Kernel 5.8 is out, and details are here:   http://lkml.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/2008.0/00586.html

The (patched) VMware 15.5.6  vmmon/vmnet modules compile OK, and the latest NVIDIA driver 450.57 compiles and runs OK.

However….    I cannot upgrade my main systems, as the catastrophic VMware runtime reboot still occurs, as mentioned in previous articles:

$ uname -a
Linux rgz220 5.8.0 #2 SMP Sun Aug 2 16:34:15 PDT 2020 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[root@rgz220 rgadsdon]# vmware-modconfig –console –install-all
[AppLoader] GLib does not have GSettings support.
Segmentation fault (core dumped)

[root@rgz220 vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6]# make
make -C vmmon-only
make[1]: Entering directory ‘/home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only’
Using kernel build system.
make -C /lib/modules/5.8.0/build/include/.. M=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. \
MODULEBUILDDIR= modules
make[2]: Entering directory ‘/usr/src/linux-5.8’
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/linux/hostif.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/linux/driverLog.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/common/memtrack.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/common/apic.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/common/statVarsVmmon.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/common/vmx86.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/common/sharedAreaVmmon.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/common/cpuid.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/common/task.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/common/comport.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/common/phystrack.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/vmcore/moduleloop.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/bootstrap/monLoaderVmmon.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/bootstrap/monLoader.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/bootstrap/vmmblob.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/bootstrap/bootstrap.o
LD [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/vmmon.o
MODPOST /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/Module.symvers
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/vmmon.mod.o
LD [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only/vmmon.ko
make[2]: Leaving directory ‘/usr/src/linux-5.8’
make -C $PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. \
MODULEBUILDDIR= postbuild
make[2]: Entering directory ‘/home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only’
make[2]: ‘postbuild’ is up to date.
make[2]: Leaving directory ‘/home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only’
cp -f vmmon.ko ./../vmmon.o
make[1]: Leaving directory ‘/home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmmon-only’
make -C vmnet-only
make[1]: Entering directory ‘/home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmnet-only’
Using kernel build system.
make -C /lib/modules/5.8.0/build/include/.. M=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. \
MODULEBUILDDIR= modules
make[2]: Entering directory ‘/usr/src/linux-5.8’
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmnet-only/driver.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmnet-only/hub.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmnet-only/userif.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmnet-only/netif.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmnet-only/bridge.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmnet-only/procfs.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmnet-only/smac_compat.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmnet-only/smac.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmnet-only/vnetEvent.o
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmnet-only/vnetUserListener.o
LD [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmnet-only/vmnet.o
MODPOST /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmnet-only/Module.symvers
CC [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmnet-only/vmnet.mod.o
LD [M] /home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmnet-only/vmnet.ko
make[2]: Leaving directory ‘/usr/src/linux-5.8’
make -C $PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. \
MODULEBUILDDIR= postbuild
make[2]: Entering directory ‘/home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmnet-only’
make[2]: ‘postbuild’ is up to date.
make[2]: Leaving directory ‘/home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmnet-only’
cp -f vmnet.ko ./../vmnet.o
make[1]: Leaving directory ‘/home/rgadsdon/kernel/vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6/vmnet-only’
[root@rgz220 vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6]# make install
install -D -t /lib/modules/5.8.0/misc vmmon-only/vmmon.ko vmnet-only/vmnet.ko
strip –strip-debug /lib/modules/5.8.0/misc/vmmon.ko /lib/modules/5.8.0/misc/vmnet.ko
if test -z “”; then /sbin/depmod -a 5.8.0; fi
[root@rgz220 vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.6]# service vmware start
Starting vmware (via systemctl): [ OK ]

[rgadsdon@rgz220 ~]$ vmware
/usr/bin/vmware: line 105: 12956 Segmentation fault (core dumped) “$BINDIR”/vmware-modconfig –appname=”VMware Workstation” –icon=”vmware-workstation”

[rgadsdon@rgz220 ~]$ /usr/lib/vmware/bin/vmware

VMware Workstation Warning:
An old version of smart card service (pcscd) is running on this system. Upgrade to the latest version to use virtual smart cards.

PowerOn
VProbes facility is disabled.
VProbes facility is disabled.
SOUNDLIB: Connection failure: Connection refused
SOUNDLIB: SoundLib_CreatePulseBackend: failed to connect to PA context (Connection refused)
FILE: FileLockMemberValues file ‘/home/rgadsdon/vmware/Windows_XP_Pro-SP3-2/Windows_XP_Pro-000001-cl3.vmdk.lck/M37025.lck’: size 0, required size 512
FILE: FileLockMemberValues removing problematic lock file ‘/home/rgadsdon/vmware/Windows_XP_Pro-SP3-2/Windows_XP_Pro-000001-cl3.vmdk.lck/M37025.lck’
Could not initialize emulated USB smart card subsystem.
VIDE: Using LBA48 for ide0:0
<< Immediate system reboot – connection lost >>
client_loop: send disconnect: Broken pipe

More research to follow..

Robert Gadsdon.   August 2nd 2020.