Launching of Workstation Pro/Player on a Linux Host fails due to missing packages
Article ID: 315618
Updated On:
Products
VMware Desktop Hypervisor
Issue/Introduction
This article helps to install Pre-requisite packages required to launch Workstation Pro/Player on Linux Host.
Symptoms:
Workstation not getting launched on Linux host due to missing GCC compiler and Kernel Headers.
Symptoms:
Workstation not getting launched on Linux host due to missing GCC compiler and Kernel Headers.
Cause
GCC and Kernel Header packages missing on Linux Host.
Resolution
1. First open terminal on the Linux Host and switch to a user with sudo permissions using the command "sudo su" and run the following command to keep your system up-to-date-
# yum update[On RedHat Systems-RHEL and CentOS]
# dnf update[On Fedora]
# apt-get update && apt-get upgrade[On Debian and Ubuntu Systems]
2. To start the software, type the command "vmware" in the terminal of the Linux Host.
3. If software starts, you can create/open VMs.
4. If software informs you that additional kernel modules have to be built, acknowledge the request.
5. If additional kernel modules are successfully built, you are done (see KB-https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2146460 for additional steps needed on a system with SecureBoot enabled)
6. If you receive an error message about missing 'gcc' or 'make', execute the below steps-
a) Return to the terminal, then let’s install “Development Tools” using the below commands-
# yum groupinstall "Development tools"[On RedHat Systems RHEL and CentOS]
# apt-get install build-essential[On Debian and Ubuntu Systems]
b) When the above commands are executed, start the software again by typing the command "vmware" in the terminal.
7. If you receive an error message about missing kernel headers, execute the below steps based on your system:
7.1 Non-SUSE systems (RHEL, Fedora, CentOS, Debian, Ubuntu)
a) Check if kernel-headers is installed using following commands:
# uname -r
# rpm -qa | grep kernel-headers (RHEL, CentOS, Fedora)
# dpkg -l | grep kernel-headers (Debian, Ubuntu)
b) If nothing appears for the 'rpm' command, or the reported version does not match the version reported by 'uname -r', install kernel-headers package using the below command:
# yum install kernel-headers (RHEL, CentOS)
# sudo dnf install kernel-headers (Fedora)
# apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r` (Debian, Ubuntu)
c) Install kernel development support, compiler, and make using the following commands:
# yum install kernel-devel gcc make elfutils-libelf (RHEL, CentOS)
# sudo dnf install kernel-devel gcc gcc-c++ make git (Fedora)
# apt-get install gcc make linux-kbuild-`uname -r | cut -d. -f-2` (Debian, Ubuntu)
Note: If after running the above commands we encounter the errors “unable to find the URL in the mirror list” the execute below commands:
i) sed -i 's/mirrorlist/#mirrorlist/g' /etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS-Linux-*
ii) sed -i 's|#baseurl=http://mirror.centos.org|baseurl=http://vault.centos.org|g' /etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS-Linux-*
# apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r`[On Debian & Ubuntu Systems]
# sudo dnf install kernel-devel kernel-headers gcc gcc-c++ make git [On Fedora Systems]
7.2 For SUSE OS, follow the below steps:
a) open YaST app >> software management > search gcc & kernel (to find devel) accept to install finish
b) sudo su
c) zypper install make
d) Ensure the “vmware” service is started before launching workstation, (/etc/init.d/vmware)
8. Now check that GCC compiler and Kernel Headers should be installed using the below commands in the terminal-
a) gcc --version (To check GCC compiler version)
b) For Kernel Headers, refer to the commands mentioned above in Step 7
9. Now the launch of Workstation Pro/Player should happen successfully.
10. If you have received any other message, please contact VMware Support.
Note: If the user is freshly installing Linux Based operating system, then during installation in the Software Selection, check "Development Tools" and proceed, this will install GCC compiler and Kernel Headers and there will be no need to execute the above steps to make Workstation Pro/Player work on Linux Host.
# yum update[On RedHat Systems-RHEL and CentOS]
# dnf update[On Fedora]
# apt-get update && apt-get upgrade[On Debian and Ubuntu Systems]
2. To start the software, type the command "vmware" in the terminal of the Linux Host.
3. If software starts, you can create/open VMs.
4. If software informs you that additional kernel modules have to be built, acknowledge the request.
5. If additional kernel modules are successfully built, you are done (see KB-https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2146460 for additional steps needed on a system with SecureBoot enabled)
6. If you receive an error message about missing 'gcc' or 'make', execute the below steps-
a) Return to the terminal, then let’s install “Development Tools” using the below commands-
# yum groupinstall "Development tools"[On RedHat Systems RHEL and CentOS]
# apt-get install build-essential[On Debian and Ubuntu Systems]
b) When the above commands are executed, start the software again by typing the command "vmware" in the terminal.
7. If you receive an error message about missing kernel headers, execute the below steps based on your system:
7.1 Non-SUSE systems (RHEL, Fedora, CentOS, Debian, Ubuntu)
a) Check if kernel-headers is installed using following commands:
# uname -r
# rpm -qa | grep kernel-headers (RHEL, CentOS, Fedora)
# dpkg -l | grep kernel-headers (Debian, Ubuntu)
b) If nothing appears for the 'rpm' command, or the reported version does not match the version reported by 'uname -r', install kernel-headers package using the below command:
# yum install kernel-headers (RHEL, CentOS)
# sudo dnf install kernel-headers (Fedora)
# apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r` (Debian, Ubuntu)
c) Install kernel development support, compiler, and make using the following commands:
# yum install kernel-devel gcc make elfutils-libelf (RHEL, CentOS)
# sudo dnf install kernel-devel gcc gcc-c++ make git (Fedora)
# apt-get install gcc make linux-kbuild-`uname -r | cut -d. -f-2` (Debian, Ubuntu)
Note: If after running the above commands we encounter the errors “unable to find the URL in the mirror list” the execute below commands:
i) sed -i 's/mirrorlist/#mirrorlist/g' /etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS-Linux-*
ii) sed -i 's|#baseurl=http://mirror.centos.org|baseurl=http://vault.centos.org|g' /etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS-Linux-*
# apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r`[On Debian & Ubuntu Systems]
# sudo dnf install kernel-devel kernel-headers gcc gcc-c++ make git [On Fedora Systems]
7.2 For SUSE OS, follow the below steps:
a) open YaST app >> software management > search gcc & kernel (to find devel) accept to install finish
b) sudo su
c) zypper install make
d) Ensure the “vmware” service is started before launching workstation, (/etc/init.d/vmware)
8. Now check that GCC compiler and Kernel Headers should be installed using the below commands in the terminal-
a) gcc --version (To check GCC compiler version)
b) For Kernel Headers, refer to the commands mentioned above in Step 7
9. Now the launch of Workstation Pro/Player should happen successfully.
10. If you have received any other message, please contact VMware Support.
Note: If the user is freshly installing Linux Based operating system, then during installation in the Software Selection, check "Development Tools" and proceed, this will install GCC compiler and Kernel Headers and there will be no need to execute the above steps to make Workstation Pro/Player work on Linux Host.
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