Install VMware on Linux: Virtual machines allow users to run a separate fully functioning system in the existing system. Your computer is called an host system. Any virtual machine you create is an guest system.
One of the top software solutions to create virtual machines for Linux can be found in VMware. It’s free for non-commercial use , and is surprisingly simple to install and configure. Here is a short tutorial that will guide you what you need to do to install VMware Player on your Linux workstation, and also create your very the first virtual computer.
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The process of installing a hypervisor like VMware may seem daunting If you’ve never attempted before, but in reality it’s not much different from the installation of any other software. Similar to installing programs one must first make sure that you meet certain requirements both in terms of specifications and compatibility.
The rest of the procedure is quite simple, but there are some small errors that people often encounter in the course of the process. We’ve outlined the complete steps to install VMware on different Linux distributions, as well as troubleshooting the typical issues you might face during the procedure.
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The prerequisites for installing VMware
The first thing to note is that VMware support is restricted to the most recent versions of specific Linux distros. If you’re using a recent version of a well-known distro such as Ubuntu or Fedora and you’re not worried about this. However, for more niche distros that you must first verify you’re on VMware is compatible with hosts operating systems as host OS.
In the second, you’ll need to make sure that Virtualization is turned on in the BIOS. Here’s how you accomplish this:
- Switch on your computer and press the BIOS button displayed in the display ( Fn keys or Del).
- A different method is to launch your GNU GRUB Menu before. When you are in BIOS, hold and press the Shift key. If you are using UEFI you need to press Esc several times while the system is booting. In either case, in the GRUB menu, choose that option for Firmware Settings. option.
- In the BIOS Go to the Advanced or Configuration of CPU tabs, and then select tabs and locate the Virtualization tab and select the Virtualization. (AMD-V, SVM, Intel VT-x, VT-d, etc.)
- Allow Virtualization, and then use the keys at the top of the screen (usually F10) to save the modifications and then quit.
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How do I install VMware on Linux
Installing an hypervisor such as VMware may seem daunting for those who have never attempted previously, however, actually it’s similar to installing any other software. This is the complete procedure that apply to different distros:
- Then, download the VMware bundle from the official website.
- Navigate to the directory in which you downloaded the file. Right-click the file and choose the Properties.
- Note or copy the Full name .
- Right-click on any area and choose “Open In Terminal”.
- Now, type
sudo sh ./VMware.bundle. - Replace the name with the full one from Step 3. and then run the command.
- Once the installation is completed After the installation is complete, type
the following commands: vmwareas well asVmplayerto start Workstation Pro and Player, respectively. - Based on your system, VMware might not open or you may get a message about the absence of kernel headers or another problem. In these cases it is possible to look over for the troubleshooting section that follows. If you don’t see any of these prompts then you should proceed using the instructions listed below.
- VMware Launch VMware, Accept the terms of the license agreement and then press Next.
- Indicate what you want to updates and select the CEIP preferences and then press Next.
- Indicate the type of VMware you’re running, VMware for non-commercial commercial and non-commercial use, then press close.
- For those who are new to VMware it is recommended to check out our thorough guide to using VMware to this stage. It covers a variety of helpful topics, such as how to set up your very first virtual machine, and how to install an guest OS.
If you’d like to remove VMware You can do this by using the below steps in Workstation Player and Pro, respectively:
sudo vmware-installer -u vmware-player
sudo vmware-installer -u vmware-workstation
In some cases, you might have to use the full path for vmware-installer as such: /usr/bin/vmware-installer
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Troubleshooting Installation Issues
Most users experience issues with installation due to the absence of kernel headers or packages, or an incompatible version of the kernel. If you’re asked to update your kernel headers, rescind the prompt and run the following commands to make the necessary changes:
- Debian derivatives:
sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname -r) - On Fedora-based distros:
sudo dnf install kernel-headers kernel-devel - On Arch-based distros
sudo pacman -S linux-headers
Similar to that, you may have to install a build essential and similar software. Here’s how to do it:
- On Debian-derived derivatives:
sudo apt-install -ybuild-essential - About Fedora and RHEL-based distros
sudo dnf group install “Development Tools”
sudo yum install groupinstallation “Development tools” - On Arch-based distros
sudo pacman -Sy base-devel
While it is not common in rolling distros such as Kali the setup file might not work with the latest kernels, which can cause issues. In these cases it is possible to determine whether the developers have released patches or a solution, or try changing the kernel. For example for Ubuntu you can press Shift while booting to open the GRUB menu, then select the Advanced Option for Ubuntu and then select the kernel version you want to utilize.
Finally, there are countless distribution-specific issues that you could encounter aside from the ones we’ve already discussed. We suggest checking the distro’s wiki for the VMware section on such situations and you’ll see the most frequent issues addressed and described.
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Installation of VMware tools on Linux Guest
The majority of Linux hosts include Open VMware Tools as a default feature which is an open-source version of VMware Tools for Linux distributions. This open-vm-tools software is typically installed in the default installation, but you can install it manually using one among the commands below:
- On Debian-based distros
sudo apt-get install open-vm-tools-desktop
sudo apt-get install openvm-tools - On distros that use RPM:
sudo yum install open-vm-tools-desktop
sudo yum install open-vm tools - On Arch and its derivatives, use
sudo pacman -S open-vm-toolsand start or enablevmtoolsd.serviceandvmware-vmblock-fuse.service.
You may also install VMware Tools if you want but be aware that each moment that you update the Linux kernel is upgraded, VMware tools must be installed again. Additionally, VMware Tools requires that certain dependencies are present in your Linux host before the guest is able to be installed. These dependencies include gcc and binutils make, gcc, and kernel sources. It is recommended to refer to the specific documentation of your distro for more details regarding this. However, with that being said below are the essential steps:
- Switch to the VM and ensure that the guest operating system is in operation.
- Choose VMware VM to install VMware tools as well as Manager > Update VMware Tools.
- Set up a mount point using
sudo mkdir in /mnt/cdrom.. - Then, you can mount the CD-ROM using one of the following methods:
sudo mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom
sudo mount /dev/sr0 /mnt/cdrom - Look up the name of the file in that VMware Tools bundle with
the command ls /mnt/cdrom.. - Use at least one of the commands below, based on the format that the bundle is:
tar zxpf /mnt/cdrom/VMwareTools-version.tar.gz -C
tar zxpf /mnt/cdrom/VmwareTools-version.tgz -C - Replace the version with the one from Step 6. and then execute the command.
- Follow the steps below to copy the cd into VMware Tools distribution to set up VMware tools:
cd /vmware-tools-distrib/
sudo ./vmware-install.pl - Alternately, to install it by using RPM Copy below command. then replace with the same command then execute the command:
rpm -ivh /mnt/cdrom/VMwareTools-version.rpm - Press Enter to accept the default settings or input your own settings according to your preference. You could also follow instructions displayed on screen to finish the installation, or utilize
sudo restartto do the final steps on its own. - The config file typically auto-runs following the installation. But at a later point, you can also use the
/usr/bin/vmware-config-tools.plcommand to configure VMware Tools for your running kernel. - In the event that you need to you may make use of
the umount command /mnt/cdromto demount the CD-ROM. Then, select the VM menu > Guest > Stop VMware Tools Install.
It’s running VMware Player for the First Time
When you first start VMware it will accomplish either of the two actions. It’ll either display an information box that states it’ll make the necessary kernel modules or display an error saying it isn’t able to locate the kernel headers that are required to make the modules compile.
Certain distributions come with kernel headers pre-installed or you might already have installed them as a prerequisite of a different software. If this is the case you’ll be able skip on this step.
If you experience an error like the one above Click to cancel (using Refresh is not always effective) then open your terminal, then type the correct command based on the operating system you’re using.
For RPM-based distros such as Fedora or CentOS:
sudo dnf install kernel-headers kernel-develFor Debian-based distros like Ubuntu and Linux Mint:
sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname -r)The following information is based on Arch Linux and its derivatives:
sudo pacman -S linux-headersAfter the installation has been completed Once the installation is completed, open VMware Workstation Player again and it should build the necessary kernel modules without problems.
The compilation and installation of the kernel modules is going to take a few seconds. VMware will then require you to sign the conditions and terms. If you accept the terms you’ll be able to access your VMware primary menu. Congratulations! You’re now ready to create the first VMware virtual machines.