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Ubuntu VMware Workstation 17.5 Fix For Ubuntu 22.04 And 24.04

After updating Ubuntu and there is a new kernel you will get the message “Could not open /dev/vmmon” you can use this fix for it until VMware comes around to fix it - which should be around version 17.52 or probably be never since this is has been going on forever with Vmware Workstation every time there is a new kernel update.

Installing VMware Workstation

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r)
sudo chmod +x VMware-Workstation-Full-17.5.0-22583795.x86_64.bundle
sudo ./VMware-Workstation-Full-17.5.0-22583795.x86_64.bundle

This first installation will work up until next time Ubuntu gets a kernel update from there on we will will have to compile the Vmware vmon kernel modules ourself and sign the modules so that the new kernel will load them.

Continue with caution This will modify your kernel modules and can make your life miserable.

Download the patched kernel modules for your version of vmware compile and install them.

Patching VMware Workstation 17.50

wget https://wiki.x-files.dk/vmware-host-modules-workstation-17.5.0.zip
unzip vmware-host-modules-workstation-17.5.0.zip
cd vmware-host-modules-workstation-17.5.0
make
sudo make install
sudo /etc/init.d/vmware restart

Patching VMware Workstation 17.51

wget https://wiki.x-files.dk/vmware-host-modules-workstation-17.5.1.zip
unzip vmware-host-modules-workstation-17.5.1.zip
cd vmware-host-modules-workstation-17.5.0
make
sudo make install
sudo /etc/init.d/vmware restart

Signing the kernel modules

For signing the kernel modules so we can enroll them with MOK we can use this script. 

wget https://wiki.x-files.dk/vmware-vmmon-fix.sh
chmod 775 vmware-vmmon-fix.sh
sudo ./vmware-vmmon-fix.sh

When you run the above script you will be prompted for a password to use with Mokutil. You can use something simple it doesn't matter. What matters is that rou remember the password as you will need it once you reboot your computer.

Once done and you reboot your computer - choose enroll MOK keys and when prompted for the password it's the password that you created when running the vmware-vmmon-fix.sh script.

Vmware Workstation should now be ready to use until next time a kernel update comes along.

Sources: VMware Kernel Modules