FIX: VMware VMW_HAVE_EPOLL error message with current distributions

Monday, August 7th, 2006 at 11:36 am | 7,548 views | trackback url
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If you’ve tried installing VMware on a recent Linux distribution (such as Ubuntu Edgy Eft), you’ve probably seen the following:

Using 2.6.x kernel build system.
make: Entering directory `/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only'
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.17-5-686/build/include/.. SUBDIRS=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. modules
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.17-5-686'
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o
In file included from /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.h:20,
                 from /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:49:
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/compat_wait.h:37:5: warning: "VMW_HAVE_EPOLL" is not defined
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/compat_wait.h:43:5: warning: "VMW_HAVE_EPOLL" is not defined
In file included from /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.h:20,
                 from /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:49:
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/compat_wait.h:60: error: conflicting types for â
include/linux/poll.h:62: error: previous declaration of â was here
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:145: warning: initialization from incompatible pointer type
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:149: warning: initialization from incompatible pointer type
make[2]: *** [/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o] Error 1
make[1]: *** [_module_/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.17-5-686'
make: *** [vmmon.ko] Error 2
make: Leaving directory `/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only'
Unable to build the vmmon module.

To fix it, follow this procedure (or grab the script I wrote to make it easier, here)..

Uncompress vmnet.tar and edit vmnet-only/Makefile.kernel as follows:

vm_check_build = $(shell if $(CC) $(CPPFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS_KERNEL) \
        $(EXTRA_CFLAGS) -Iinclude2/asm/mach-default \
        -DKBUILD_BASENAME=\"$(DRIVER)\" \ # add this line
        -Werror -S -o /dev/null -xc $(1) \
        > /dev/null 2>&1; then echo "$(2)"; else echo "$(3)"; fi)

Do the same for vmmon.tar in vmmon-only. mv the existing tar files out of the way and tar these two directories back up and re-run vmware-install.pl from the top-level directory.

It should complete cleanly and without any errors.

If you’re wondering why I didn’t just supply the 1-line fixes as a diff, its because Ubuntu Edgy Eft broke patch(1), and it doesn’t patch back in cleanly… so I used the Swiss Army Chainsaw; perl!

Last Modified: Monday, August 7th, 2006 @ 11:36

13 Responses to “FIX: VMware VMW_HAVE_EPOLL error message with current distributions”

  1. Jørgen Elgaard Larsen said on

    Thanks for the tip. It saved me a lot of trouble!

    Jørgen, using Debian etch with custom kernel

  2. Thanks,
    it worked flawless :)

  3. You, sir, are my hero. Thanks a lot. (Edgy)

  4. Trying and trying and trying, not working, same old errors, even tried a fresh install of vmware.

    Probably just PEBKAC, thanks for the tip.

  5. Thanks for sharing this tip.

    It worked flawless for me too.

  6. Not sure what I’m doing wrong … after I apply your fix I get:

    Using 2.6.x kernel build system.
    make: Entering directory `/tmp/vmware-config3/vmmon-only’
    Makefile.kernel:12: *** commands commence before first target. Stop.
    make: Leaving directory `/tmp/vmware-config3/vmmon-only’
    Unable to build the vmmon module.

    Any clues?

  7. Thanks for the post. Upgraded several systems from Kubuntu 6.06 to 6.10.

  8. try it with the backslash at the end of the line

  9. You are the man. Now take your bow.

  10. THANKS!!!! Me and the big bruise on my forehead (from banging my head against the wall over and over and over again) thank you.

    Joe

  11. Thank you very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  12. Worked a treat! Thanks!

    I have put my notes and a link to your entry on http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=288018&page=2

  13. Dweep Advani said on

    @Paul

    It was the error induced by copy pasting the entire line containing debug flags. Removing ‘add this line’ from copy pasted material will remove that error.

    cheers


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