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1 2 Previous Next 16 Replies Last post: Feb 6, 2009 5:06 PM by nick.couchman

GPL Components - Build ESX Drivers? posted: Jan 9, 2009 2:42 PM

nick.couchman

4,969 posts since
Jan 13, 2006

I recently downloaded the GPL components from the VMware VI3 download site. One of the tarballs in that file is the Open Source pieces of the ESX drivers. Along with this is a script called build-vmkdrivers.sh. I've tried running this script, and it results in many, many errors and absolutely no correct builds. I'm running it on a CentOS 3.9 system, similar to the RHEL3 base that is used for the Service Console, and I've tried using GCC 3.2.3 (included in CentOS3) and GCC 3.3.6, to no avail. Here's a very small sample of the types of errors I get:

** Compiling drivers/block/cciss/cciss.c
In file included from src/include/linux/module.h:11,
from src/drivers/block/cciss/cciss.c:24:
src/include/linux/spinlock.h:124: error: syntax error before '*' token
src/include/linux/spinlock.h: In function `vmk_spin_is_locked_by_my_cpu':
src/include/linux/spinlock.h:126: error: `lock' undeclared (first use in this function)
src/include/linux/spinlock.h:126: error: (Each undeclared identifier is reported only once
src/include/linux/spinlock.h:126: error: for each function it appears in.)
In file included from src/include/linux/module.h:11,
from src/drivers/block/cciss/cciss.c:24:
src/include/linux/spinlock.h: At top level:
src/include/linux/spinlock.h:230: error: syntax error before "spinlock_t"
In file included from src/include/linux/module.h:11,
from src/drivers/block/cciss/cciss.c:24:
src/include/linux/spinlock.h:237: error: syntax error before "spinlock_t"
src/include/linux/spinlock.h:239: error: syntax error before '}' token
In file included from src/include/linux/fs.h:12,
from src/include/linux/capability.h:17,
from src/include/linux/binfmts.h:4,
from src/include/linux/sched.h:10,
from src/include/linux/mm.h:22,
from src/include/linux/slab.h:14,
from src/drivers/block/cciss/cciss.c:29:
src/include/linux/wait.h:90: error: syntax error before "spinlock_t"
src/include/linux/wait.h:102: error: syntax error before '}' token
src/include/linux/wait.h: In function `init_waitqueue_head':
src/include/linux/wait.h:194: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
src/include/linux/wait.h:199: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
src/include/linux/wait.h:199: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
src/include/linux/wait.h:199: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
src/include/linux/wait.h:199: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
src/include/linux/wait.h:205: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
src/include/linux/wait.h: In function `waitqueue_active':
src/include/linux/wait.h:253: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
src/include/linux/wait.h: In function `__add_wait_queue':
src/include/linux/wait.h:266: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
src/include/linux/wait.h: In function `__add_wait_queue_tail':
src/include/linux/wait.h:283: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type

I've also tried building these in the service console on one of my ESX hosts, but I get similar errors:

** Compiling drivers/block/cciss/cciss.c
In file included from src/include/linux/module.h:11,
from src/drivers/block/cciss/cciss.c:24:
src/include/linux/spinlock.h:124: syntax error before '*' token
src/include/linux/spinlock.h: In function `vmk_spin_is_locked_by_my_cpu':
src/include/linux/spinlock.h:126: `lock' undeclared (first use in this function)
src/include/linux/spinlock.h:126: (Each undeclared identifier is reported only once
src/include/linux/spinlock.h:126: for each function it appears in.)
In file included from src/include/linux/module.h:11,
from src/drivers/block/cciss/cciss.c:24:
src/include/linux/spinlock.h: At top level:
src/include/linux/spinlock.h:230: syntax error before "spinlock_t"
In file included from src/include/linux/module.h:11,
from src/drivers/block/cciss/cciss.c:24:
src/include/linux/spinlock.h:237: syntax error before "spinlock_t"
src/include/linux/spinlock.h:239: syntax error before '}' token
In file included from src/include/linux/fs.h:12,
from src/include/linux/capability.h:17,
from src/include/linux/binfmts.h:4,
from src/include/linux/sched.h:10,
from src/include/linux/mm.h:22,
from src/include/linux/slab.h:14,
from src/drivers/block/cciss/cciss.c:29:
src/include/linux/wait.h:90: syntax error before "spinlock_t"
src/include/linux/wait.h:102: syntax error before '}' token
src/include/linux/wait.h: In function `init_waitqueue_head':
src/include/linux/wait.h:194: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
src/include/linux/wait.h:199: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
src/include/linux/wait.h:199: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
src/include/linux/wait.h:199: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
src/include/linux/wait.h:199: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
src/include/linux/wait.h:205: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
src/include/linux/wait.h: In function `waitqueue_active':
src/include/linux/wait.h:253: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
src/include/linux/wait.h: In function `__add_wait_queue':
src/include/linux/wait.h:266: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
src/include/linux/wait.h: In function `__add_wait_queue_tail':
src/include/linux/wait.h:283: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type

I was wondering if anyone has successfully built these drivers from the provided source, or if you're even supposed to be able to build from these sources, and how, or if providing this is just VMware complying with a formality and you're not really supposed to be able to do anything with those sources?

Thanks - Nick

Tags: esx, gpl, source, compile, drivers

Re: GPL Components - Build ESX Drivers?

1. Jan 10, 2009 6:02 AM

in response to: nick.couchman

Texiwill

10,432 posts since
Jan 13, 2004

Hello,

You will most likely also need the VMware DDK. Access to this however is limited.... Unfortunately, GPL does not require you to provide something 'buildable' just the GPL portions of the code in source form. If the GPL code depends on licensed code that does not need to be provided.... GPL with licensed code is such a PITA at times.

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator
====
Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.
Blue Gears and SearchVMware Pro Blogs: http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Blog_Roll
Top Virtualization Security Links: http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Top_Virtualization_Security_Links

Re: GPL Components - Build ESX Drivers?

2. Jan 10, 2009 12:39 PM

in response to: Texiwill

nick.couchman

4,969 posts since
Jan 13, 2006

Thanks, Edward, for the info. Actually, I figured it out. Here's what you have to do...

1) Download the GPL Sources for ESX

2) Unpack the VMware-eesx-drivers package.

3) Unpack the VMware-eesx-server package.

4) Go into the VMware-esx-drivers folder, then into the src/include directory.

5) Make a symbolic link to the include/lkhdrs/asm-i386 folder in the VMware-esx-public-source folder (from the VMware-eesx-server package).

After this, the build scripts should work. I've got in running on my CentOS 3.9 system, building the drivers without a problem!

Getting ahold of the DDK requires, among other things a Select TAP agreement, which runs about $5K per year. Too bad...

Re: GPL Components - Build ESX Drivers?

3. Jan 10, 2009 9:20 PM

in response to: nick.couchman

Rumple

1,402 posts since
Jan 6, 2005

The big question being though, does this do anything for you other then give you the ability to load drivers for the service console, which is mainly just an effort in futility since its the vmkernel that you want to have the expanded driver support for.

Re: GPL Components - Build ESX Drivers?

4. Feb 5, 2009 9:38 AM

in response to: Rumple

nick.couchman

4,969 posts since
Jan 13, 2006

Well, it took me about three weeks to come up with the answer, but the answer is yes - I can successfully modify and build drivers not originally included with the ESX(i) distribution, load them, and use them for VM-type activities. I've just finished doing this with the Realtek 8169 Gigabit Ethernet controller driver - I've modified it, compiled it, and loaded it into ESXi. I'm then able to create a vSwitch in ESXi with this as the physical interface and connect both virtual machines and VMKernel interfaces to the controller. Now I just need to clean up the code, figure out a couple more issues, and then get a good compile script created and I should be able to reproduce this for other drivers.

I'd like to start some sort of community project to port drivers over to ESX/ESXi...

Re: GPL Components - Build ESX Drivers?

5. Feb 5, 2009 10:04 AM

in response to: nick.couchman

Texiwill

10,432 posts since
Jan 13, 2004

Hello,

Sounds like a plan. I would help with this. If we get a good build script it should be pretty straight forward and would help quite a bit. Have you tried your driver in ESX yet?

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator
====
Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.
Blue Gears and SearchVMware Pro Blogs -- Top Virtualization Security Links -- Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

Re: GPL Components - Build ESX Drivers?

6. Feb 5, 2009 10:10 AM

in response to: Texiwill

nick.couchman

4,969 posts since
Jan 13, 2006

I haven't loaded it in ESX, yet - I don't have any ESX test machines around here - all of my full-blown ESX machines are in production mode. I only have ESXi test machines, which is where I've loaded and tested the driver.

As far as a community project goes, do you have any feel for whether or not it would be acceptable to create a SourceForge project called "ESX Community Drivers" or something like that? I guess I'm just unsure as to whether or not we could use the name "ESX" in the project name, or if VMware would not like that. Or if we make sure we attribute "ESX" to VMware, maybe it would be okay?

Re: GPL Components - Build ESX Drivers?

7. Feb 5, 2009 10:13 AM

in response to: nick.couchman

Texiwill

10,432 posts since
Jan 13, 2004

Hello,

I will ask.

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator
====
Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.
Blue Gears and SearchVMware Pro Blogs -- Top Virtualization Security Links -- Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

Re: GPL Components - Build ESX Drivers?

8. Feb 5, 2009 10:47 AM

in response to: nick.couchman

JohnTroyer

963 posts since
Aug 30, 2005

I am not a lawyer, but I would stay away from ESX in the name. Trademark law is a lot about avoiding confusion, and VMware has a lot of open source projects on its own, so I would be confused if these were 'ESX Community Drivers'. Just give it a name. SexyDrivers? Backseat Driver Project? OpenHyperDrivers?

From looking at other products that work with ESX, you can certainly mention that they're for ESX in the description.

I'll ping our open source folks as well, as soon as I figure out who that is.

Re: GPL Components - Build ESX Drivers?

9. Feb 5, 2009 11:09 AM

in response to: JohnTroyer

nick.couchman

4,969 posts since
Jan 13, 2006

Thanks, John - I appreciate the input! Let me know when you hear from your legal/open source folks, too - I'm very interested to hear what they have to say!

Re: GPL Components - Build ESX Drivers?

10. Feb 5, 2009 11:28 AM

in response to: nick.couchman

Texiwill

10,432 posts since
Jan 13, 2004

Hello,

I like the Open 'visor Drivers myself.... But that could be confused with Xen and KVM as wel

Perhaps just:

Open Virtualization Drivers

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator
====
Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.
Blue Gears and SearchVMware Pro Blogs -- Top Virtualization Security Links -- Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

Re: GPL Components - Build ESX Drivers?

11. Feb 5, 2009 12:27 PM

in response to: Texiwill

nick.couchman

4,969 posts since
Jan 13, 2006

Good enough for me:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/open-vdrivers/

-Nick

Re: GPL Components - Build ESX Drivers?

12. Feb 5, 2009 8:48 PM

in response to: nick.couchman

jasonjm

4 posts since
Dec 29, 2008

I would to jump onboard (no pun intended) with this sf proj.

My team and I have been looking at the new e1000e and realtek sources for sometime.
(current e1000e use an older source base)

Re: GPL Components - Build ESX Drivers?

13. Feb 6, 2009 12:14 AM

in response to: nick.couchman

JohnTroyer

963 posts since
Aug 30, 2005

I spoke to some folks internally and we don't have any objections to the project or experimenting with the open source drivers. Keep in mind that they wouldn't be supported, of course, and there's no open api or ddk.

My personal thought is -- more power to you! You might even be able to expand the HCL, and this kind of thing can be very beneficial for the greater community. So have fun.

I didn't think it was necessary to talk to legal if you weren't going to name the project ESX. The licenses are pretty standard.

John

Re: GPL Components - Build ESX Drivers?

14. Feb 6, 2009 9:14 AM

in response to: JohnTroyer

nick.couchman

4,969 posts since
Jan 13, 2006

Sounds good - Thanks, John! And I definitely understand the point about them being unsupported by VMware - makes perfect sense. I'll make sure the project page includes something about that...

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