modules: fix build with kernel >= 6.16.0 + Workstation 17.6.4 #320

aurelihein · 2025-09-10T13:45:11Z

This a branch which fix build with kernel >= 6.16.0 + Workstation 17.6.4
Tested with

$ uname -r
6.16.5-1-liquorix-amd64
$ vmware --version
VMware Workstation 17.6.4 build-24832109

To test :

make
sudo make install
sudo systemctl restart vmware

Thank you

Aurelien BOUIN

ColtonDx · 2025-09-14T01:13:19Z

Tested and functional on:

Kernel: 6.16.7-200.fc42.x86_64

NAME="Fedora Linux"
VERSION="42 (KDE Plasma Desktop Edition)"
RELEASE_TYPE=stable
ID=fedora
VERSION_ID=42
VERSION_CODENAME=""
PLATFORM_ID="platform:f42"
PRETTY_NAME="Fedora Linux 42 (KDE Plasma Desktop Edition)"
ANSI_COLOR="0;38;2;60;110;180"
LOGO=fedora-logo-icon
CPE_NAME="cpe:/o:fedoraproject:fedora:42"
DEFAULT_HOSTNAME="fedora"
HOME_URL="https://fedoraproject.org/"
DOCUMENTATION_URL="https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/fedora/f42/"
SUPPORT_URL="https://ask.fedoraproject.org/"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugzilla.redhat.com/"
REDHAT_BUGZILLA_PRODUCT="Fedora"
REDHAT_BUGZILLA_PRODUCT_VERSION=42
REDHAT_SUPPORT_PRODUCT="Fedora"
REDHAT_SUPPORT_PRODUCT_VERSION=42
SUPPORT_END=2026-05-13
VARIANT="KDE Plasma Desktop Edition"
VARIANT_ID=kde

This fixed issues I had had with getting vmmon and vmnet to load after upgrading to this kernel.

tssj666 · 2025-09-19T11:40:39Z

Compiling with a kernel earlier than 6.15.4 will fail.
Please update with the following fix

diff --git a/vmmon-only/linux/hostif.c b/vmmon-only/linux/hostif.c
index 961d4bc..9a95532 100644
--- a/vmmon-only/linux/hostif.c
+++ b/vmmon-only/linux/hostif.c
@@ -1997,7 +1997,7 @@ HostIF_CleanupUptime(void)
 #if LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(6, 15, 4)
    timer_delete_sync(&uptimeState.timer);
 #else
-   del_timer_sync(&tscTimer);
+   del_timer_sync(&uptimeState.timer);
 #endif
 }

…ld for kernel earlier than 6.15.4

aurelihein · 2025-09-19T12:10:57Z

Good catch @tssj666
Pull Request updated
Thank you

cncastillo · 2025-09-19T18:14:17Z

I compiled using Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS x86_64 with kernel

❯ uname -r
6.16.3-76061603-generic

and I get this error:

error: objtool: CrossPage_CodePage+0x207: 'naked' return found in MITIGATION_RETHUNK build

Full output:

❯ sudo make
[sudo] password for ccp:
make -C vmmon-only
make[1]: Entering directory '/home/ccp/Downloads/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only'
Using kernel build system.
make -C /lib/modules/6.16.3-76061603-generic/build/include/.. M=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. \
  MODULEBUILDDIR= modules
make[2]: Entering directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic'
make[3]: Entering directory '/home/ccp/Downloads/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only'
warning: the compiler differs from the one used to build the kernel
  The kernel was built by: x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc-14 (Ubuntu 14.2.0-4ubuntu2~24.04) 14.2.0
  You are using:           gcc-14 (Ubuntu 14.2.0-4ubuntu2~24.04) 14.2.0
  CC [M]  common/crosspage.o
common/crosspage.o: error: objtool: CrossPage_CodePage+0x207: 'naked' return found in MITIGATION_RETHUNK build
make[5]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic/scripts/Makefile.build:287: common/crosspage.o] Error 1
make[5]: *** Deleting file 'common/crosspage.o'
make[4]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic/Makefile:2010: .] Error 2
make[3]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic/Makefile:248: __sub-make] Error 2
make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/ccp/Downloads/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only'
make[2]: *** [Makefile:248: __sub-make] Error 2
make[2]: Leaving directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic'
make[1]: *** [Makefile:117: vmmon.ko] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/ccp/Downloads/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only'
make: *** [Makefile:21: vmmon-only] Error 2

Sadly, I don't know enough to propose a solution :(.

ziprasidone146939277 · 2025-09-20T01:09:19Z

I compiled using Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS x86_64 with kernel

❯ uname -r
6.16.3-76061603-generic

and I get this error:

error: objtool: CrossPage_CodePage+0x207: 'naked' return found in MITIGATION_RETHUNK build

Full output:

❯ sudo make
[sudo] password for ccp:
make -C vmmon-only
make[1]: Entering directory '/home/ccp/Downloads/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only'
Using kernel build system.
make -C /lib/modules/6.16.3-76061603-generic/build/include/.. M=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. \
  MODULEBUILDDIR= modules
make[2]: Entering directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic'
make[3]: Entering directory '/home/ccp/Downloads/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only'
warning: the compiler differs from the one used to build the kernel
  The kernel was built by: x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc-14 (Ubuntu 14.2.0-4ubuntu2~24.04) 14.2.0
  You are using:           gcc-14 (Ubuntu 14.2.0-4ubuntu2~24.04) 14.2.0
  CC [M]  common/crosspage.o
common/crosspage.o: error: objtool: CrossPage_CodePage+0x207: 'naked' return found in MITIGATION_RETHUNK build
make[5]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic/scripts/Makefile.build:287: common/crosspage.o] Error 1
make[5]: *** Deleting file 'common/crosspage.o'
make[4]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic/Makefile:2010: .] Error 2
make[3]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic/Makefile:248: __sub-make] Error 2
make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/ccp/Downloads/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only'
make[2]: *** [Makefile:248: __sub-make] Error 2
make[2]: Leaving directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic'
make[1]: *** [Makefile:117: vmmon.ko] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/ccp/Downloads/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only'
make: *** [Makefile:21: vmmon-only] Error 2

Sadly, I don't know enough to propose a solution :(.

Same here. Pop 24.04.

common/crosspage.o: error: objtool: CrossPage_CodePage+0x207: 'naked' return found in MITIGATION_RETHUNK build
make[5]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic/scripts/Makefile.build:287: common/crosspage.o] Error 1
make[5]: *** Deleting file 'common/crosspage.o'
make[4]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic/Makefile:2010: .] Error 2
make[3]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic/Makefile:248: __sub-make] Error 2
make[3]: Leaving directory '/opt/vmware-host-modules/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only'
make[2]: *** [Makefile:248: __sub-make] Error 2
make[2]: Leaving directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic'
make[1]: *** [Makefile:117: vmmon.ko] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory '/opt/vmware-host-modules/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only'
make: *** [Makefile:21: vmmon-only] Error 2
make: *** No rule to make target 'vmmon-only/vmmon.ko', needed by 'install'.  Stop.

Recent kernels built with CONFIG_RETHUNK enable objtool checks which forbid "naked" returns. vmmon's CrossPage_CodePage() ended with NOT_REACHED_MINIMAL() (i.e. __builtin_unreachable()), which caused: error: objtool: CrossPage_CodePage+0x207: 'naked' return found in MITIGATION_RETHUNK build Fix by conditionally replacing the unreachable marker with an explicit "ret" instruction when CONFIG_RETHUNK is enabled. On kernels without CONFIG_RETHUNK, the existing logic is preserved. This allows vmmon to build cleanly on 6.1+ kernels with rethunk enabled while keeping the old behavior otherwise.

aurelihein · 2025-09-20T07:00:37Z

@ziprasidone146939277 & @cncastillo please can you try again ? I have updated the fork

cncastillo · 2025-09-20T07:04:45Z

Ok, I tried the latest version:

❯ git pull
remote: Enumerating objects: 9, done.
remote: Counting objects: 100% (9/9), done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (1/1), done.
remote: Total 5 (delta 4), reused 5 (delta 4), pack-reused 0 (from 0)
Unpacking objects: 100% (5/5), 995 bytes | 331.00 KiB/s, done.
From github.com:aurelihein/vmware-host-modules
   04c953e..abf2d45  workstation-17.6.4 -> origin/workstation-17.6.4
Updating 04c953e..abf2d45
Fast-forward
 vmmon-only/common/crosspage.c | 9 +++++++++
 1 file changed, 9 insertions(+)

but I get the same error (after make clean)

common/crosspage.o: error: objtool: CrossPage_CodePage+0x207: 'naked' return found in MITIGATION_RETHUNK build

Full output:

❯ sudo make
make -C vmmon-only
make[1]: Entering directory '/home/ccp/Downloads/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only'
Using kernel build system.
make -C /lib/modules/6.16.3-76061603-generic/build/include/.. M=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. \
  MODULEBUILDDIR= modules
make[2]: Entering directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic'
make[3]: Entering directory '/home/ccp/Downloads/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only'
warning: the compiler differs from the one used to build the kernel
  The kernel was built by: x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc-14 (Ubuntu 14.2.0-4ubuntu2~24.04) 14.2.0
  You are using:           gcc-14 (Ubuntu 14.2.0-4ubuntu2~24.04) 14.2.0
  CC [M]  linux/driver.o
linux/driver.c:272:1: warning: no previous prototype for ‘LinuxDriverInit’ [-Wmissing-prototypes]
  272 | LinuxDriverInit(void)
      | ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
linux/driver.c:340:1: warning: no previous prototype for ‘LinuxDriverExit’ [-Wmissing-prototypes]
  340 | LinuxDriverExit(void)
      | ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  CC [M]  linux/driverLog.o
  CC [M]  linux/hostif.o
linux/hostif.c:2930:1: warning: no previous prototype for ‘HostIFCheckTrackedMPN’ [-Wmissing-prototypes]
 2930 | HostIFCheckTrackedMPN(VMDriver *vm, // IN: The VM instance
      | ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
linux/hostif.c:3050:1: warning: no previous prototype for ‘HostIFWritePhysicalWork’ [-Wmissing-prototypes]
 3050 | HostIFWritePhysicalWork(MA ma,             // MA to be written to
      | ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
linux/hostif.c:3209:1: warning: no previous prototype for ‘HostIFStartTimer’ [-Wmissing-prototypes]
 3209 | HostIFStartTimer(Bool rateChanged,  //IN: Did rate change?
      | ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  CC [M]  common/apic.o
  CC [M]  common/comport.o
  CC [M]  common/cpuid.o
  CC [M]  common/crosspage.o
common/crosspage.o: error: objtool: CrossPage_CodePage+0x207: 'naked' return found in MITIGATION_RETHUNK build
make[5]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic/scripts/Makefile.build:287: common/crosspage.o] Error 1
make[5]: *** Deleting file 'common/crosspage.o'
make[4]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic/Makefile:2010: .] Error 2
make[3]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic/Makefile:248: __sub-make] Error 2
make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/ccp/Downloads/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only'
make[2]: *** [Makefile:248: __sub-make] Error 2
make[2]: Leaving directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic'
make[1]: *** [Makefile:117: vmmon.ko] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/ccp/Downloads/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only'
make: *** [Makefile:21: vmmon-only] Error 2

ziprasidone146939277 · 2025-09-21T01:46:58Z

@ziprasidone146939277 & @cncastillo please can you try again ? I have updated the fork

Hello, now the error is:

remote: Enumerating objects: 942, done.
remote: Counting objects: 100% (237/237), done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (113/113), done.
remote: Total 942 (delta 175), reused 128 (delta 124), pack-reused 705 (from 1)
Receiving objects: 100% (942/942), 1.01 MiB | 1.98 MiB/s, done.
Resolving deltas: 100% (693/693), done.
branch 'workstation-17.6.4' set up to track 'origin/workstation-17.6.4'.
Switched to a new branch 'workstation-17.6.4'
make -C vmmon-only
make[1]: Entering directory '/opt/vmware-host-modules/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only'
Using kernel build system.
make -C /lib/modules/6.16.3-76061603-generic/build/include/.. M=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. \
  MODULEBUILDDIR= modules
make[2]: Entering directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic'
make[3]: Entering directory '/opt/vmware-host-modules/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only'
warning: the compiler differs from the one used to build the kernel
  The kernel was built by: x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc-14 (Ubuntu 14.2.0-4ubuntu2~24.04) 14.2.0
  You are using:           gcc-14 (Ubuntu 14.2.0-4ubuntu2~24.04) 14.2.0
  CC [M]  linux/driver.o
linux/driver.c:272:1: warning: no previous prototype for ‘LinuxDriverInit’ [-Wmissing-prototypes]
  272 | LinuxDriverInit(void)
      | ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
linux/driver.c:340:1: warning: no previous prototype for ‘LinuxDriverExit’ [-Wmissing-prototypes]
  340 | LinuxDriverExit(void)
      | ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  CC [M]  linux/driverLog.o
  CC [M]  linux/hostif.o
linux/hostif.c:2930:1: warning: no previous prototype for ‘HostIFCheckTrackedMPN’ [-Wmissing-prototypes]
 2930 | HostIFCheckTrackedMPN(VMDriver *vm, // IN: The VM instance
      | ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
linux/hostif.c:3050:1: warning: no previous prototype for ‘HostIFWritePhysicalWork’ [-Wmissing-prototypes]
 3050 | HostIFWritePhysicalWork(MA ma,             // MA to be written to
      | ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
linux/hostif.c:3209:1: warning: no previous prototype for ‘HostIFStartTimer’ [-Wmissing-prototypes]
 3209 | HostIFStartTimer(Bool rateChanged,  //IN: Did rate change?
      | ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  CC [M]  common/apic.o
  CC [M]  common/comport.o
  CC [M]  common/cpuid.o
  CC [M]  common/crosspage.o
common/crosspage.o: error: objtool: CrossPage_CodePage+0x207: 'naked' return found in MITIGATION_RETHUNK build
make[5]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic/scripts/Makefile.build:287: common/crosspage.o] Error 1
make[5]: *** Deleting file 'common/crosspage.o'
make[4]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic/Makefile:2010: .] Error 2
make[3]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic/Makefile:248: __sub-make] Error 2
make[3]: Leaving directory '/opt/vmware-host-modules/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only'
make[2]: *** [Makefile:248: __sub-make] Error 2
make[2]: Leaving directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-6.16.3-76061603-generic'
make[1]: *** [Makefile:117: vmmon.ko] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory '/opt/vmware-host-modules/vmware-host-modules/vmmon-only'
make: *** [Makefile:21: vmmon-only] Error 2
make: *** No rule to make target 'vmmon-only/vmmon.ko', needed by 'install'.  Stop.

Thank You

dreamcurve0 · 2025-11-12T16:49:14Z

Kernel 6.17 is proving problematic. Any solutions or advice?

sudo dkms add -m vmware-host-modules -v ${DKMS_VER}
sudo dkms build -m vmware-host-modules -v ${DKMS_VER}
sudo dkms install -m vmware-host-modules -v ${DKMS_VER}
Deprecated feature: CLEAN (/usr/src/vmware-host-modules-master-6.17/dkms.conf)
Creating symlink /var/lib/dkms/vmware-host-modules/master-6.17/source -> /usr/src/vmware-host-modules-master-6.17
Deprecated feature: CLEAN (/var/lib/dkms/vmware-host-modules/master-6.17/source/dkms.conf)
Sign command: /lib/modules/6.17.7-200.nobara.fc42.x86_64/build/scripts/sign-file
Signing key: /var/lib/dkms/mok.key
Public certificate (MOK): /var/lib/dkms/mok.pub

Building module(s)...(bad exit status: 2)
Failed command:
make -j22 KERNELRELEASE=6.17.7-200.nobara.fc42.x86_64 -C vmmon-only && make -C vmnet-only

Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel: 6.17.7-200.nobara.fc42.x86_64 (x86_64)
Consult /var/lib/dkms/vmware-host-modules/master-6.17/build/make.log for more information.
Deprecated feature: CLEAN (/var/lib/dkms/vmware-host-modules/master-6.17/source/dkms.conf)
Sign command: /lib/modules/6.17.7-200.nobara.fc42.x86_64/build/scripts/sign-file
Signing key: /var/lib/dkms/mok.key
Public certificate (MOK): /var/lib/dkms/mok.pub

Building module(s)...(bad exit status: 2)
Failed command:
make -j22 KERNELRELEASE=6.17.7-200.nobara.fc42.x86_64 -C vmmon-only && make -C vmnet-only

Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel: 6.17.7-200.nobara.fc42.x86_64 (x86_64)
Consult /var/lib/dkms/vmware-host-modules/master-6.17/build/make.log for more information.

modules: fix build with kernel >= 6.16.0 + Workstation 17.6.4

702c641

aurelihein changed the base branch from workstation-17.5.1 to workstation September 10, 2025 13:46

Neo2SHYAlien mentioned this pull request Sep 17, 2025

Cannot compile module with kernel kernel-6.16.7 #322

Open

modules: fix build with kernel >= 6.16.0 + Workstation 17.6.4;fix bui…

04c953e

…ld for kernel earlier than 6.15.4

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aurelihein commented Sep 10, 2025

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