is very specific about that

Important: Each RPM’s file name includes a version number in the format X.X.X.Y, where X is a mandatory level that cannot be changed, and Y is a minimum level. If your RPM has a higher level for the value in the Y position, you can use it.”

So you may have zlib installed but if you have zlib-1.2.7-0.*.x86_64.rpm but the tech note calls for zlib-1.2.3-106.*.x86_64.rpm then you’re out of luck unless you can revert back to zlib-1.2.3. something

I assume the tech note (which is only a couple of weeks’ old) is a result of support having to deal with VMCU problems and determining those exact packages are needed for the VMCU to work.  It’s not a problem so long as you know about it and make sure those packages are in place before you start.

One thought on “Hidden Pre-Reqs for Sametime VMCU - Surprise!

  1. You can try firing up a test VMCU with the latest RPMs….

    Or install old RPMs and cross your fingers a newer is not required by another part of the serevr. Sounds like RPM-hell!!

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