Problems installing VMware on arch linux

Question

I'm trying to install VMware but when it gets to "before you can run VMware, several modules must be compiled and loaded into the running kernel" I click install, enter my password, and i get a error

Unable to stop services.

See log file /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-28896.log for details.

hoping to find a solution i tried looking for that using nano and the file didnt exist, i looked in the folder while i ran vmware and no logfile was created for this, im not sure what i need todo and it's very vague. i looked online and at forums but i cannot find anyone with anything close to my issue

my kernel BTW

4.2.3-1-ARCH

I just tried to use VMware patcher to fix it, with -v too, and I get an error while running it

==> Patching VMware Workstation Pro v12.0.0 for kernel 4.2.3-1-ARCH..
-> [vmci]
-> Extracting archives..
-> Patching..
patching file vmci-only/linux/driver.c
patching file vmci-only/linux/vmciKernelIf.c
patching file vmci-only/shared/vm_device_version.h
-> Recreating archives..
==> Installing modules..
sh: /home/hashfastr/vmware: Is a directory
Unable to stop services
==> error: Unable to build. See:
* /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-1360.log
* /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-17013.log
* /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-17148.log
* /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-18919.log
* /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-18925.log
* /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-18931.log
* /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-19162.log
* /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-19492.log
* /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-19769.log
* /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-20058.log
* /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-20336.log
* /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-2069.log
* /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-2075.log
* /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-2081.log
* /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-21046.log
* /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-21323.log
* /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-21405.log
* /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-21998.log

Solution

Getting VMWare to build its modules in Arch is always tricky because the kernel is always newer than VMWare's supported version.

I'd suggest installing vmware-patch from the AUR.

vmware-patch will automatically patch and build the vmware-modules when you install it.

You should then re-run it every time you upgrade either VMWare or the kernel.

sudo vmware-patch

It ought to be able to stop/start the VMWare services automatically, but if you do get the same failure then at least you'll have it in a terminal window where you can see it better.

Comments

[MariusMatutiae]

Did you try to compile the missing modules as sudo or as a regular user? Unable to stop services seems the typical error message that comes when you are not a priviledged user.

[Bob_the_rhino]

@MariusMatutiae just uninstalled and reinstalled using sudo, same error

[Bob_the_rhino]

@MariusMatutiae

[Bob_the_rhino]

@MariusMatutiae just found this error in the install: Extracting VMware Installer...done. (vmware-installer.py:16308): Gtk-WARNING **: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "adwaita", (vmware-installer.py:16308): Gtk-WARNING **: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "adwaita", /usr/share/themes/Adwaita/gtk-2.0/gtkrc:1163: error: unexpected identifier direction', expected character }' Gtk-Message: Failed to load module "canberra-gtk-module": libcanberra-gtk-module.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

[Bob_the_rhino]

i did as told and got this error

[Bob_the_rhino]

==> Patching VMware Workstation Pro v12.0.0 for kernel 4.2.3-1-ARCH.. -> [vmci] ==> Installing modules.. ==> error: Unable to build. Re-run with '-v' (--verbose) or see

[Bob_the_rhino]

* /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-1360.log * /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-17013.log * /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-17148.log * /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-18919.log * /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-18925.log * /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-18931.log * /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-19162.log * /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-19492.log * /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-19769.log * /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-20058.log * /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-20336.log * /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-2069.log * /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-2075.log * /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-2081.log

[ams]

You should probably rerun with -v, and if that doesn't enlighten you, edit your post to add the new information.

[Bob_the_rhino]

i did and still the same error practically with a extra few lines

[Bob_the_rhino]

==> Patching VMware Workstation Pro v12.0.0 for kernel 4.2.3-1-ARCH.. -> [vmci] -> Extracting archives.. -> Patching.. patching file vmci-only/linux/driver.c patching file vmci-only/linux/vmciKernelIf.c patching file vmci-only/shared/vm_device_version.h -> Recreating archives.. ==> Installing modules.. sh: /home/hashfastr/vmware: Is a directory Unable to stop services ==> error: Unable to build. See: