Arch Linux User Repository

I now maintain this package. This package now supports Linux 6.15, and has updated download URLs.

However, if this package is absolutely mission critical for you, please use an LTS kernel, as I can only (barely) assemble patches others have made, as it may take a while for me to update the package to work on regular kernels.

Flag this package as out of date only if it doesn't work on the latest regular kernel AND if vmware-workstation works. If it doesn't, I can't help you.

If this does not satisfy you, get someone more knowledgeable to maintain this package, and I will hand over this package on request.

After the first installation, please:

1) install the appropriate headers package(s) for your installed kernel(s): linux-headers for default kernel, linux-lts-headers for LTS kernel...

2) reboot or load vmw_vmci and vmmon kernel modules (modprobe -a vmw_vmci vmmon)

3) Enable the services you need (using .service units to activate them during boot or .path units to activate them when a VM is started) :

• vmware-networks: to have network access inside VMs

• vmware-usbarbitrator: to connect USB devices inside VMs

I now maintain this package. This package now supports Linux 6.15, and has updated download URLs.

However, if this package is absolutely mission critical for you, please use an LTS kernel, as I can only (barely) assemble patches others have made, as it may take a while for me to update the package to work on regular kernels.

Flag this package as out of date only if it doesn't work on the latest regular kernel AND if vmware-workstation works. If it doesn't, I can't help you.

If this does not satisfy you, get someone more knowledgeable to maintain this package, and I will hand over this package on request.

As Broadcom killed the vmware download URLs, the PKBUILD needs to be updated to use the new URLs. Here is a diff file:

--- a/PKGBUILD
+++ b/PKGBUILD
@@ -58,14 +58,14 @@ backup=(
   'etc/conf.d/vmware'
 )
 source=(
-  "https://softwareupdate.vmware.com/cds/vmw-desktop/ws/${pkgver}/${_buildver}/linux/core/VMware-Workstation-${_pkgver/_/-}.${CARCH}.bundle.tar"
-  "https://softwareupdate.vmware.com/cds/vmw-desktop/ws/${pkgver}/${_buildver}/linux/packages/vmware-tools-linux-${_tools_version/_/-}.${CARCH}.component.tar"
-  "https://softwareupdate.vmware.com/cds/vmw-desktop/ws/${pkgver}/${_buildver}/linux/packages/vmware-tools-linuxPreGlibc25-${_tools_version/_/-}.${CARCH}.component.tar"
-  "https://softwareupdate.vmware.com/cds/vmw-desktop/ws/${pkgver}/${_buildver}/linux/packages/vmware-tools-netware-${_tools_version/_/-}.${CARCH}.component.tar"
-  "https://softwareupdate.vmware.com/cds/vmw-desktop/ws/${pkgver}/${_buildver}/linux/packages/vmware-tools-solaris-${_tools_version/_/-}.${CARCH}.component.tar"
-  "https://softwareupdate.vmware.com/cds/vmw-desktop/ws/${pkgver}/${_buildver}/linux/packages/vmware-tools-windows-${_tools_version/_/-}.${CARCH}.component.tar"
-  "https://softwareupdate.vmware.com/cds/vmw-desktop/ws/${pkgver}/${_buildver}/linux/packages/vmware-tools-winPre2k-${_tools_version/_/-}.${CARCH}.component.tar"
-  "https://softwareupdate.vmware.com/cds/vmw-desktop/ws/${pkgver}/${_buildver}/linux/packages/vmware-tools-winPreVista-${_tools_version/_/-}.${CARCH}.component.tar"
+  "https://softwareupdate-prod.broadcom.com/cds/vmw-desktop/ws/${pkgver}/${_buildver}/linux/core/VMware-Workstation-${_pkgver/_/-}.${CARCH}.bundle.tar"
+  "https://softwareupdate-prod.broadcom.com/cds/vmw-desktop/ws/${pkgver}/${_buildver}/linux/packages/vmware-tools-linux-${_tools_version/_/-}.${CARCH}.component.tar"
+  "https://softwareupdate-prod.broadcom.com/cds/vmw-desktop/ws/${pkgver}/${_buildver}/linux/packages/vmware-tools-linuxPreGlibc25-${_tools_version/_/-}.${CARCH}.component.tar"
+  "https://softwareupdate-prod.broadcom.com/cds/vmw-desktop/ws/${pkgver}/${_buildver}/linux/packages/vmware-tools-netware-${_tools_version/_/-}.${CARCH}.component.tar"
+  "https://softwareupdate-prod.broadcom.com/cds/vmw-desktop/ws/${pkgver}/${_buildver}/linux/packages/vmware-tools-solaris-${_tools_version/_/-}.${CARCH}.component.tar"
+  "https://softwareupdate-prod.broadcom.com/cds/vmw-desktop/ws/${pkgver}/${_buildver}/linux/packages/vmware-tools-windows-${_tools_version/_/-}.${CARCH}.component.tar"
+  "https://softwareupdate-prod.broadcom.com/cds/vmw-desktop/ws/${pkgver}/${_buildver}/linux/packages/vmware-tools-winPre2k-${_tools_version/_/-}.${CARCH}.component.tar"
+  "https://softwareupdate-prod.broadcom.com/cds/vmw-desktop/ws/${pkgver}/${_buildver}/linux/packages/vmware-tools-winPreVista-${_tools_version/_/-}.${CARCH}.component.tar"

   'vmware-bootstrap'
   'vmware-vix-bootstrap'
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ makedepends+=(
 )

 source+=(
-  "VMware-Fusion-${_vmware_fusion_ver_full/_/-}_x86.zip.tar::https://softwareupdate.vmware.com/cds/vmw-desktop/fusion/${_vmware_fusion_ver}/${_vmware_fusion_buildver}/x86/core/com.vmware.fusion.zip.tar"
+  "VMware-Fusion-${_vmware_fusion_ver_full/_/-}_x86.zip.tar::https://softwareupdate-prod.broadcom.com/cds/vmw-desktop/fusion/${_vmware_fusion_ver}/${_vmware_fusion_buildver}/x86/core/com.vmware.fusion.zip.tar"
   "unlocker.py"

Hello, I finally stop maintaining this package.

If someone wants to become the new maintainer, the job mostly consists to fix the compilation of kernel modules (vmmon and vmnet) after some Linux upgrades. To do that, you will have to modify the files vmmon.patch and vmnet.patch:

• by tracking the differences in vmmon and vmnet sources between the last VMware Workstation releases, and applying the differences related to the compilation errors
• if the last VMware release is not compatible with the last Linux version, or if the compilation error only appears on old VMware versions, you can search patches on Internet (http://rglinuxtech.com and https://github.com/mkubecek/vmware-host-modules are generally useful) or you may have to make the patches yourself (good luck)

However, if no one maintains this package, the program should continue to work as long as you stay on Linux 6.12 (which will be the next linux-lts).

@rado84 You should never see this dialog appear because kernel modules are normally compiled automatically during the installation/update of the package (through a pacman hook).

I see I have forgotten to add instructions on a pinned comment, I will add it. Just follow the instructions of this comment (installing the correct linux header package, then load the kernel modules or reboot before starting vmware). In this way, the kernel modules will be compiled with GCC without the limitation of version, and this dialog will never appear.

Back in May this year VMWare used to require GCC 13.2.1 and wouldn't run because of the lack of that dependency. Was that requirement fixed/removed for VMWare 16? This WAS the warning it used to display: https://i.imgur.com/VSm1IAE.jpeg

@max.bra As you can read in the comments of the vmware-workstation package, people have problems too. But it probably depends on some unknown parameters. In my case, I've just done a quick test on a VM without graphics acceleration on 17.5.0 and it seemed to work well.

If you want, you can upgrade the package to 17.5.0 and test with a trial key, or test with VMware Player (which is included in the package) if you don't want to ask a trial key. If you don't change the config of your existing VM and the program preferences, you should be able to revert to this package without losing anything (but doing a backup before is preferable).

@jihem: jonathandavid200 says 17.5 is not affected: is it true or he is using forcibly an older/different kernel? Are you using version 17.x?
Is it a sign from the universe that it's time to upgrade my license to workstation 17?

Thanks so much. I think I've got it fixed by changing to vmware-workstation aur package which is version 17.5. It's not froze up any so far although I would rather use workstatoin 16.

There is the same problem on vmware-workstation package. Unfortunately, I am not able to fix it. Until VMware releases a new version with a fix or a solution is found, I can only suggest to stay on an older kernel (for example by switching to linux-lts).

+1