[HARDY] parallels-modules missing for kernel 2.5.24-21

[ingo]

Binary package hint: parallels-modules

I have installed here fully licensed Parallels-Workstation in
Ubuntu-Hardy from the 'partners repository'. It worked fine for me all
the time with kernel 2.6.24-19.

A few days ago there was a recommended kernel update to 2.6.24-21.
As known Parallels at first start complains about missing modules:

"Module vm-main is not found! Parallels Workstation 2.2 is installed, but
it has not been configured for your running kernel. To configure it
please login as root and run parallels-config."

So I ran parallels-config, which tells me all is fine:

"Parallels Workstation has been successfully configured

Now you can run Parallels Workstation 2.2
    Issue parallels command."

But when starting Parallels afterwards, it still complains (message as
above). I do have gcc4.2 and matching kernel-headers installed.

[ingo (ingo-steiner)]

The intermittent hot-fix (new restricted-modules) obviously was too hot:

The networking module 'vm-bridge' does not load. Forcing it with 'modprobe vm-bridge' gives following:

# modprobe vm-bridge
FATAL: Error inserting vm_bridge
(/lib/modules/2.6.24-21-generic/kernel/drivers/misc/parallels/vm-bridge.ko):
Unknown symbol in module, or unknown parameter (see dmesg)

tail from dmesg:

[ 1705.601835] vm_bridge: disagrees about version of symbol skb_copy_bits
[ 1705.601848] vm_bridge: Unknown symbol skb_copy_bits
[ 1705.601964] vm_bridge: disagrees about version of symbol dev_queue_xmit
[ 1705.601971] vm_bridge: Unknown symbol dev_queue_xmit
[ 1705.602114] vm_bridge: disagrees about version of symbol dev_add_pack
[ 1705.602121] vm_bridge: Unknown symbol dev_add_pack
[ 1705.602277] vm_bridge: disagrees about version of symbol
skb_copy_and_csum_bits
[ 1705.602284] vm_bridge: Unknown symbol skb_copy_and_csum_bits
[ 1705.602399] vm_bridge: disagrees about version of symbol
dev_set_promiscuity
[ 1705.602406] vm_bridge: Unknown symbol dev_set_promiscuity
[ 1705.602570] vm_bridge: disagrees about version of symbol eth_type_trans
[ 1705.602576] vm_bridge: Unknown symbol eth_type_trans
[ 1705.602683] vm_bridge: disagrees about version of symbol kfree_skb
[ 1705.602689] vm_bridge: Unknown symbol kfree_skb
[ 1705.602841] vm_bridge: disagrees about version of symbol __alloc_skb
[ 1705.602847] vm_bridge: Unknown symbol __alloc_skb
[ 1705.602991] vm_bridge: disagrees about version of symbol skb_over_panic
[ 1705.602998] vm_bridge: Unknown symbol skb_over_panic
[ 1705.603112] vm_bridge: disagrees about version of symbol dev_remove_pack
[ 1705.603118] vm_bridge: Unknown symbol dev_remove_pack
[ 1705.603372] vm_bridge: disagrees about version of symbol netif_rx_ni
[ 1705.603378] vm_bridge: Unknown symbol netif_rx_ni
[ 1705.603682] vm_bridge: disagrees about version of symbol dev_get_by_name
[ 1705.603688] vm_bridge: Unknown symbol dev_get_by_name

Please supply complete working set of *.deb packages.

[ingo (ingo-steiner)]

Today we got another kernel update to 2.6.24-22

Parallels- modules are still missing :-(

Does nobody care whether sold software is adopted and usable?

[ingo (ingo-steiner)]

Nobody seems to care?

Meanwhile this is causing security issues as the only way to run Parallels is to downgrade the kernel to 2.6.24-19 or -21.

Therefore I mark it accordingly

[ingo (ingo-steiner)]

sorry, please correct:

you must downgrade to kernel 2.6.24-19 or even 2.6.24-18

[ingo (ingo-steiner)]

now, we have already kernel 2.6.24-23 in Hardy and a new point release will be available very soon.

And still NO matching parallels-modules !!!

[Tom Dison (fretinator)]

I've also reported this bug. It seems no one really cares about this issue. I think it is a problem with proprietary modules - you're kind of on your own, EVEN if you purchase that product from Canonical. I've pretty much decided I am going to have to abandon Parallels, even though it is a good product. It is not practical in a production environment. As you mentioned, you have to run older, less-secure kernels. This was one of the reasons I stuck with Hardy, as I expected these kind of system-breaking kernel upgrades to be significantly less frequent, but that has not happened.

In reality, even though Canonical sells Parallels, I assume it must be up to the Parallels folks to update the modules with each new kernel. Workstation 2.2 is almost an abandoned product at this point - all the effort is going into the Mac version.

I suggest we both get used to KVM, and toss Parallels. It's hard for me, as I have some specially crafted development environments I would hate to lose. I may just have to run Parallels on a Windows box just for the sake of these images.

I wonder if an issue like this (more for enterprises) would be ignored if the problem were with ATI or Nvidia modules not beiing updated. Half of their users would wake up to 800x600 desktops. WOot!

[Brian Thomason (brian-thomason)]

Trust me - we care about the issue. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to push an update to this product without consent from the Parallels team, which has seen some changes since the last update was pushed long ago.

In the meantime, as a workaround, you can:

apt-get source parallels
Then modify the debian/rules file to reflect the proper kernel version
dpkg-buildpackage -b

I realize it's less than ideal, but at least it'll get you up and running. On a side note, the reason it's not on 8.10+ is because the modules for the version they provided us do not compile against newer kernels.

-Brian

[Brian Thomason (brian-thomason)]

We have pushed an update to partner which contains the modules for our latest kernel build.

-Brian

[ingo (ingo-steiner)]

Was this an unique action to keep Parallels as 'Ubuntu Partner' for the upcoming Parallels Desktop for Win and Linux v4.0?

Or will from now on PW be maintained regularly with every kernel update till end of maintainence?

To be on the save side I meanwhile have installed the "sources" for PW v2.2 Build 2232 and run 'parallels-config'. This is way distorted by the released fix unfortunately.

[Tom Dison (fretinator)]

From what I can tell, Parallels 4.0 is completely different. I did not have to build a kernel module. I installed it on Ubuntu 8.04 64-bit (it also works on 9.10). From what I read, you can even run a 64-bit guest on a 32-bit host. I recommend the upgrade. I don't believe it will be affected by kernel upgrades (as far as I know).

[ingo (ingo-steiner)]

> I recommend the upgrade.

For me v4.0 is unacceptable:

1. it does not support my German keyboard, all 3-key characters (Alt+Shift+Key) are missing like {[]}\~|€µ. My guess is that this is a really 'hot' port from Mac and all/most non-US keyboards are not supported.

2. BIOS emulation does not provide a clock signal (RTC), so older legacy OS's do not update system time which results in incorrect time stamps, ping-delays of 0 sec, ...

see also here: http://forum.parallels.com/forumdisplay.php?f=506

So I'll have to stay with 2.2.

Moreover most of the v4.0 is still 32-bit and needs a lot of compatibility libraries on 64-bit Ubuntu.

[ingo (ingo-steiner)]

I re-opened it and confirmed, because:

just today we received a kernel update in Hardy from 2.6.24-24 -> 2.6.24-25 without the matched parallels-modules

[ingo (ingo-steiner)]

recently kernel in Hardy was updated again to 2.6.24-25 - NO parallels-modules (as usual).

My suggestion is to remove Parallels from the 'Ubuntu partner' list, seems neither Parallels nor Canonical is willing to maintain the software.

Please keep in mind: this is commercial software which is paid for!!!

[Brian Thomason (brian-thomason)]

The latest version allows users to run parallels-config to recompile the needed kernel modules. This is documented in the README.Debian. I'll look into updating the package a little later.