Unable to build the vmmon module

Installando VMware Server 1.0.5 build-80187 (ma può succedere anche con altre versioni) su una Ubuntu 8.04 amd64 (ma può succedere anche su altre versioni/distro) ho incontrato il problema di non riuscire a compilare il driver vmmon (a dire il vero non ci è riuscita l'installazione di VMware!).

Questo è un pezzo dell'errore:

 Building the vmmon module.

Using 2.6.x kernel build system.
make: Entering directory `/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only'
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.24-16-server/build/include/.. SUBDIRS=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. modules
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.24-16-server'
  CC [M]  /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o
In file included from /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vmware.h:25,
                 from /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:48:
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/./include/vm_basic_types.h:159: error: redefinition of typedef ‘uintptr_t’
include/linux/types.h:40: error: previous declaration of ‘uintptr_t’ was here
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 ‘poll_initwait’
include/linux/poll.h:65: error: previous declaration of ‘poll_initwait’ was here
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:147: warning: initialization from incompatible pointer type
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:151: warning: initialization from incompatible pointer type
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c: In function ‘LinuxDriver_Ioctl’:
/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:1659: error: ‘struct mm_struct’ has no member named ‘dumpable’
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-2.6.24-16-server'
make: *** [vmmon.ko] Error 2
make: Leaving directory `/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only'
Unable to build the vmmon module.

For more information on how to troubleshoot module-related problems, please
visit our Web site at "http://www.vmware.com/download/modules/modules.html" and
"http://www.vmware.com/support/reference/linux/prebuilt_modules_linux.html".

Execution aborted.

Il problema è dovuto ad una qualche incompatibilità tra versione di VMware e versione della distribuzione installata.

Per risolvere il problema ho installato la patch vmware-any-any-update115, scaricata dal sito http://knihovny.cvut.cz/ftp/pub/vmware/ .

Di seguito i passaggi (esegui tutto da root o scrivi i vari comandi mettendo sudo davanti):

# cd /tmp
# wget http://knihovny.cvut.cz/ftp/pub/vmware/vmware-any-any-update115.tar.gz
# tar xvfz vmware-any-any-update115.tar.gz
# cd vmware-any-any-update115
# ./runme.pl

Updating /usr/bin/vmware-config.pl ... now patched
Updating /usr/bin/vmware ... No patch needed/available
Updating /usr/bin/vmnet-bridge ... No patch needed/available
Updating /usr/lib/vmware/bin/vmware-vmx ... No patch needed/available
Updating /usr/lib/vmware/bin-debug/vmware-vmx ... No patch needed/available
VMware modules in "/usr/lib/vmware/modules/source" has been updated.

Before running VMware for the first time after update, you need to configure it
for your running kernel by invoking the following command:
"/usr/bin/vmware-config.pl". Do you want this script to invoke the command for
you now? [yes] yes



Updating /usr/bin/vmware-config.pl ... now patched Updating /usr/bin/vmware ... No patch needed/available Updating /usr/bin/vmnet-bridge ... No patch needed/available Updating /usr/lib/vmware/bin/vmware-vmx ... No patch needed/available Updating /usr/lib/vmware/bin-debug/vmware-vmx ... No patch needed/available VMware modules in "/usr/lib/vmware/modules/source" has been updated. Before running VMware for the first time after update, you need to configure it for your running kernel by invoking the following command: "/usr/bin/vmware-config.pl". Do you want this script to invoke the command for you now? [yes] yes

prosegui ed andrà tutto ok...sennò facci sapere!