VMware Player 12.x with 4.18.x kernels / Fedora 28

A Fedora 26 to Fedora 28 upgrade (with its 4.18.x kernel) broke VMware Player 12.5.7. However upgrading to the newer (14.x or 15.x) versions didn't work so how to fix?


The problem with my machines tend to be that they're not recent with their CPUs from the Lynnfield/SandyBridge and earlier generations. However VMWare decided to drop support for older CPUs in the 14.x and onwards. This meant that when you open your VMs with these newer versions nothing happens but it is not obvious the cause except if you dig through the 14.x release notes.

The last of the 12.x series (12.5.9) is available at VMWare's not-easy-to-find download page supports the older CPUs but this still requires another stage to be functional. VMWare has always required a couple of kernel modules to work (vmmon and vmnet) and the source code shipped with the VMWare Player installation.

The problem is that the kernel interfaces required by the VMWare modules can change over time leading to compilation failures. Luckily there is a github repo that maintains unofficial patches for the VMWare module source code to sync them with the various kernels.

Build and install instructions are available at the repo and simply requires to checkout the player-12.5.9 branch and make. The modules will be compiled and can be installed. Beautiful .. with this the VMplayer will be functional again with the older Lynnfield/SandyBridge based systems.

Important links

https://github.com/mkubecek/vmware-host-modules
https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/free#desktop_end_user_computing/vmware_workstation_player/12_0|PLAYER1259|product_downloads