VMPlayer 2.0.1 and 2.0.2: Building vmmon.o fails on Linux Kernel 2.4.32

[czscht]

Hi all,

I'm trying to install VMplayer 2.0.2 or 2.0.1 on an older Linux SuSE 8.2-based system which runs a plain-vanilla 2.4.32 kernel.

After the succesfull RPM-based installation, when I run "vmware-config.pl", the configuration process aborts the moment it tries to load the

"vmmon.o" module, complaining about an unresolved symbol "set_user_nice":

"...

make: Leaving directory `/tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only'

Unable to make a vmmon module that can be loaded in the running kernel:

/tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon.o: unresolved symbol set_user_nice

/tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon.o:

Hint: You are trying to load a module without a GPL compatible license

and it has unresolved symbols. The module may be trying to access

GPLONLY symbols but the problem is more likely to be a coding or

user error. Contact the module supplier for assistance, only they

can help you.

There is probably a slight difference in the kernel configuration between the

set of C header files you specified and your running kernel. You may want to

rebuild a kernel based on that directory, or specify another directory.

For more information on how to troubleshoot module-related problems, please

visit our Web site at "http://www.vmware.com/download/modules/modules.html" and

"http://www.vmware.com/support/reference/linux/prebuilt_modules_linux.html".

Execution aborted.

"

Installing VMplayer 2.0.0 in exactly the same environment does succeed !

A more complete log is attached.

Any ideas or suggestions ?

Thanks,

Thomas

[osde_info]

the only fix i know is to use ed/x/ubuntu 6.06.01 LTS instead of 7

regards

clive (aka osde.info)

[alsmith14]

It's a pain to do, but it's not impossible. You have to adjust the autoconf set_user_nice part so that it will try and detect the presence or absence of that function for any kernels < 2.5.0

However, after I did that and got everything started, I found myself unable to log in because 2.0 beta1/beta2 no longer ship with functional libpam libraries for systems that don't ship with pam from the distribution.

Back to 1.0.5...

[alexferro]

I found the same problem compiling wmware-server-1.0.6 for kernel 2.4.36.5

I have hacked /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/include/compat_sched.h in this manner:

/*

• set priroty for specified thread. Exists on 2.6.x kernels and some 2.4.x ven

*/

// #if defined(VMW_HAVE_SET_USER_NICE)

// #define compat_set_user_nice(task, n) set_user_nice((task), (n))

// #elif LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(2, 4, 0)

// #define compat_set_user_nice(task, n) do { (task)->priority = 20 - (n); } whi

// #elif !defined(VMW_HAVE_SET_USER_NICE)

#define compat_set_user_nice(task, n) do { (task)->nice = (n); } while (0)

// #endif

Use at own risk!

Alessandro