VMware server cannot run on FC6

[Paul Smith]

On 10/28/06, Jeffrey D. Yuille <jeffy5 at optonline.net> wrote:
> >> > Unable to make a vmmon module that can be loaded in the running
> >> kernel:
> >> > insmod: error inserting '/tmp/vmware-config4/vmmon.o': -1 Invalid
> >> module
> >> > format
> >>
> >> Aha... while getting out-of-tree Wifi driver working on my stepson's
> >> laptop last night I saw the same.  I eventually tracked it down (Google
> >> had people asking and no real answers) to Anaconda having given his
> >> Athlon laptop an i586 kernel whereas the rest of the bits and bobs were
> >> i686.  Do a
> >>
> >> dmesg | tail
> >>
> >> and if you see a complaint about a vermagic mismatch, check the two
> >> strings full of tokens for the differences.  In our case it was i586 vs
> >> i686.  We confirmed we had the i586 kernel like this
> >>
> >> rpm -q --queryformat "%{name}-%{arch}\n" kernel
> >>
> >> What we did was to download the i686 kernel and kernel-devel from an
> >> http mirror, then
> >>
> >> rpm -e --nodeps kernel kernel-devel
> >>
> >> (don't worry about the grubby warning)  then added back in the i686
> >> stuff we just downloaded
> >>
> >> rpm -i kernel*.rpm
> >>
> >> On reboot, the previously compiled module "just worked" without a
> >> recompile, now it had an i686 arch kernel to get into.
> >
> > Did that, but now the /boot directory is empty and FC6 does not boot.
> > Any ideas?
> >
> > Paul
> >
> Hello Paul,
>
>      This is the difficulty that I am having in installing VWware server
> on my laptop.  The compile information is listed below.  I also have
> matching kernel and kernel development file extensions (i686).
>
> [jeffrey at jeffrey ~]$ su -
> Password:
> [root at jeffrey ~]# cd /usr/bin
> [root at jeffrey bin]# ./vmware-config.pl
> Making sure services for VMware Server are stopped.
>
> Stopping VMware services:
>    Virtual machine monitor                                 [  OK  ]
>    Bridged networking on /dev/vmnet0                       [  OK  ]
>    DHCP server on /dev/vmnet1                              [  OK  ]
>    Host-only networking on /dev/vmnet1                     [  OK  ]
>    Bridged networking on /dev/vmnet2                       [  OK  ]
>    DHCP server on /dev/vmnet8                              [  OK  ]
>    NAT service on /dev/vmnet8                              [  OK  ]
>    Host-only networking on /dev/vmnet8                     [  OK  ]
>    Virtual ethernet                                        [  OK  ]
>
> Configuring fallback GTK+ 2.4 libraries.
>
> In which directory do you want to install the mime type icons?
> [/usr/share/icons] /usr/share/icons
>
> What directory contains your desktop menu entry files? These files have a
> .desktop file extension. [/usr/share/applications] /usr/share/applications
>
> In which directory do you want to install the application's icon?
> [/usr/share/pixmaps] /usr/share/pixmaps
>
> Trying to find a suitable vmmon module for your running kernel.
>
> None of the pre-built vmmon modules for VMware Server is suitable for your
> running kernel.  Do you want this program to try to build the vmmon
> module for
> your system (you need to have a C compiler installed on your system)?
> [yes] yes
>
> Using compiler "/usr/bin/gcc". Use environment variable CC to override.
>
> What is the location of the directory of C header files that match your
> running
> kernel? [/lib/modules/2.6.18-1.2798.fc6/build/include]
> /lib/modules/2.6.18-1.2798.fc6/build/include
>
> Extracting the sources of the vmmon module.
>
> Building the vmmon module.
>
> Using 2.6.x kernel build system.
> make: Entering directory `/tmp/vmware-config8/vmmon-only'
> make -C /lib/modules/2.6.18-1.2798.fc6/build/include/.. SUBDIRS=$PWD
> SRCROOT=$PWD/. modules
> make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/kernels/2.6.18-1.2798.fc6-i686'
>   CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config8/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o
>   CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config8/vmmon-only/linux/hostif.o
>   CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config8/vmmon-only/common/cpuid.o
>   CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config8/vmmon-only/common/hash.o
>   CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config8/vmmon-only/common/memtrack.o
>   CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config8/vmmon-only/common/phystrack.o
>   CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config8/vmmon-only/common/task.o
>   CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config8/vmmon-only/common/vmx86.o
>   CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config8/vmmon-only/vmcore/moduleloop.o
>   LD [M]  /tmp/vmware-config8/vmmon-only/vmmon.o
>   Building modules, stage 2.
>   MODPOST
>   CC      /tmp/vmware-config8/vmmon-only/vmmon.mod.o
>   LD [M]  /tmp/vmware-config8/vmmon-only/vmmon.ko
> make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/kernels/2.6.18-1.2798.fc6-i686'
> cp -f vmmon.ko ./../vmmon.o
> make: Leaving directory `/tmp/vmware-config8/vmmon-only'
> The module loads perfectly in the running kernel.
>
> This program previously created the file /dev/vmmon, and was about to
> remove
> it.  Somebody else apparently did it already.
>
> This program previously created the file /dev/vmnet0, and was about to
> remove
> it.  Somebody else apparently did it already.
>
> This program previously created the file /dev/vmnet1, and was about to
> remove
> it.  Somebody else apparently did it already.
>
> This program previously created the file /dev/vmnet2, and was about to
> remove
> it.  Somebody else apparently did it already.
>
> This program previously created the file /dev/vmnet8, and was about to
> remove
> it.  Somebody else apparently did it already.
>
> You have already setup networking.
>
> Would you like to skip networking setup and keep your old settings as
> they are?
> (yes/no) [yes] yes
>
> Extracting the sources of the vmnet module.
>
> Building the vmnet module.
>
> Using 2.6.x kernel build system.
> make: Entering directory `/tmp/vmware-config8/vmnet-only'
> make -C /lib/modules/2.6.18-1.2798.fc6/build/include/.. SUBDIRS=$PWD
> SRCROOT=$PWD/. modules
> make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/kernels/2.6.18-1.2798.fc6-i686'
>   CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config8/vmnet-only/driver.o
>   CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config8/vmnet-only/hub.o
>   CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config8/vmnet-only/userif.o
>   CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config8/vmnet-only/netif.o
>   CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config8/vmnet-only/bridge.o
>   CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config8/vmnet-only/procfs.o
> /tmp/vmware-config8/vmnet-only/procfs.c:33:26: error: linux/config.h: No
> such file or directory
> make[2]: *** [/tmp/vmware-config8/vmnet-only/procfs.o] Error 1
> make[1]: *** [_module_/tmp/vmware-config8/vmnet-only] Error 2
> make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/kernels/2.6.18-1.2798.fc6-i686'
> make: *** [vmnet.ko] Error 2
> make: Leaving directory `/tmp/vmware-config8/vmnet-only'
> Unable to build the vmnet module.
>
> 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.
>
> [root at jeffrey bin]#
>
> Any help and advice would be appreciated.

Maybe, Jeff, you could try instead the pair i586 kernel and
kernel-devel. (It works here.)

Paul