[vbox-dev] Cannot compile VirtualBox 5.1.30 without access to kernel sources (regression since 5.1.12)

[Ulrich Gemkow]

Hello,

On Saturday 06 January 2018, "Sérgio" Basto wrote:
> On Fri, 2018-01-05 at 20:10 +0100, Ulrich Gemkow wrote:
> > Hello,
> > 
> > VirtualBox 5.1.30 can no longer be compiled when the kernel sources
> > are not available during the build. The compile fails with the error
> > 
> > -- kBuild: Installing /lnc/build/apps/make/VirtualBox-
> > 5.1.30/out/linux.amd64/release/misc-staging/rdesktop-1.8.3-
> > vrdp/include/iprt/linux/sysfs.h
> > kBuild: Installing /lnc/build/apps/make/VirtualBox-
> > 5.1.30/out/linux.amd64/release/misc-staging/rdesktop-1.8.3-
> > vrdp/include/iprt/list.h
> > /lnc/build/apps/make/VirtualBox-
> > 5.1.30/out/linux.amd64/release/obj/tstguest_mod/vboxguest/Makefile.in
> > clude.header:112: *** Error: unable to find the sources of your
> > current Linux kernel. Specify KERN_DIR=<directory> and run Make
> > again.  Stop.
> > make[1]: Leaving directory '/lnc/build/apps/make/VirtualBox-
> > 5.1.30/out/linux.amd64/release/obj/tstguest_mod/vboxguest'
>                                      ^^^^^^^   
> 
> I checked my configuration and do not have kernel sources but I also
> disable testcases [1] . Seems to me the regression it is in tst (test
> cases) . 
> 
> 
> [1]
> kmk VBOX_WITH_TESTCASES= 
> 

Thanks! This fixes this problem. Maybe building this test should
be excluded by configure when --disable-kmods is set.

Thanks again and best regards

Ulrich

> > kBuild: Installing /lnc/build/apps/make/VirtualBox-
> > 5.1.30/out/linux.amd64/release/misc-staging/rdesktop-1.8.3-
> > vrdp/include/iprt/lockvalidator.h
> 
> 
> 
> > Makefile:30: recipe for target 'all' failed
> > 
> > configure is called with the following parameters:
> > 
> > ./configure --disable-kmods --disable-pulse --disable-alsa --disable-
> > hardening --disable-opengl --disable-dbus --disable-docs --disable-
> > python --disable-java --disable-libvpx
> > 
> > The compile host is a modified Ubuntu 16.04 with a vanilla kernel
> > Linux 4.9.
> > 
> > The error did not happen when compiling 5.1.12 in exact the
> > same configuration, so this is a regression.
> > 
> > IMHO it should be possible to compile VirtualBox without access
> > to the kernel sources when --disable-kmods is given - not only
> > for security reasons.
> 
> 
> 
> > Thanks and best regards
> > 
> > Ulrich
> > 

-- 
Ulrich Gemkow
University of Stuttgart
Institute of Communication Networks and Computer Engineering (IKR)