Not sure if this is the proper forum. Current SLED11SP1 upgraded
smoothly to SP2. Went to start VMware and it would not recompile. I’ve
saved the logs. Would I seek assistance in this forum or over in the
SLES virtualization forum?
Thanks for any guidance here.
Bob
Here seems a good place since you’re running VMware on SLED. I’m curious about this for personal reasons as I currently use VMware Workstation 8 on 32bit SLED 11 SP1. I just took delivery of new machine which will replace what I’m currently using and I’ll be putting 64bit SP2 on it. I hadn’t actually considered the possibility that VMWare Workstation might not work on SP2.
What version of VMware are you running? Are you using 32 or 64bit SLED? What errors do you get when trying to recompile the VMware modules? (Post them wrapped in CODE tags, for readability. Look for the # button.)
64 bit SLED11. VMware version 7.1.3
My reading in the VMware forums tells me the problem is version
independent. FYI
Bob
Begin Log #####################
Mar 24 20:08:46.383: app-140637090313984| Log for VMware Workstation
pid=11750 version=7.1.3 build=build-324285 option=Release
Mar 24 20:08:46.383: app-140637090313984| The process is 64-bit.
Mar 24 20:08:46.383: app-140637090313984| Host codepage=UTF-8 encoding=UTF-8
Mar 24 20:08:46.383: app-140637090313984| Logging to
/tmp/vmware-root/setup-11750.log
Mar 24 20:08:46.485: app-140637090313984| System distribution is SuSE
Mar 24 20:08:46.485: app-140637090313984| System variant is SuSE enterprise
Mar 24 20:08:46.485: app-140637090313984| System version is 11.0
Mar 24 20:08:46.485: app-140637090313984| modconf query interface
initialized
Mar 24 20:08:46.486: app-140637090313984| modconf library initialized
Mar 24 20:08:46.516: app-140637090313984| Your GCC version: 4.3
Mar 24 20:08:46.521: app-140637090313984| Your GCC version: 4.3
Mar 24 20:08:46.529: app-140637090313984| Your GCC version: 4.3
Mar 24 20:08:46.540: app-140637090313984| Your GCC version: 4.3
Mar 24 20:08:46.547: app-140637090313984| Your GCC version: 4.3
Mar 24 20:08:46.577: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:46.579: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:46.581: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:46.583: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:46.585: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:46.606: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:46.608: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:46.610: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:46.612: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:46.614: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:46.618: app-140637090313984| Your GCC version: 4.3
Mar 24 20:08:46.626: app-140637090313984| Your GCC version: 4.3
Mar 24 20:08:46.656: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:46.658: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:46.660: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:46.662: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:46.664: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:46.668: app-140637090313984| Your GCC version: 4.3
Mar 24 20:08:46.676: app-140637090313984| Your GCC version: 4.3
Mar 24 20:08:46.724: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:46.726: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:46.728: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:46.730: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:46.732: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:47.104: app-140637090313984| Trying to find a suitable PBM
set for kernel 3.0.13-0.27-default.
Mar 24 20:08:47.105: app-140637090313984| Building module vmmon.
Mar 24 20:08:47.123: app-140637090313984| Extracting the sources of the
vmmon module.
Mar 24 20:08:47.186: app-140637090313984| Building module with command:
/usr/bin/make -C /tmp/vmware-root/modules/vmmon-only auto-build
SUPPORT_SMP=1 HEADER_DIR=/lib/modules/3.0.13-0.27-default/build/include
CC=/usr/bin/gcc GREP=/usr/bin/make IS_GCC_3=no VMCCVER=4.3
Mar 24 20:08:49.426: app-140637090313984| Failed to compile module vmmon!
End Log #########################
Begin Terminal #############################
make[4]: *** [/tmp/vmware-root/modules/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o] Error 1
make[3]: *** [module/tmp/vmware-root/modules/vmmon-only] Error 2
make[2]: *** [sub-make] Error 2
make[1]: *** [all] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory /usr/src/linux-3.0.13-0.27-obj/x86_64/default' make: *** [vmmon.ko] Error 2 make: Leaving directory /tmp/vmware-root/modules/vmmon-only’
End Terminal ##########################
On 3/25/2012 6:04 AM, mikewillis wrote:[color=blue]
Here seems a good place since you’re running VMware on SLED. I’m curious
about this for personal reasons as I currently use VMware Workstation 8
on 32bit SLED 11 SP1. I just took delivery of new machine which will
replace what I’m currently using and I’ll be putting 64bit SP2 on it. I
hadn’t actually considered the possibility that VMWare Workstation might
not work on SP2.What version of VMware are you running? Are you using 32 or 64bit SLED?
What errors do you get when trying to recompile the VMware modules?
(Post them wrapped in CODE tags, for readability. Look for the #
button.)[/color]
Presumably your VMware license doesn’t cover you to use Workstation 8 then? I don’t actually know how the licensing works in that regard as I only use VMware Workstation at work where someone else handles the licensing. All I recall about my move from 7 to 8 is asking about whether I could upgrade and being told ‘yes’. I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to try Workstation 8 on SP2.
The output you posted doesn’t leave me any the wiser what the problem is I’m afraid. Can you link to the forum thread(s) that leaves you to believe it’s a version issue?
I have in the past had multiple hassles with getting various versions of VMware Server to work with various kernel versions, not just on SLED. I’m thinking you might have encountered such an issue. This might be relevant http://communities.vmware.com/thread/326180
Here’s one example of many I found that noted problems:
http://communities.vmware.com/message/2004294
I’ll have to see if I can find the others. It was late; I was
frustrated; the messages all had the same theme. I even remember
something in Novell’s documentation on SLES 11 Server for VMware (an
appliance) saying don’t install SP2. Anyway, I’ll try and backtrack and
see what I can find.
Bob
On 3/25/2012 9:54 AM, mikewillis wrote:[color=blue]
Presumably your VMware license doesn’t cover you to use Workstation 8
then? I don’t actually know how the licensing works in that regard as I
only use VMware Workstation at work where someone else handles the
licensing. All I recall about my move from 7 to 8 is asking about
whether I could upgrade and being told ‘yes’. I’ll have to wait until
tomorrow to try Workstation 8 on SP2.The output you posted doesn’t leave me any the wiser what the problem
is I’m afraid. Can you link to the forum thread(s) that leaves you to
believe it’s a version issue?
I have in the past had multiple hassles with getting various versions
of VMware Server to work with various kernel versions, not just on SLED.
I’m thinking you might have encountered such an issue. This might be
relevant http://communities.vmware.com/thread/326180[/color]
[QUOTE=Bob;3540]Here’s one example of many I found that noted problems:
http://communities.vmware.com/message/2004294
[/QUOTE]
That’s about installing VMware Tools in an instance of SLES that’s running as a virtual machine in VMware ESX. Your problem, as I’ve understood it so far, is with using VMware Workstation on SLED and as such that thread isn’t relevant to your problem.
True, of course. What it did was give me an idea of the kind of problem
VMware was experiencing with SP2. Helped me narrow the focus when
searching so to speak. That’s all. From there it helped me quickly
find the SLES VMware appliance issue with SP2, etc. I’ve got a query in
the VMware workstation forum; we’ll see if anything shakes out from that.
Bob
Side note - I have to admit to not liking these kinds of surprises.
Reading the notes with SP2 mentioned nothing about VMware
incompatibility issues so I did the SP2 install. The install went
beautifully. Is it possible that running VMware workstation on SLE(D|S)
is such a niche that possible issues related to it are not examined
before an upgrade like SP2 is released? I’ve just asked for opinions in
the virtualization forum about perhaps using KVM instead. I’m not doing
anything cosmic here; no bells or whistles needed, just one or two guest
XP instances running on SLED. Using KVM might be a lot less risky. I
know eventually I can fix the current problem; just don’t like having to
spend the time doing it.
On 3/25/2012 1:54 PM, mikewillis wrote:[color=blue]
Bob;3540 Wrote:[color=green]
Here’s one example of many I found that noted problems:
That’s about installing VMware Tools in an instance of SLES that’s
running as a virtual machine in VMware ESX. Your problem, as I’ve
understood it so far, is with using VMware Workstation on SLED and as
such that thread isn’t relevant to your problem.[/color]
I get the impression that you might be mixing up information about running SLED/SLES as a guest OS and running it as the host OS, at least in terms of the information you’ve been looking at.
No one does. The trick is to learn from them and in future check comparability before you commit to the update. It’s worth bearing in mind that SLED can be downloaded free with a 60 day eval license so you can always grab the latest version and put it on a spare machine to test with before committing to using it.
[QUOTE=Bob;3548]
Reading the notes with SP2 mentioned nothing about VMware incompatibility issues so I did the SP2 install. The install went beautifully. Is it possible that running VMware workstation on SLE(D|S) is such a niche that possible issues related to it are not examined before an upgrade like SP2 is released?[/QUOTE]
I’m not sure why you would expect VMware Workstation to be given any consideration, or take the absence of any mention to it in the SP2 release notes as an indicate that there would be no problem with running the version of VMware Workstation you’re using on SP2. The onus is generally upon the software vendor to ensure their software works with the OS that their customers want to use it on, not upon the OS vendor to ensure that the myriad of software which can be run on their OS continues to work on the latest version of their OS. Sometimes OS updates break software, especially if the software isn’t current (which VMware workstation 7 isn’t).
Not a lot has changed between SP1 and SP2, which is usually the case with SP releases. The issue you’re seeing with VMware Workstation is due to SP2 having Kernel 3.0 where as SP1 had 2.6. Kernel 3.0 has been around since May 2011 and other distros were using it before SLED SP2. If VMware Workstation 7 can’t cope with it, well VMware have had plenty of time to put out a point update to rectify that. VMware products do tend to have a problem with such Kernel version changes in my experience, but I’ve always found a third party hack, such as the one I linked earlier, to fix it.
I notice that you’re using Workstation 7.1.3. There’s a 7.1.5, though on a skim through the release notes I didn’t see anything about Kernel 3 support.
Workstation 8 seems to be fine on SP2.
Hmmmm… interesting point you make. VMware does compete
head-to-head with XEN and KVM after all. So, why even spend any effort
or resources? Just keep it in VMware’s lap to keep up. Good point. Thanks.
Turns out KVM was able to use VMware’s virtual machines. I’m using KVM now.
Bob
same issue here. upgraded a SLES11SP1 box to SP2: vmware workstation 7.1.4 gets broken.
building the modules fails with:
CC [M] /tmp/vmware-root/modules/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o
/tmp/vmware-root/modules/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:788:59: error: ‘SPIN_LOCK_UNLOCKED’ undeclared here (not in a function)
make[4]: *** [/tmp/vmware-root/modules/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o] Error 1
So I tried version 7.1.6 (which was released after SP2). No luck.
I found patch vmware2.6.39patchv3.tar.bz2 on the Web.
vmreqver=7.1.6
and did run the patch script.It just worked 
Whenever i start a VM, I get a nice dialog saying:
“The version of the Linux kernel is newer than the newest series with which VMware Workstation is supported. It may or may not work. Would you like to continue ?”
Thanks to VMware for triggering me to buy another update from them (just because of an OS upgrade ?!?) :-((((
Hi
I just use vmware player these days and kvm… I did manage to patch my
6.x.x version and get the modules to compile, but it wouldn’t run…
Then there is always virtualbox?
–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° (Linux Counter #276890)
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 (x86_64) Kernel 3.0.38-0.5-default
up 17:01, 2 users, load average: 0.29, 0.32, 0.27
CPU Intel i5 CPU M520@2.40GHz | Intel Arrandale GPU