Latest kernels and VMWare

[Jim Bevier]

The last couple of kernels (2396 & 2401) create a problem with the 
vmware-config.pl script.  It seems the 2.6.18 kernel mods have changed where 
the definition of "UTS_RELEASE" is stored.  It used to be in version.h, now 
it is in utsrelease.h.  Manually adding "#include utsrelase.h" to the 
version.h file gets me past this problem.  It caused vmware to not be able 
to find the proper kernel include files.  One I get past this problem vmmon 
build fine, but building vmnet aborts with "unknown symbol 
'lockdep_init_map'".  I guess this is some new kernel thing.  Does anyone 
know how to get around this error?  I like to test vmware and ntfs for each 
new kernel release.

Jim

[Tom London]

On 7/15/06, Jim Bevier <jim(a)jbsys.com&gt; wrote:
>  The last couple of kernels (2396 & 2401) create a problem with
> the
>  vmware-config.pl script.  It seems the 2.6.18 kernel mods have changed where
>  the definition of "UTS_RELEASE" is stored.  It used to be in version.h, now
>  it is in utsrelease.h.  Manually adding "#include utsrelase.h" to the
>  version.h file gets me past this problem.  It caused vmware to not be able
>  to find the proper kernel include files.  One I get past this problem vmmon
>  build fine, but building vmnet aborts with "unknown symbol
>  'lockdep_init_map'".  I guess this is some new kernel thing.  Does anyone
>  know how to get around this error?  I like to test vmware and ntfs for each
>  new kernel release.
>
>  Jim
>  
No easy way around this.....

The new kernel adds a new 'CONFIG_LOCKDEP' option that appears to add
some stuff (GPL code, I think) that 'breaks' the VMWare vmmon.

Here is a reference: http://lkml.org/lkml/2006/7/4/247

Looks like Petr (from VMWare) is working on it (I hope!).

Until then, the last kernel that I've gotten VMWare working is
kernel-2.6.17-1.2339.fc6. Don't delete that one!

tom
-- 
Tom London

[Stephen John Smoogen]

On 7/15/06, Tom London <selinux(a)gmail.com&gt; wrote:
>  On 7/15/06, Jim Bevier <jim(a)jbsys.com&gt; wrote:
>  > The last couple of kernels (2396 & 2401) create a problem with the
>  > vmware-config.pl script.  It seems the 2.6.18 kernel mods have changed where
>  > the definition of "UTS_RELEASE" is stored.  It used to be in version.h,
> now
>  > it is in utsrelease.h.  Manually adding "#include utsrelase.h" to the
>  > version.h file gets me past this problem.  It caused vmware to not be able
>  > to find the proper kernel include files.  One I get past this problem vmmon
>  > build fine, but building vmnet aborts with "unknown symbol
>  > 'lockdep_init_map'".  I guess this is some new kernel thing.  Does
> anyone
>  > know how to get around this error?  I like to test vmware and ntfs for each
>  > new kernel release.
>  >
>  > Jim
>  >
>  No easy way around this.....
>
>  The new kernel adds a new 'CONFIG_LOCKDEP' option that appears to add
>  some stuff (GPL code, I think) that 'breaks' the VMWare vmmon.
>
>  Here is a reference: http://lkml.org/lkml/2006/7/4/247
>
>  Looks like Petr (from VMWare) is working on it (I hope!).
>
>  Until then, the last kernel that I've gotten VMWare working is
>  kernel-2.6.17-1.2339.fc6. Don't delete that one!
>  
I have not had a problem with vmware for a while after using the usual
vmware-any-any.tar.gz [ http://ftp.cvut.cz/vmware/ ]

-- 
Stephen J Smoogen.
CSIRT/Linux System Administrator

[Christopher A. Williams]

On Sat, 2006-07-15 at 20:59 -0600, Stephen John Smoogen wrote:
>  On 7/15/06, Tom London <selinux(a)gmail.com&gt; wrote:
>  > On 7/15/06, Jim Bevier <jim(a)jbsys.com&gt; wrote:
>  > > The last couple of kernels (2396 & 2401) create a problem with the
>  > > vmware-config.pl script.  It seems the 2.6.18 kernel mods have changed where
>  > > the definition of "UTS_RELEASE" is stored.  It used to be in
> version.h, now
>  > > it is in utsrelease.h.  Manually adding "#include utsrelase.h" to
> the
>  > > version.h file gets me past this problem.  It caused vmware to not be able
>  > > to find the proper kernel include files.  One I get past this problem vmmon
>  > > build fine, but building vmnet aborts with "unknown symbol
>  > > 'lockdep_init_map'".  I guess this is some new kernel thing.  Does
> anyone
>  > > know how to get around this error?  I like to test vmware and ntfs for each
>  > > new kernel release.
>  > >
>  > > Jim
>  > >
>  > No easy way around this.....
>  >
>  > The new kernel adds a new 'CONFIG_LOCKDEP' option that appears to add
>  > some stuff (GPL code, I think) that 'breaks' the VMWare vmmon.
>  >
>  > Here is a reference: http://lkml.org/lkml/2006/7/4/247
>  >
>  > Looks like Petr (from VMWare) is working on it (I hope!).
>  >
>  > Until then, the last kernel that I've gotten VMWare working is
>  > kernel-2.6.17-1.2339.fc6. Don't delete that one!
>  >
>  
>  I have not had a problem with vmware for a while after using the usual
>  vmware-any-any.tar.gz [ http://ftp.cvut.cz/vmware/ ] 
Same here. Using the latest vmware-any-any.tar.gz patch on VMware
Workstation 5.5, the compiler flags a few warnings, but it compiles and
runs just fine.

I also just loaded VMware Server GA version on FC5 with the same kernel
update (2.6.17-1.2157). It compiles flawlessly out of the box with no
warnings at all (no patches required).

Cheers,

Chris

-- 
======================
"Never murder a man when he's
busy committing suicide."

-- Woodrow Wilson

[Tom London]

On 7/16/06, Christopher A. Williams <chrisw01(a)comcast.net&gt; wrote:
>  On Sat, 2006-07-15 at 20:59 -0600, Stephen John Smoogen wrote:
>  >
>  > I have not had a problem with vmware for a while after using the usual
>  > vmware-any-any.tar.gz [ http://ftp.cvut.cz/vmware/ ]
>
>  Same here. Using the latest vmware-any-any.tar.gz patch on VMware
>  Workstation 5.5, the compiler flags a few warnings, but it compiles and
>  runs just fine.
>
>  I also just loaded VMware Server GA version on FC5 with the same kernel
>  update (2.6.17-1.2157). It compiles flawlessly out of the box with no
>  warnings at all (no patches required).
>
>  Cheers,
>
>  Chris
>  
This problem occurs with post FC5 kernels (e.g., Rawhide kernels).

any-any-101 (latest) should work for any pre 2.6.18-rc1 kernel (ie.
2339 or earlier).  After that, Rawhide went to 2.6.18-rc1 kernels.

If you have this working with latest VMWware workstation and post
.2339 kernel (i.e., on 2.6.18-rc1 kernel), please post how you did
it......

Otherwise, I believe we need to await 'deeper' patching.

tom
-- 
Tom London

[Jim Bevier]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Christopher A. Williams" <chrisw01(a)comcast.net&gt;
To: "For testers of Fedora Core development releases" 
<fedora-test-list(a)redhat.com&gt;
Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2006 5:38 AM
Subject: Re: Latest kernels and VMWare


>  On Sat, 2006-07-15 at 20:59 -0600, Stephen John Smoogen wrote:
> > On 7/15/06, Tom London <selinux(a)gmail.com&gt; wrote:
> > > On 7/15/06, Jim Bevier <jim(a)jbsys.com&gt; wrote:
> > > > The last couple of kernels (2396 & 2401) create a problem with the
> > > > vmware-config.pl script.  It seems the 2.6.18 kernel mods have 
> > > > changed where
> > > > the definition of "UTS_RELEASE" is stored.  It used to be in 
> > > > version.h, now
> > > > it is in utsrelease.h.  Manually adding "#include utsrelase.h" to
> the
> > > > version.h file gets me past this problem.  It caused vmware to not be 
> > > > able
> > > > to find the proper kernel include files.  One I get past this problem 
> > > > vmmon
> > > > build fine, but building vmnet aborts with "unknown symbol
> > > > 'lockdep_init_map'".  I guess this is some new kernel thing. 
> Does 
> > > > anyone
> > > > know how to get around this error?  I like to test vmware and ntfs 
> > > > for each
> > > > new kernel release.
> > > >
> > > > Jim
> > > >
> > > No easy way around this.....
> > >
> > > The new kernel adds a new 'CONFIG_LOCKDEP' option that appears to add
> > > some stuff (GPL code, I think) that 'breaks' the VMWare vmmon.
> > >
> > > Here is a reference: http://lkml.org/lkml/2006/7/4/247
> > >
> > > Looks like Petr (from VMWare) is working on it (I hope!).
> > >
> > > Until then, the last kernel that I've gotten VMWare working is
> > > kernel-2.6.17-1.2339.fc6. Don't delete that one!
> > >
> >
> > I have not had a problem with vmware for a while after using the usual
> > vmware-any-any.tar.gz [ http://ftp.cvut.cz/vmware/ ]
>
>  Same here. Using the latest vmware-any-any.tar.gz patch on VMware
>  Workstation 5.5, the compiler flags a few warnings, but it compiles and
>  runs just fine.
>
>  I also just loaded VMware Server GA version on FC5 with the same kernel
>  update (2.6.17-1.2157). It compiles flawlessly out of the box with no
>  warnings at all (no patches required). 
I have the 101 fixes and vmware did work until the 2.6.18 mods started ~2356 
kernel I think.  Update to rawhide and you will find vmware no longer builds 
or works!  Note that I was using kernels 2396 and 2401 on FC6T1, not FC5. 
Vmware works fine on FC5.

Jim

>  Cheers,
>
>  Chris
>
>  -- 
>  ======================
>  "Never murder a man when he's
>  busy committing suicide."
>
>  -- Woodrow Wilson
>
>
>
>  -- 
>  fedora-test-list mailing list
>  fedora-test-list(a)redhat.com
>  To unsubscribe:
>  https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-test-list
>

[Tom London]

On 7/16/06, Jim Bevier <jim(a)jbsys.com&gt; wrote:
>  ----- Original Message -----
>  From: "Christopher A. Williams" <chrisw01(a)comcast.net&gt;
>  To: "For testers of Fedora Core development releases"
>  <fedora-test-list(a)redhat.com&gt;
>  Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2006 5:38 AM
>  Subject: Re: Latest kernels and VMWare
>
>
>  I have the 101 fixes and vmware did work until the 2.6.18 mods started ~2356
>  kernel I think.  Update to rawhide and you will find vmware no longer builds
>  or works!  Note that I was using kernels 2396 and 2401 on FC6T1, not FC5.
>  Vmware works fine on FC5.
>
>  Jim
>  
An update on this:

Petr (from VMWare) has prepared version 102 patches:
http://platan.vc.cvut.cz/ftp/pub/vmware/vmware-any-any-update102.tar.gz

Unfortunately, 102 does not patch things up for Rawhide kernels (just yet?).

Here are the issues:
    1. With the new 102 patches, vmware-config.pl now properly 'finds'
the proper include directory.
    2. Although there is a patch to support the 'relocation' of
utsrelease info, the trigger is based on the kernel release being
2.6.18 or higher. Since Fedora does not bump the release until the
'real release' (i.e., it stays put at 2.6.17 for 2.6.18-rcX kernels),
the trigger does not function properly.  This is a minor problem that
can be easily worked around.
    3. With workaround for 2, vmmon compiles and successfully 'insmod's.
    4. Compile of vmnet succeeds, but insmod fails due to a missing
symbol (lockdep_init_map). Appears that a kernel source code change
(or some such) is needed (replacing
EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(lockdep_init_map) with
EXPORT_SYMBOL(lockdep_init_map), perhaps).

Suggestion is to wait until 2.6.18-rc2 to try again:
http://www.vmware.com/community/message.jspa?messageID=437430#437430

Until then, I am happily running/keeping my .2339 kernel when I need
to run VMWare.

tom
-- 
Tom London

[Tom London]

An update on this:

A 'work around' has been posted at:
http://www.vmware.com/community/message.jspa?messageID=440977#440977

I've manually run the described steps in this and the previous few
posts on that topic (e.g., fixing kernel version check) and now have
VMWare up and running on -2432 kernel.

I'll probably work up a script to do this, unless the 'GPL issue'
settles quickly.....

tom
-- 
Tom London