Failing To Install VMWare Workstation

General system Applications
1

I’m trying to install VMWare Workstation on the latest EOS. It errors out as below (I was using yay.)
Unsure how to resolve this.

I did also try installing via the .bundle file, but it asked me for a startup path I could not find. (it suggested /etc/init.d/ )

==> Making package: vmware-workstation 17.6.4-6 (Tue 14 Oct 2025 01:57:19 PM)
==> Checking runtime dependencies...
==> Missing dependencies:
  -> vmware-keymaps
==> Checking buildtime dependencies...
==> ERROR: Could not resolve all dependencies.
 -> error making: vmware-workstation-exit status 8
checking dependencies...

Package (2)  Old Version  Net Change

uefitool     1:0.28.0-2    -0.79 MiB
zip          3.0-11        -0.55 MiB

Total Removed Size:  1.34 MiB

:: Do you want to remove these packages? [Y/n] 
:: Processing package changes...
(1/2) removing zip                                                 [------------------------------------] 100%
(2/2) removing uefitool                                            [------------------------------------] 100%
:: Running post-transaction hooks...
(1/1) Arming ConditionNeedsUpdate...
 -> Failed to install the following packages. Manual intervention is required:
vmware-workstation - exit status 8
2

Don’t you need to install vmware-keymaps?

1 Like
3

Ok, I successfully installed vmware-keymaps
Then I got a different error out trying to install vmware-workstation…

Package (1)         New Version  Net Change 

vmware-workstation  17.6.4-6     1121.06 MiB

Total Installed Size:  1121.06 MiB

:: Proceed with installation? [Y/n] y
(1/1) checking keys in keyring                                     [------------------------------------] 100%
(1/1) checking package integrity                                   [------------------------------------] 100%
(1/1) loading package files                                        [------------------------------------] 100%
(1/1) checking for file conflicts                                  [------------------------------------] 100%
error: failed to commit transaction (conflicting files)
vmware-workstation: /etc/vmware-installer/database exists in filesystem
Errors occurred, no packages were upgraded.
 -> error installing: [/home/startropic1/.cache/yay/vmware-workstation/vmware-workstation-17.6.4-6-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst] - exit status 1
4

Remove the preexisting installation yay -Rns vmware-workstation
And clean your cache with yay -Sc before you reattempt to install it.

5

Yup got that. Got VMWare Workstation installed. Now I’m having a new problem…

Could not open /dev/vmmon: No such file or directory.
Please make sure that the kernel module `vmmon' is loaded.

FYI, I had to install an unlocker from https://github.com/BDisp/unlocker in order to setup a MacOS (OS X) VM.
The unlocker install seems to have worked, and the MacOS option is now available in VMWare Workstation, but that error persists.

6

Are the linux-headers installed ?

Edit: As mentioned in the pinned comments of the package.

7

Did you reboot after installation?

8

Lots of good info here, if you continue to have issues: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/VMware

9

You have to load the module.

sudo modprobe -a vmw_vmci vmmon