[20.04] VMware Workstation/Player fails to build kernel modules VMMON & VMNET

VMware Workstation/Player will fail to build kernel modules VMMON & VMNET

Newer kernel versions have issues with building kernel modules VMMON and VMNET. This will/can occur with the 5.4.x kernel series that are included in the 20.04 Focal Fossa release.

Below is a work-around for this issue derived from the great work being maintained by Michael Kubecek.

You will need to download the appropriate file based on what version you have installed, this example is based on 15.5.0.

1. Download the replacement files:

wget https://github.com/mkubecek/vmware-host-modules/archive/workstation-15.5.0.tar.gz

2. Extract the files:

tar -xzf vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.0.tar.gz

3. cd into directory:

cd vmware-host-modules-workstation-15.5.0

4. Create tar files of the modules:

tar -cf vmmon.tar vmmon-only
tar -cf vmnet.tar vmnet-only

5. Copy files to /usr/lib/vmware.modules.source (elevated privileges needed):

sudo cp -v vmmon.tar vmnet.tar /usr/lib/vmware/modules/source/

6. Install modules (elevated privileges needed):

sudo vmware-modconfig --console --install-all

Finally, you should get an output similar to the following:

Stopping VMware services:
   VMware Authentication Daemon                                        done
   VM communication interface socket family                            done
   Virtual machine communication interface                             done
   Virtual machine monitor                                             done
   Blocking file system                                                done
make: Entering directory '/tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only'
Using kernel build system.
/usr/bin/make -C /lib/modules/5.4.0-14-generic/build/include/.. M=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. \
  MODULEBUILDDIR= modules
make[1]: Entering directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-5.4.0-14-generic'
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only/linux/hostif.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only/linux/driverLog.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only/common/memtrack.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only/common/apic.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only/common/statVarsVmmon.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only/common/vmx86.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only/common/sharedAreaVmmon.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only/common/cpuid.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only/common/task.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only/common/comport.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only/common/phystrack.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only/vmcore/moduleloop.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only/bootstrap/monLoaderVmmon.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only/bootstrap/monLoader.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only/bootstrap/vmmblob.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only/bootstrap/bootstrap.o
  LD [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only/vmmon.o
  Building modules, stage 2.
  MODPOST 1 modules
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only/vmmon.mod.o
  LD [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only/vmmon.ko
make[1]: Leaving directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-5.4.0-14-generic'
/usr/bin/make -C $PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. \
  MODULEBUILDDIR= postbuild
make[1]: Entering directory '/tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only'
make[1]: 'postbuild' is up to date.
make[1]: Leaving directory '/tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only'
cp -f vmmon.ko ./../vmmon.o
make: Leaving directory '/tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmmon-only'
make: Entering directory '/tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmnet-only'
Using kernel build system.
/usr/bin/make -C /lib/modules/5.4.0-14-generic/build/include/.. M=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. \
  MODULEBUILDDIR= modules
make[1]: Entering directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-5.4.0-14-generic'
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmnet-only/driver.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmnet-only/hub.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmnet-only/userif.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmnet-only/netif.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmnet-only/bridge.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmnet-only/procfs.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmnet-only/smac_compat.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmnet-only/smac.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmnet-only/vnetEvent.o
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmnet-only/vnetUserListener.o
  LD [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmnet-only/vmnet.o
  Building modules, stage 2.
  MODPOST 1 modules
  CC [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmnet-only/vmnet.mod.o
  LD [M]  /tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmnet-only/vmnet.ko
make[1]: Leaving directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-5.4.0-14-generic'
/usr/bin/make -C $PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. \
  MODULEBUILDDIR= postbuild
make[1]: Entering directory '/tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmnet-only'
make[1]: 'postbuild' is up to date.
make[1]: Leaving directory '/tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmnet-only'
cp -f vmnet.ko ./../vmnet.o
make: Leaving directory '/tmp/modconfig-ySDgLm/vmnet-only'
Starting VMware services:
   Virtual machine monitor                                             done
   Virtual machine communication interface                             done
   VM communication interface socket family                            done
   Blocking file system                                                done
   Virtual ethernet                                                    done
   VMware Authentication Daemon                                        done
   Shared Memory Available                                             done

At this point you should be able to run VMware Workstation/Player.

See more : mkubecek/vmware-host-modules
Patches needed to build VMware (Player and Workstation) host modules against recent kernels - mkubecek/vmware-host-modules

Bibiography

[1] https://ubuntu-mate.community/t/20-04-vmware-workstation-player-fails-to-build-kernel-modules-vmmon-vmnet/21176