Arch Linux User Repository

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

@jihem, I was under the impression that the service was already started due to the fact that my usb smartcard reader was able yo ne read and passed onto all my vms. The issue was that it wasn't because flashdrives and my integrated camera weren't seen. That's when I determined the arbitrator service wasn't running or enabled at all. I have started and enabled it. I was merely making a feature request in future updates.

@cryptodan Just use the command systemctl enable --now vmware-usbarbitrator.service and the service will be automatically started after each reboot.

Would it be possible to add a systemctl command to enable the vmware-usbarbitrator service and to start it? I had to do this manually to enable access to my USB Camera and USB Drives via virtual machines.

@jihem Thank you so very much. I applied the previously mentioned
patches:
https://github.com/mkubecek/vmware-host-modules/commit/4232f780eb114f22498f3274eaeef81d8c63f2ab.patch
https://github.com/mkubecek/vmware-host-modules/commit/9a6a17fe0bc6d1ab9e0e0dfa8d587b12a21cd49e.patch
and it built and installed like magic:

# dkms install -m vmware-workstation -v 16.2.1_18811642 -k 5.16.0-rc1-archeract

Building module:
cleaning build area...
make -j2 KERNELRELEASE=5.16.0-rc1-archeract KVERSION=5.16.0-rc1-archeract SRCDIR=/usr/src/vmware-workstation-16.2.1_18811642......

Running the post_build script:
Signing module: ../5.16.0-rc1-archeract/x86_64/module/vmmon.ko.zst
Signing module: ../5.16.0-rc1-archeract/x86_64/module/vmnet.ko.zst
cleaning build area...

vmmon.ko.zst:
Running module version sanity check.
 - Original module
   - No original module exists within this kernel
 - Installation
   - Installing to /usr/lib/modules/5.16.0-rc1-archeract/kernel/drivers/misc/

vmnet.ko.zst:
Running module version sanity check.
 - Original module
   - No original module exists within this kernel
 - Installation
   - Installing to /usr/lib/modules/5.16.0-rc1-archeract/kernel/drivers/net/
depmod.............

@jihem The latest patches completely solved my dkms building errors on 5.15.2-zen, thanks!

@aritra1911 I tried to add the patches https://github.com/mkubecek/vmware-host-modules/commit/4232f780eb114f22498f3274eaeef81d8c63f2ab and https://github.com/mkubecek/vmware-host-modules/commit/9a6a17fe0bc6d1ab9e0e0dfa8d587b12a21cd49e in vmmon.patch and vmnet.patch but I still have an error during compilation (using this kernel: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/linux-mainline) and I don't know how to fix it.

@k1f0 it compiles for me with 5.15.2.zen1-1. Can you provide the content of /var/lib/dkms/vmware-workstation/16.2.1_18811642/build/make.log?

dkms fails to build for kernel version 5.16.0-rc1

# cat /proc/version
Linux version 5.16.0-rc1-archeract (ray@archeract) (gcc (GCC) 11.1.0, GNU ld (GNU Binutils) 2.36.1) #1 SMP Tue Nov 16 08:54:21 IST 2021

# dkms install --no-depmod -m vmware-workstation -v 16.2.1_18811642 -k 5.16.0-rc1-archeract

Building module:
cleaning build area...
make -j2 KERNELRELEASE=5.16.0-rc1-archeract KVERSION=5.16.0-rc1-archeract SRCDIR=/usr/src/vmware-workstation-16.2.1_18811642...(bad exit status: 2)
Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel: 5.16.0-rc1-archeract (x86_64)
Consult /var/lib/dkms/vmware-workstation/16.2.1_18811642/build/make.log for more information.

Contents of make.log : https://paste.debian.net/plain/1219697
kernel's .config : https://gist.githubusercontent.com/aritra1911/52cffb8ff0c1aa0138d9342d1d7f98dd/raw/ccf14267c5df135c8fa40141f7e5dd09b1c2dfb4/gistfile1.txt

dkms install fails for me with latest 5.15 Kernel:

(3/3) Install DKMS modules
==> dkms install --no-depmod vmware-workstation/16.2.1_18811642 -k 5.15.2zen1-1-zen
Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel: 5.15.2-zen1-1-zen (x86_64)
Consult /var/lib/dkms/vmware-workstation/16.2.1_18811642/build/make.log for more information.
==> WARNING: `dkms install --no-depmod vmware-workstation/16.2.1_18811642 -k5.15.2-zen1-1-zen' exited 10

Hi! Could you include the patch mentioned here: https://superuser.com/a/1453932 Without this patch, the guest VM's network will continuously disconnected whenever DHCP lease is over.

-- vmnet-only/userif.c  2017-12-21 17:02:28.555820933 +0100
+++ vmnet-only.jjk/userif.c 2017-12-15 13:22:13.257724953 +0100
@@ -973,6 +973,9 @@
    userIf = (VNetUserIF *)port->jack.private;
    hubJack = port->jack.peer;

+   /* never send link down events */
+   if (!linkUp) return 0;
+
    if (port->jack.state == FALSE || hubJack == NULL) {
       return -EINVAL;
    }