Compilation of vmhgfs module fails on amd64

[Matt Kassawara]

Using module assistant to compile modules on 64-bit Jaunty server beta with kernel version 2.6.28-11-server and open-vm-tools version 2008.11.18-130226-1lenny1 fails on the vmhgfs module with the following error:

CC [M] /usr/src/modules/open-vm/modules/linux/vmhgfs/page.o
/usr/src/modules/open-vm/modules/linux/vmhgfs/page.c:88: error: unknown field ‘prepare_write’ specified in initializer
/usr/src/modules/open-vm/modules/linux/vmhgfs/page.c:88: warning: initialization from incompatible pointer type
/usr/src/modules/open-vm/modules/linux/vmhgfs/page.c:89: error: unknown field ‘commit_write’ specified in initializer
/usr/src/modules/open-vm/modules/linux/vmhgfs/page.c:89: warning: initialization from incompatible pointer type
make[5]: *** [/usr/src/modules/open-vm/modules/linux/vmhgfs/page.o] Error 1
make[4]: *** [_module_/usr/src/modules/open-vm/modules/linux/vmhgfs] Error 2
make[4]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.28-11-server'
make[3]: *** [vmhgfs.ko] Error 2
make[3]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/modules/open-vm/modules/linux/vmhgfs'
make[2]: *** [build] Error 2
make[2]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/modules/open-vm'
make[1]: *** [binary-modules] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/modules/open-vm'
make: *** [kdist_build] Error 2

Looks like this got fixed upstream...

http://<email address hidden>/msg00193.html

[Ian Justman (ianj)]

The abovementioned patch does NOT fix this problem on a 32-bit guest I'm working on. This is with the same version of the module source package.

With that patch applied, I get the following:

  CC [M] /usr/src/modules/open-vm/modules/linux/vmhgfs/page.o
/usr/src/modules/open-vm/modules/linux/vmhgfs/page.c: In function ‘HgfsDoWriteBegin’:
/usr/src/modules/open-vm/modules/linux/vmhgfs/page.c:763: warning: ISO C90 forbids mixed declarations and code
/usr/src/modules/open-vm/modules/linux/vmhgfs/page.c: In function ‘HgfsWriteBegin’:
/usr/src/modules/open-vm/modules/linux/vmhgfs/page.c:867: error: implicit declaration of function ‘__grab_cache_page’
/usr/src/modules/open-vm/modules/linux/vmhgfs/page.c:867: warning: assignment makes pointer from integer without a cast
make[5]: *** [/usr/src/modules/open-vm/modules/linux/vmhgfs/page.o] Error 1
make[4]: *** [_module_/usr/src/modules/open-vm/modules/linux/vmhgfs] Error 2
make[4]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.28-11-server'

[Ian Justman (ianj)]

It looks like that the module sources will need to be updated. There's another report on 2.6.28.x here:

http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&aid=2530616&group_id=204462&atid=989708

The sources for open-vm-tools in question are version 2009.01.21 according to that post.

[Ian Justman (ianj)]

Or maybe not.

I took a little bit of code from the diff referenced in the abovementioned Sourceforge tracker entry and incorporated it into the originally-referenced patch and rolled a new patch which I tested. It seems to build fine now.

I'll attach a copy of the patch in this message. If it gets thrashed, you can get a copy here:

http://www.ian-justman.com/code/debian/vmhgfs-2008-11-18-jaunty-lenny.diff

--Ian.

[Matt Kassawara (ionosphere80)]

I'm also confirming this patch works on the final release of Jaunty.

[Peter Kieser (peter-kieser)]

Can this patch be committed? It's been 2 months now ...

[Ian Justman (ianj)]

Going on four months and still no action. What's going on?

--Ian.

[dan mackinlay (dan-possumpalace)]

It's the project's way of encouraging us to become core committers?

[dan mackinlay (dan-possumpalace)]

Actually, no, that's too flippant. I'm keenly intersted in this patch being committed. Every week I run into it, and it causes me pain. In particular it means that Ubuntu 9.04 server has no JeOS support for VMware, since installing GCC to aply a single patch is hardly JUST enough OS. I also regard this as an important ticket.

[Peter Kieser (peter-kieser)]

I'd love for this bug to be fixed, it's been going on 4 months and the patch is already available for this particular. I have a number of VMware machines deployed and it would be nice for this to be included.

[Craig (candrews-integralblue)]

There's a great package over at bug 277556 which has this fixed, is a later version, and has a bunch of other improvements. For some reason, neither Debian nor Ubuntu will accept any improvements to, or fix any bugs in, open vm tools. I've just been using the PPA from that bug until someone from either distro accepts it officially.

[Evan Broder (broder)]

I believe this has been fixed in Karmic/Lucid - I've personally been unable to reproduce it. Can anybody reproduce this bug on the current/development Ubuntu release?

[Htbaa (c-kras)]

Building it on 10.04 still fails for a 32-bit guest (Linux homeserver 2.6.32-22-generic-pae #35-Ubuntu SMP Tue Jun 1 15:47:31 UTC 2010 i686 GNU/Linux)

According to Josh Alto (Bug #202233) this also happens for him.

[Dave Walker (davewalker)]

I believe this has been fixed in a later release of Ubuntu (Natty or Oneiric), please can one of the affected people confirm.

Thanks.