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Install VMware

The installation does not work flawless, so you have to follow this description.

Install

You need root permission for the installation.

Required is an installed Linux Kernel Source Tree. Description comes...

Make the installer executable.

chmod 766 VMware-Player-12.0.1-3160714.x86_64.bundle

Start the installer with the ignore parameter.

./VMware-Player-12.0.1-3160714.x86_64.bundle -I

Patch the modules. Currently, vmci and vsock has to be patched. In the past and in the future, other modules have to be patched too.

Download the patches from the archlinux repository. Download vmware-patch.tar.gz and save it to /tmp/

Change to the directory /usr/lib/vmware/modules/source

Extract vsock.tar with tar xf vsock.tar

Change to the directory vsock-only

Run patch -p1 < /tmp/vmware-patch/vsock-11.1.2-4.2.patch

Change one directory level up cd ..

Compress the patched vsock directory tar cf vsock.tar vsock-only

Extract vmci.tar with tar xf vmci.tar

Change to the directory vmci-only

Run patch -p1 < /tmp/vmware-patch/vmci-12.0.0-4.2.patch

Change one directory level up cd ..

Compress the patched vmci directory tar cf vmci.tar vmci-only

Recompile and install the modules vmware-modconfig --console --install-all

Problems

• Module compile error

The VMware modules are not always up to date for your kernel. Just do a web search with "vmware linux patch". There are several patches. If nothing helps, just post your problem on the Plop Forum.

• USB devices are not working

Check if the VMware USB Arbitrator is running.

ps -e|grep vmw

When you don't see vmware-usbarbit then is the USB Arbitrator not running. Check if the file /etc/rc.d/init.d/vmware-USBArbitrator exists. If not then you have to extract it from the bundle file.

./VMware-Player-12.0.1-3160714.x86_64.bundle -x /tmp/vm

Copy the arbitrator start script to rc.

cp -v /tmp/vm/vmware-usbarbitrator/etc/init.d/vmware-USBArbitrator /etc/rc.d/init.d

Change the permissions.

chmod 755 /etc/rc.d/init.d/vmware-USBArbitrator

Start it with

/etc/rc.d/init.d/vmware-USBArbitrator start

To auto start it, create a start symlink in the rc tree or add "/etc/rc.d/init.d/vmware-USBArbitrator start" to /etc/rc.local

• Error: The VMware installer cannot continue if there are running virtual machines. Shut down or suspend running virtual machines before continuing.

Uninstall the VMware product (see below).
Remove all VMware modules from /lib/modules.
Remove the VMware directories in /etc.

VMware Tools

The automatic download of the VMware Tools does not work. Just download the tools from https://softwareupdate.vmware.com/cds/vmw-desktop/fusion/8.0.2/3164312/packages with your browser.

Extract the package and the zip file in the package. You find the ISO file with the VMware Tools in the "payload" directory. Attach the ISO to the guest cd drive to install the tools on your guest system.

Uninstall

Check the installed products.

./VMware-Player-12.0.1-3160714.x86_64.bundle -l

Example to remove VMware Player

./VMware-Player-12.0.1-3160714.x86_64.bundle -u vmware-player

© 2017 by Elmar Hanlhofer