The latest version of Squid Proxy in Etch requires a 2.6 kernel. Debian no longer support 2.4 kernels. For a some reason, VMware workstation will not accept any 2.6kernel.

Squid would not start. Looking in /var/log/syslog showed: Apr 12 23:36:36 kartbuilding squid27092: Squid Parent: child process 27098 started Apr 12 23:36:36 kartbuilding (squid): comm_select_init: epoll_create(): (38) Function not implemented Apr 12 23:36:36 kartbuilding squid27092: Squid Parent: child process 27098 exited due to signal 6

Doing a google led me to this page ( http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.linux.debian.devel.bugs.general/121631 ) where it was explained that epoll() was only in the 2.6 kernel.

As much as I tried to get this VMware machine to load a 2.6 kernel it wouldnt. So I removed squid and installed it from a sarge deb. apt-get remove squid apt-get remove squid-common cp /etc/squid/squid.conf /root/ dpkg -P squid dpkg -P squid-common cd /root wget http://security.debian.org/debian-security/pool/updates/main/s/squid/squid-common_2.5.9-10sarge2_all.deb wget http://security.debian.org/debian-security/pool/updates/main/s/squid/squid_2.5.9-10sarge2_i386.deb dpkg -i squid-common_2.5.9-10sarge2_all.deb squid_2.5.9-10sarge2_i386.deb cp /root/squid.conf /etc/squid/

That solved it and got squid back working.