GPL-incompatible module wl.ko uses GPL-only symbol

[antoineco]

I started seeing this error message in the CI environment while building wl on Fedora 38 (Rawhide) against the 6.1.0-0.rc2.20221028git23758867219c.24.fc38 kernel.

Using CFG80211 API
  MODPOST /tmp/lima/broadcom-wl/Module.symvers
ERROR: modpost: GPL-incompatible module wl.ko uses GPL-only symbol 'lockdep_init_map_type'
ERROR: modpost: GPL-incompatible module wl.ko uses GPL-only symbol '__init_work'
make[2]: *** [scripts/Makefile.modpost:126: /tmp/lima/broadcom-wl/Module.symvers] Error 1
make[1]: *** [Makefile:1954: modpost] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory '/usr/src/kernels/6.1.0-0.rc2.20221028git[23](https://github.com/antoineco/broadcom-wl/actions/runs/3353399908/jobs/5556142523#step:7:24)758867219c.[24](https://github.com/antoineco/broadcom-wl/actions/runs/3353399908/jobs/5556142523#step:7:25).fc38.x86_64'
make: *** [Makefile:159: all] Error 2

While I understand its meaning, I'm surprised that the previous build against the 6.1.0-0.rc1.15.fc38 kernel on the same OS didn't yield such error.

Note: ~the previous CI environment had been provisioned manually on a cloud VPS by updating from a bare installation of Fedora 36 to 37 to 38 by using DNF System Upgrade, whereas this build was performed against a fresh Rawhide image (20221029.n.0). Some OS package versions may have differed.~ [irrelevant]

Note2: after another try on a fresh Rawhide image (20221104.n.0), I can confirm that building against 6.0.0-54.fc38 succeeds whereas building against 6.1.0-0.rc3.20221102git8f71a2b3f435.29.fc38 doesn't.

[antoineco]

I found a (much) older reference to the same issue at https://www.reddit.com/r/Fedora/comments/oemxbs/fedora_rawhide_broadcomwl_wont_compile_gplonly/. The issue could be caused by the usage of a debug kernel.

edit: it was indeed caused by Fedora Rawhide's debug kernels. Closing