VMmon compilation failure on Kernel 5.3.0-18-generic #19-Ubuntu

[defjamuk]

Ubuntu 19.10
Kernel 5.3.0-18-generic #19-Ubuntu

Managed to to get a successful compilation against tmp/workstation-15.0.0-k5.4 using "make" and "make install".
running "sudo /etc/init.d/vmware restart" gives:

Starting VMware services:
Virtual machine monitor failed
Virtual machine communication interface done
VM communication interface socket family done
Blocking file system done
Virtual ethernet failed
VMware Authentication Daemon done

dmesg output:

[ 8503.629518] vmnet: version magic '5.0.0-25-generic SMP mod_unload ' should be '5.3.0-18-generic SMP mod_unload '
[ 8689.002384] NET: Unregistered protocol family 40
[ 8689.301000] vmmon: version magic '5.0.0-25-generic SMP mod_unload ' should be '5.3.0-18-generic SMP mod_unload '

[mkubecek]

The log message is telling you clearly what happened: the module was built against kernel 5.0.0-25-generic but you are trying to load it into version 5.3.0-18-generic. Don't forget to use VM_UNAME if you want to build modules for different kernel than you are currently running (and with the same value for make and make install).

[defjamuk]

That is the problem -- I have built it against the current kernel (5.3). I am not sure why it is saying it has built against another kernel. I will try and force it to build against a named kernel.

[defjamuk]

tried the compilation against the new kernel using make VM_UNAME='5.3.0-18-generic'
*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Branch workstation-15.0.0 has been retired on 2018-12-26 and has not been
• receiving any updates since. Please switch to latest 15.0.x version
• available.
• Latest kernel version this branch is intended to work with is 4.19.
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  make -C vmmon-only
  make[1]: Entering directory '/home/andrew/vmware-build/git/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only'
  Using kernel build system.
  make -C /lib/modules/5.3.0-18-generic/build/include/.. SUBDIRS=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/.
  MODULEBUILDDIR= modules
  make[2]: Entering directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-5.3.0-18-generic'
  Makefile:227: ================= WARNING ================
  Makefile:228: 'SUBDIRS' will be removed after Linux 5.3
  Makefile:229:
  Makefile:230: If you are building an individual subdirectory
  Makefile:231: in the kernel tree, you can do like this:
  Makefile:232: $ make path/to/dir/you/want/to/build/
  Makefile:233: (Do not forget the trailing slash)
  Makefile:234:
  Makefile:235: If you are building an external module,
  Makefile:236: Please use 'M=' or 'KBUILD_EXTMOD' instead
  Makefile:237: ==========================================
  CC [M] /home/andrew/vmware-build/git/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o
  /home/andrew/vmware-build/git/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:109:19: error: initialization of ‘vm_fault_t ()(struct vm_fault )’ {aka ‘unsigned int ()(struct vm_fault )’} from incompatible pointer type ‘int ()(struct vm_fault *)’ [-Werror=incompatible-pointer-types]
  109 | .fault = LinuxDriverFault
  | ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  /home/andrew/vmware-build/git/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:109:19: note: (near initialization for ‘vmuser_mops.fault’)
  cc1: some warnings being treated as errors
  make[3]: *** [scripts/Makefile.build:290: /home/andrew/vmware-build/git/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o] Error 1
  make[2]: *** [Makefile:1653: module/home/andrew/vmware-build/git/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only] Error 2
  make[2]: Leaving directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-5.3.0-18-generic'
  make[1]: *** [Makefile:110: vmmon.ko] Error 2
  make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/andrew/vmware-build/git/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only'
  make: *** [Makefile:21: vmmon-only] Error 2

[defjamuk]

OK -- Found the problem(s) --

1. need to build against 'tmp/workstation-15.5.0-k5.4' (not workstation-15.5.0)
2. "make install" seems to have copied the files to /lib/modules/5.3.0-18-generic/misc/
3. sudo cp /lib/modules/5.3.0-18-generic/misc/* /lib/modules/5.3.0-18-generic/. fixes this

The earlier errors I had about the magic number was because the old files were not being overwritten in the modules folder.

Thanks for all your help and contributions to this repo :) -- I now have workstation 15.5.0 working again...

[mkubecek]

The most interesting question would be who put the old modules to the top directory. Standard vmware tools (vmware-modconfig or the GUI) install them into the misc subdirectory. Also, modules should be always installed under the directory for version they are built against (and built for) so whatever tool installed 5.0.0-25-generic modules into the directory 5.3.0-18-generic is seriously broken.

In any case, it is not an issue of the contents of this repository so let's close.