module-assistant fails to install open-vm-source

[Roshan Shariff]

Binary package hint: open-vm-tools

I've installed open-vm-tools{,-gui} on Ubuntu Hardy (version 2008.01.23-74039-0ubuntu1). I tried installing the corresponding kernel modules using "module-assistant auto-install open-vm-source".

The build fails with errors like "invalid syntax in conditional" (the full error log is attached). The first error occurs in line 29 in /usr/src/modules/open-vm/vmblock/Makefile which is

ifeq KVERREL
    VM_UNAME = $(KEVERREL)
else
    VM_UNAME = $(shell uname -r)
endif

Debian doesn't seem to have any similar bugs, nor can I find any other mentions of this problem via a cursory Google search.

Thanks

[Roshan Shariff (roshan.shariff)]

Error log from /var/cache/modass/open-vm-source.buildlog.2.6.24-8-generic.1203492837

[Roshan Shariff (roshan.shariff)]

The problem seems to be caused in 03_kernel_makefile_fix.diff applied by Ubuntu. The following procedure allows the modules to build:

$ sudo module-assistant auto-install open-vm-source

This build will fail. Select STOP and abort the installation.

$ cd /usr/src/modules/open-vm
$ wget -qO - http://patches.ubuntu.com/o/open-vm-tools/extracted/03_kernel_makefile_fix.diff | sudo patch --reverse -p3
$ sudo module-assistant --not-unpack auto-install open-vm-source

This should build and install the modules for the current kernel.

[Hanno Stock (hefe_bia) (hanno-stock)]

I can confirm this behavior.
Also the solution described by Roshan Shariff works for me.

[Hanno Stock (hefe_bia) (hanno-stock)]

I have attached a debdiff here, that removes the patch mentioned above.
Now the modules build fine with module-assistant on my hardy (i386) test vm.

Can somebody explain why this patch was included in the first place? Otherwise the package could be updated if there are no objections against it. It would be nice if somebody could test on a 64bit VM, too.

Packages for testing will be availeable in my PPA. (https://launchpad.net/~hanno-stock/+archive)

[Hanno Stock (hefe_bia) (hanno-stock)]

I have investigated the problem further:

The patch seems to be needed, when the modules have to be built for a kernel other than the currently running one.
I believe there where two typos in the patch:

It has to be "ifdef KVERREL" instead of "ifeq KVERREL" - module-assistant passes the kernel version as KVERREL in the same format as 'uname -r' would give for the running kernel.
Also KEVERREL doesn't seem to exist.

I have attached a debdiff that corrects these problems. I have verified that the modules build on a hardy test VM and that the KVERREL variable is used (instead of 'uname -r')

I will upload an updated version to my PPA.

[Daniel Holbach (dholbach)]

Søren: can you please take a look at it?

[Luca Falavigna (dktrkranz)]

Debdiff looks good, Soren (or people from ubuntu-virt), could you please have a look at it?

[Adriaan Peeters (apeeters)]

The patch by Hanno builds and works fine on my 64bit Ubuntu. I hope it gets in before the Hardy release.

[Hanno Stock (hefe_bia) (hanno-stock)]

open-vm-tools have been removed from Hary. Can somebody explain why?
Is it a licensing issue?

[Lowell Alleman (lowell-alleman)]

Hanno, I asked the same question here:

https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/open-vm-tools/+question/30436

[Luca Falavigna (dktrkranz)]

As you can see from bug #217254, open-vm-tools has been removed from Hardy, no chance to fix this bug right now.

[Craig (candrews-integralblue)]

Has this bug been fixed in Intrepid's package?

[Adar Dembo (adar-deactivatedaccount)]

I think this bug has been fixed, but as far as I know, Intrepid's open-vm-source package is still busted because of bug #278711.