[solved] Vmware workstation 14 "/dev/vmmon" error

[zorobabel]

Hello and thank you for this distro.
I don't know much about linux so I'm hoping someone can help me.
Running MX 17.1 64 bit, I had a hard time installing vmware workstation. I couldn't get version 12 to work, but did get version 14 to work ... for a while.
After a restart, trying to run a vm I get “Could not open /dev/vmmon: No such file or directory.”
If I run "vmware-modconfig --console --install-all" it works again, but only until the next restart.
Help?

[clicktician]

After a restart, trying to run a vm I get “Could not open /dev/vmmon: No such file or directory.”
If I run "vmware-modconfig --console --install-all" it works again, but only until the next restart.
Help?

I have this problem when trying to run Vmware workstation on MX live or frugal install. As luck would have it, I'm about to try it on an installed version of MX17.1

How are you running MX17.1? (If it's on an installed instance, I won't bother with mine).

[fehlix]

Hello and thank you for this distro.
I don't know much about linux so I'm hoping someone can help me.
Running MX 17.1 64 bit, I had a hard time installing vmware workstation. I couldn't get version 12 to work, but did get version 14 to work ... for a while.
After a restart, trying to run a vm I get “Could not open /dev/vmmon: No such file or directory.”
If I run "vmware-modconfig --console --install-all" it works again, but only until the next restart.
Help?

Seem's to be related to this article in VMware Knowledge Base
Cannot open /dev/vmmon: No such file or directory

[GuiGuy]

I do hope Vmware can be persuaded to run in MX: it is better than Virtualbox in some respects.
Screenshot of W98se running in VMwareplayer in Mepis 7:-

vm98.jpg

Vbox does not work nearly as well with W98.

[meremortal]

I do hope Vmware can be persuaded to run in MX: it is better than Virtualbox in some respects.
Screenshot of W98se running in VMwareplayer in Mepis 7:-vm98.jpgVbox does not work nearly as well with W98.

Jurgen69 solved this for me...it works perfectly and survives reboot;

"that is the fix -> vmware-modconfig --console --install-all
if you open rc.local what is in ect/ rc.local is not a map (its a file) open it and just add this string above exit and it wil work.

you can do that in the terminal or you open it with sudo nautilus and do it manual (that is what i do) "

[clicktician]

Seem's to be related to this article in VMware Knowledge Base
Cannot open /dev/vmmon: No such file or directory

I installed VMware 14.3 on my non-hybrid instance of MX17.1 and I believe I've figured out the issue. I'll need my friend Felix to provide a little guidance for a good permanent solution, but more on that in a minute.

If you look closely at the output of "vmware-modconfig --console --install-all" it is recompiling the kernel modules and noting that it has already compiled them. I thought "hmmm, maybe they're not being loaded and the compile process is loading them -- hence it works after you recompile."

So, I checked modprobe after a restart without recompiling and found the modules were loaded correctly. It then occurred to me that VMware may be giving us a misleading message. Perhaps it can't connect to the Monitor and Network services.

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sudo /etc/init.d/vmware status

Sure enough, the services were not running. So...

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sudo /etc/init.d/vmware start

This started the two required services and my virtual machines open flawlessly.

The reason the compile works is that the last job step is to start the services!

Obviously the VMware installer is not putting the start services command in a place that is actually being run by MX17.1 during the boot process.

Felix: where would be a good spot to put the above start command?

[zorobabel]

@clicktician - I'm running the installed version of MX.
I'll have to check those services when I get to my computer tonight, good stuff!

[fehlix]

... where would be a good spot to put the above start command?

Try this

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sudo update-rc.d vmware defaults

Check status e.g. with

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sudo service vmware status

or with

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sudo sysv-rc-conf

[clicktician]

Try this

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sudo update-rc.d vmware defaults

Thanks, man. I knew there was probably an elegant way to do that. When I run it, I get no messages, which is normal.
But, for some reason when I restart, it still doesn't start the services. I know you're at a terrible disadvantage because you don't have this proprietary product installed so you can't try it. Ugh.
Maybe that's why the VMware installer couldn't do it either, or maybe it was a Systemd/Systemv thing. Who knows? <shrug>

For the time being, I just added the following line to /etc/rc.local <anywhere before the exit statement>. Everything works fine for me.

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/etc/init.d/vmware start

I'll keep playing with update-rc.d to see if I can notice anything weird. <g>

[GuiGuy]

What should I do about this?

vmerror.png