VMware server 1.0.7 modules incompatible with kernel 2.6.26 -- patched, where to submit?

Question

• VMware server 1.0.7 installed with vmware-package
• Debian GNU/Linux testing (lenny)
• Kernel 2.6.26-1-686

There were several compile problems when trying to build the binary kernel modules from the vmware-server-kernel-source package made by vmware-package from the VMware server tarball. Recently VMware has updated their kernel module sources so as to make them compatible with kernel 2.6.25, but they broke again with 2.6.26.

vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:146: error: unknown field 'nopage' specified in initializer
vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:147: warning: initialization from incompatible pointer type
vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:150: error: unknown field 'nopage' specified in initializer
vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:151: warning: initialization from incompatible pointer type

That's only the first error, but there are other compile problems (in vmnet-only).

Many advice on forums are to use vmware-any-any instead, but that has its own problems (see my other question).

As you can see from my own answer below, I've solved the problem by fixing the incompatiblities, and came up with a patch. Now I'd like VMware to include it in future releases, to save me and others trouble of applying it by hand after every VMware or kernel upgrade. Question: where/how do I submit such fixes to VMware?

Answer 1

Did you try searching the VMware support website? This has been asked in the VMware forums.

Answer 2

I've bludgeoned the kernel module into working with the 2.6.26 kernel. Here is my patch.

Answer 3

Perhaps http://open-vm-tools.sourceforge.net/contribute.php ?

Answer 4

I wrote a support request to VMware, and they assured me that my patch will reach the VMware server team.

Answer 5

Thanks for this great effort..

I've used it to get VMWare Server 1.08 running on OpenFiler. The vmware-any-any patch was also suggested but I couldn't start a guest VM because of the 'not enough physical memory' error.

Now my vm's are running happily again :)

Answer 6

Thanks a lot Alexey! This sorted stuff out for myself and a colleague of mine.

Had the same issue as Bruce with the any-any patch.

One thing, I noticed that the patch was missing the @@'s at the beginning.. I've done a new pastebin that has them in it (curse their highlighting thing!)

It's here: http://pastebin.com/f2ea13d45

Thanks, Chris