VMware Kernel 6.18 Compatibility Patches ⚡

Complete fix for VMware Workstation 17.6.4 on Linux kernel 6.18

🎯 What This Fixes

This patch set adds full support for Linux kernel 6.18 to VMware Workstation 17.6.4 kernel modules (vmmon and vmnet).

Key Issues Resolved

• ✅ Timer API changes: del_timer_sync() → timer_delete_sync() (kernel 6.16+)
• ✅ MSR API changes: rdmsrl_safe() → rdmsrq_safe()
• ✅ UACCESS validation: Fixed csum_partial_copy_nocheck() → unsafe_copy_to_user()
• ✅ Missing headers: Created driver-config.h and vm_basic_defs.h
• ✅ Build system: Fixed objtool validation and kernel 6.18 build requirements
• ✅ Debug infrastructure: Added VMX86_DEBUG support and missing variables

📋 Requirements

• Linux kernel 6.18.x
• VMware Workstation 17.6.4
• GCC compiler
• Linux kernel headers for your kernel version
• Root/sudo access for module installation

🚀 Quick Install

Option 1: Automated Installation (Recommended)

# Clone this repository
git clone https://github.com/RepairYourTech/vmware-vmmon-vmnet-linux-6.18.git
cd vmware-vmmon-vmnet-linux-6.18

# Build and install both modules
make -C vmmon-only
sudo make -C vmmon-only install

make -C vmnet-only
sudo make -C vmnet-only install

# Load modules
sudo modprobe vmmon
sudo modprobe vmnet

Option 2: Manual Installation

# Extract VMware module sources
tar -xf /usr/lib/vmware/modules/source/vmmon.tar
tar -xf /usr/lib/vmware/modules/source/vmnet.tar

# Copy patched files
cp -r vmmon-only/* vmmon-only/
cp -r vmnet-only/* vmnet-only/

# Build
cd vmmon-only
make
sudo make install

cd ../vmnet-only
make
sudo make install

# Load modules
sudo modprobe vmmon
sudo modprobe vmnet

🔧 Technical Details

vmmon Module Changes

New Files

• driver-config.h: Kernel version macros and configuration
• include/vm_basic_defs.h: Missing type definitions and macros
  • MASK64/MASK32/PAGE_MASK macros
  • CONC/CONC3 token concatenation
  • Value extraction macros (LODWORD, HIDWORD, etc.)
  • Memory unit conversions (MBYTES_2_PAGES, GBYTES_2_PAGES)
  • DEBUG_ONLY, IMPLIES, VM_PAGE_BASE macros
  • Global debug variables (vmx86_debug, vmx86_log, vmx86_server)

Modified Files

• linux/hostif.c:
  • del_timer_sync() → timer_delete_sync()
  • rdmsrl_safe() → rdmsrq_safe()
• linux/driver.c: Added debug variable definitions
• include/x86vtinstr.h: Added debug variable extern declarations
• Makefile.kernel: Added -DVMX86_DEBUG and disabled objtool validation

vmnet Module Changes

Modified Files

• userif.c:
  • Added kernel 6.18 support path to VNetCsumAndCopyToUser()
  • Replaced csum_partial_copy_nocheck() with unsafe_copy_to_user()
  • Fixed UACCESS validation by computing checksum outside user access block

🧪 Tested Configurations

Distribution	Kernel Version	Status
Ubuntu 26.04 (dev)	6.18.0-9-generic	✅ Working
VMware Workstation	17.6.4	✅ Compatible

📁 Project Structure

.
├── vmmon-only/              # vmmon module source
│   ├── driver-config.h      # NEW: Kernel config
│   ├── include/
│   │   └── vm_basic_defs.h  # NEW: Type definitions
│   ├── linux/
│   │   ├── hostif.c         # MODIFIED: API updates
│   │   └── driver.c         # MODIFIED: Debug vars
│   └── Makefile.kernel      # MODIFIED: Build flags
└── vmnet-only/              # vmnet module source
    └── userif.c             # MODIFIED: UACCESS fix

🔍 Troubleshooting

Modules won't load

# Check kernel log
dmesg | tail -20

# Verify module signatures
modinfo /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/misc/vmmon.ko
modinfo /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/misc/vmnet.ko

Compilation errors

# Ensure you have kernel headers installed
sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname -r)

# Check GCC version
gcc --version

VMware still shows errors

# Unload and reload modules
sudo modprobe -r vmnet vmmon
sudo modprobe vmmon vmnet

# Restart VMware services
sudo systemctl restart vmware

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request

📜 License

This project is licensed under GPL v2, matching the Linux kernel license and VMware's open-source components.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Based on original VMware module sources
• Inspired by previous kernel compatibility work:
  • mkubecek/vmware-host-modules
  • Hyphaed/vmware-vmmon-vmnet-linux-6.17.x

⚠️ Disclaimer

These patches are provided as-is. While they have been tested on Ubuntu 26.04 with kernel 6.18.0-9-generic, your mileage may vary. Always backup your system before installing kernel modules.

📊 Changelog

v1.0.0 (2025-01-23)

• Initial release for kernel 6.18
• Full vmmon and vmnet module support
• All API compatibility issues resolved
• Successfully tested on Ubuntu 26.04

🔗 Links

• VMware Workstation for Linux
• Linux Kernel Documentation
• Report Issues

---

Made with ❤️ for the Linux and VMware community