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When running security updates, some distros I use update their kernels to newer versions. Namely Ubuntu and Fedora.
To compile some software, for example VMWare server, I needed the kernel headers for my kernel. Let's say I used the headers for 2.6.15.
If I upgrade my kernel to 2.6.24, do I need to recompile VMWare? Will it most likely still work? What's the deal with this? VMWare was very specific about needing the exact headers for my kernel.
When running security updates, some distros I use update their kernels to newer versions. Namely Ubuntu and Fedora.
To compile some software, for example VMWare server, I needed the kernel headers for my kernel. Let's say I used the headers for 2.6.15.
If I upgrade my kernel to 2.6.24, do I need to recompile VMWare? Will it most likely still work? What's the deal with this? VMWare was very specific about needing the exact headers for my kernel.
Thanks,
Tom
Yes, if you change kernel versions then you need to recompile everything that needs to compile against the kernel headers.
Software doesn't need to be recompiled (its still the same executable). Kernel modules, on the other hand, need to be recompiled; vmware using a module to run the virtual machine more smoothly, the modules needs to be compiled specifically for your kernel version. Even when you recompile the same kernel with different options, I found that recompiling modules was necessary.
Software doesn't need to be recompiled (its still the same executable). Kernel modules, on the other hand, need to be recompiled; vmware using a module to run the virtual machine more smoothly, the modules needs to be compiled specifically for your kernel version. Even when you recompile the same kernel with different options, I found that recompiling modules was necessary.
Ahhhh. I belive the vmware tools I installed in a virtual ubuntu machine were indeed kernel modules. I thought vmware server was just an executable, but it still needed kernel headers. Maybe it was an executable AND kernel modules.
Is it typically the case that kernel headers are only required for kernel modules?
99.992% of the time application do not need to be recompiled. An application will need to be recompiled if a kernel and/or module call interface has changed. Usually interface changes are limited to MINOR version changes( 2.4 -> 2.5 ) so that application will not possibily need to be recompiled.
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