keep having to recompile vmware modules

DJSpite · #1 15th November 2007, 01:49 PM

I'm runing Fedora 8 x86_64, and VMware 6. Seems like after every reboot I have to recompile the vmware moduels (The kernel isn't being updated THAT often). Any ideas?

HaydnH · #2 15th November 2007, 03:39 PM

If you don't mind sticking with the same kernel you can add the following line to your /etc/yum.conf file:

exclude=*kernel*

DJSpite · #3 15th November 2007, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HaydnH

If you don't mind sticking with the same kernel you can add the following line to your /etc/yum.conf file:

exclude=*kernel*

Sorry, my original post may not have been clear. I'm not upgrading the kernel, but for some reason the vmware modules won't load after a reboot without recompiling.

DJSpite · #4 16th November 2007, 09:18 PM

The problem is apparently selinux. I couldn't find any thing about it triggering the selinux security in the "SELinux Troubleshooter" but disabling SELinux did fix it so I don't have to recompile the vmware modules after every reboot.

rweed · #5 16th November 2007, 09:48 PM

I'm running F8 as well, but I'm running VMWare Server 1.0.4. If I uninstall VMWare Server and then reinstall it, it works. The second I reboot, it stops working with a ton of SELinux alerts.

I finally bit the bullet and gave myself a crash course in creating a local SELinux policy which grants VMWare server what it needs to run. I can post the policy source (includes a script to recompile and insert module into selinux) as an attachment to this thread upon request. Should be pretty close for VMWare workstation. You use 'audit2allow -R' to add grants for anything that's missing got VMW.

It's strange that it works upon reinstall and then fails after a reboot...it's missing access to write to /tmp, the user's home directory, etc.

oakwcj · #6 19th November 2007, 03:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rweed

I'm running F8 as well, but I'm running VMWare Server 1.0.4. If I uninstall VMWare Server and then reinstall it, it works. The second I reboot, it stops working with a ton of SELinux alerts.

I finally bit the bullet and gave myself a crash course in creating a local SELinux policy which grants VMWare server what it needs to run. I can post the policy source (includes a script to recompile and insert module into selinux) as an attachment to this thread upon request. Should be pretty close for VMWare workstation. You use 'audit2allow -R' to add grants for anything that's missing got VMW.

It's strange that it works upon reinstall and then fails after a reboot...it's missing access to write to /tmp, the user's home directory, etc.

I'm having this problem, too. Please post your script. I'm running vmware-server-1.0.4. I haven't reinstalled each time, but I have run vmware-config.pl. This solves the problem, but is a pain. Issuing a setenforce 0 command from the terminal just before starting a VM also works. I can then set SeLinux back to enforcing. These are bandaids. Fixing the policy sounds better.

TIA.

rweed · #7 20th November 2007, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oakwcj

I'm having this problem, too. Please post your script. I'm running vmware-server-1.0.4. I haven't reinstalled each time, but I have run vmware-config.pl. This solves the problem, but is a pain. Issuing a setenforce 0 command from the terminal just before starting a VM also works. I can then set SeLinux back to enforcing. These are bandaids. Fixing the policy sounds better.

TIA.

I posted it here: http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?p=905253

cristianox · #8 20th November 2007, 12:37 AM

I was facing the same problem, needing to recompile te kernel modules everytime after reboot.
I set the SE Linux to permissive and re-run the command vmware-config pl.
After reboot the modules were there - ok. I didn't need to recompile anymore.
Thank you.

rweed · #9 20th November 2007, 12:56 AM

You understand that SELinux is now disabled...right?

cristianox · #10 20th November 2007, 01:15 AM

The SELinux was set to permissive to compile the modules.
After reboot was ok, I returned to Enforcing mode and again the kernel modules failed on boot.
But now I know where the problem is. I'll keep searching for a better solution than setting SELinux to permissive.

cristianox · #11 21st November 2007, 12:29 AM

I checked the option Relabel on next boot at SELInux and rebooted the system.
After the relabel was done, the vmware modules loaded ok.
But Fedora 8 is not as good as 7, yet.
I'm facing problems with the network, where I cannot add a new device (the dial up modem). When I save the changes (any change, in any device) the application fails. I really don't use dial up connection, but I like having all my hardware working. But that's subject to another topic.