PKGBUILD (do yay -G vmware-workstation, then replace the PKGBUILD with mine)
So as you can probably tell by the inxi, and from my post history, my computer does not support the XSAVE instruction, which is why I must use version 17.0.2. However, a kernel update broke the modules, and the package vmware-workstation has patches to the kernel modules to fix this and allow it to work.
However, I cannot seem to replicate the same results. I even delete the copies that seem to come from the 17.0.2 archive file and just fetch new ones, but even that doesn’t seem to work.
If I install vmware-workstation, then delete it, then install my package, vmmon (the problematic kernel module) seems to get left behind, but it disappears on reboot and complains of a version mismatch.
I would think to download the new modules, which would get patched in the same way as the vmware-workstation package, then patch the version number so it loads, but I don’t know.
Right now, the only other options for me would be to downgrade my kernel (or use LTS), since not even vmware-workstation16 is maintained anymore (the package is orphaned), unless I (or someone more knowledgeable) can do some kernel magic here.
Instead of the AUR package, you could use the official VMware bundles and apply the patches yourself. However, 17.02 was retired two years ago so you may need to use an older kernel.
That’s exactly what I used, but for version 17.5.1 instead. If you look at the PKGBUILD, I rm -rf $dkms_dir/*, then I git clone <new modules here>, then I try to apply the same patches the original AUR package does.
My idea was to use the newer kernel modules on this older version (17.0.2), and change the version number in the module (vmmon, in this case) so 17.0.2 wouldn’t complain.
However, 17.02 was retired two years ago so you may need to use an older kernel.
In that case, I’d be using the package vmware-workstation16, but that’s not maintained on the AUR unfortunately (it points to taken down URLs), and at this point I’m not sure the patches for 16.2.5 were even updated. I could try to produce a working version of vmware-workstation16, but if that’s too work, so could 17.0.2, am I right? I can’t be the only guy who wants this version on new kernels.
“I totally understand kernel modules.”, he said sarcastically.
All I had to do to get vmware-workstation16 working was to add the linux6_15.patch to the sources array in the PKGBUILD and add the patch line from vmware-workstation’s PKGBUILD so that patch applies. Now I have vmware-workstation16 working on Linux 6.15! I may add this patch as a diff file in the AUR comments, lol.
Now for 17.0.2, I also got that working (it’s funny that it works as soon I ask on the forum, lol. Turns out that the same patches in my other vmware thread still work when I use linux6_15.patch, and as a result you’ll find this package on the AUR sooner rather than later, as vmware-workstation-noxsave.
It’s funny how sometimes right after (or a bit after) making a help post, you get the answer by yourself (lol).
TL;DR: I fixed vmware-workstation16 (AUR package) by adopting the package (lol) and pushing my changes, and fixed 17.0.2 by creating vmware-workstation-noxsave on the AUR.