Bug 644950 – [vmware overlay] app-emulation/vmware-modules-329.1.1: version bump

• Status: RESOLVED OBSOLETE
• Product: Gentoo Linux

[Description Manfred Knick 2018-01-18 14:35:06 UTC]

Created attachment 515240 [details]
/usr/local/portage/local-overlay/app-emulation/vmware-modules/vmware-modules-329.1.1_rc-r0.ebuild

All earlier versions suffer serious CVE : please HARD-MASK or PRUNE.

Reference:
Bug 644946 - [vmware] app-emulation/vmware-workstation-14.1.1 version bump

Pre-Decessor: 
Bug 634862 - [vmware] app-emulation/vmware-modules-329: version bump


Kernel-Patches:
   vmmon-fix-page-accounting.patch does not apply any more.

TODO:
   Check / Prune patches

[Comment 1 Manfred Knick 2018-01-18 16:32:41 UTC]

Current (kernel) developments suggest that, understandably, only
   - 4.9.77   ff.
   - 4.14.14  ff.
and later will be seriously security-supported;
PTI will not be back-ported to earlier versions.

GKH exposed serious urge to upgrade to 4.9.x _at least_ .


PROPOSAL to ease maintenance:

   - Restrict support to supported kernel lines > 4.9.77
     (e.g. :  -->     ewarn "You are on your own")

   - Prune all patch set elements for kernels < 4.9.77

Comments welcome ...

[Comment 2 Ștefan Talpalaru 2018-01-18 16:52:48 UTC]

Can you please confirm that the "vmblock" kernel module is not actually needed? I did a rmmod to unload it and the Workstation worked without it.

[Comment 3 Manfred Knick 2018-01-18 20:05:29 UTC]

(In reply to Ștefan Talpalaru from comment #2)
> Can you please confirm that the "vmblock" kernel module is not actually
> needed? I did a rmmod to unload it and the Workstation worked without it.

.--> "VMware Blocking File System"
     "Drag & drop" operations from host to guest vice versa.

AFAIR, 
   original vmblock provided it's virtual file system
   as an elements of "toolls" _within_ a _guest_,
   later superseded via vmblock-fuse in open-vm-tools 
   in the case of unix/linux environments.

So, yes, you are probably right - I will check tomorrow.

HTH

[Comment 4 Ștefan Talpalaru 2018-01-18 20:31:30 UTC]

vmware-modules-329.1.1 added to my overlay: https://github.com/stefantalpalaru/gentoo-overlay

[Comment 5 Manfred Knick 2018-01-18 20:34:59 UTC]

Cleaned - Re-Install - moved /lib/modules/.../misc/vmblock.ko aside


# /etc/init.d/vmware start :

modprobe: ERROR: could not insert 'vmblock': Unknown symbol in module, 
                                             or unknown parameter (see dmesg)
insmod /lib/modules/4.14.14-gentoo/misc/vmnet.ko                  [ !! ]


# grep vmblock modules.dep

misc/vmblock.ko:


vmware starts, though.

Creating a text file in Win-10,
I was able to select it in the file explorer
and drop that into a Dolphin window.

[Comment 6 Ștefan Talpalaru 2018-01-18 20:38:10 UTC]

OK. My "vmware" init script already deals with a missing "vmblock.ko".

[Comment 7 Manfred Knick 2018-01-29 16:06:54 UTC]

::   4.15.0   ::

According to Robert Gadsdon [ http://rglinuxtech.com/?p=2205 ],

   "The latest NVIDIA drivers – 384.111 and 390.12 – compile and load OK,
    and VMware 14.1.1 is also OK."

Running 4.15.0  ( with x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-390.12:0/390 ) ,
app-emulation/vmware-workstation-14.1.1.7528167 emerges fine, but
app-emulation/vmware-modules-329.1.1 throws

 * Failed Patch: 329-4.15-00-vmmon-convert-timers-to-use-timer_setup.patch

=====================================================================

checking file vmmon-only/linux/driver.c

Hunk #2 FAILED at 217.

:OLD: LinuxDriverEstimateTSCkHzDeferred(unsigned long data)
:NEW: LinuxDriverEstimateTSCkHzDeferred(struct timer_list *data)

Hunk #3 FAILED at 252.

:OBSOLETE:

Hunk #4 FAILED at 336.

:RE-WOKRED:  New IFDEF

=====================================================================

checking file vmmon-only/linux/hostif.c

Hunk #2 FAILED at 1715.

:OLD: HostIFUptimeResyncMono(unsigned long data)
:NEW: HostIFUptimeResyncMono(struct timer_list *timer)

Hunk #3 FAILED at 1777.

:RE-WOKRED:  New IFDEF

=====================================================================

[Comment 8 Manfred Knick 2018-01-29 16:11:18 UTC]

Created attachment 517070 [details]
329-4.15-00-vmmon-convert-timers-to-use-timer_setup.patch.out

[Comment 9 Ștefan Talpalaru 2018-01-30 01:49:16 UTC]

Fixed in vmware-modules-329.1.1-r1 by removing the broken patch. Tested with a 4.15.0 kernel.

[Comment 10 Manfred Knick 2018-01-30 12:47:16 UTC]

CONFIRMED:

- 4.15.0-gentoo
- vmware-modules-329.1.1-r1.ebuild

Thanks to Stefan !

[Comment 11 Wes 2018-04-03 03:25:10 UTC]

Hi, any word on when this will be added to the overlay?  Thanks

[Comment 12 Manfred Knick 2019-02-15 19:27:34 UTC]

Very unfortunately,

. . . [vmware-overlay]

had to be been closed down
and was removed from overlays/repositories.xml:

. . . Bug 627666 - vmware: no reply to project status mail

. . . [ https://bugs.gentoo.org/627666#c8 ]


Currently up-to-date and perfectly working versions of vmware-workstation:
c.f.
  - Bug 663670     and
  - Bug 671218


HINT concerning vmware-player:
  - just install above;
  - vmware-player will be included :-)