VMware – 17.6.x, Issues and Stability…
Firstly – my apologies for late response to some messages – this (12-year-old) website has been experiencing some issues, and really needs to be updated/rehosted… I am travelling, away from my main systems, and only have a laptop to test with..
I have been testing the latest VMware Workstation releases from Broadcom – 17.6 and 17.6.1 – and have found them to be inconsistent and in some cases unusable..
With the 17.6.x releases on my HP Envy 17 laptop (Intel i7) and Kernel 6.11.5, VMware install hangs, and vmnet(?) throws a tombstone:
……………..
[ 6.877091] /dev/vmmon[1111]: Module vmmon: registered as misc device
[ 6.877094] /dev/vmmon[1111]: Using tsc_khz as TSC frequency: 2611200
[ 6.877095] /dev/vmmon[1111]: Module vmmon: initialized
[ 6.889536] Guest personality initialized and is inactive
[ 6.889577] VMCI host device registered (name=vmci, major=10, minor=121)
[ 6.892913] Initialized host personality
[ 6.907321] NET: Registered PF_VSOCK protocol family
[ 6.914929] Missing ENDBR: init_module+0x0/0xd0 [vmnet]
[ 6.914939] ------------[ cut here ]------------
[ 6.914940] Kernel BUG at exc_control_protection+0x28f/0x2a0 [verbose debug info unavailable]
[ 6.914947] Oops: invalid opcode: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP NOPTI
[ 6.914950] CPU: 10 UID: 0 PID: 1190 Comm: modprobe Tainted: G O 6.11.5 #1
[ 6.914953] Tainted: [O]=OOT_MODULE
[ 6.914953] Hardware name: HP HP Envy Laptop 17-cw0xxx/8BDE, BIOS F.06 11/06/2023
[ 6.914954] RIP: 0010:exc_control_protection+0x28f/0x2a0
[6.914956] Code: f9 ff 45 31 c9 49 89 d8 b9 09 00 00 00 48 8b 93 80 00 00 00 be 63 00 00 00 48 c7 c7 96 9c 58 8c e8 06 0e f9 ff e9 e38 fe ff ff <0f> 0b 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 0f 1f 44 00 00 90 90 90 90 90
[ 6.914957] RSP: 0018:ffffaf76820d3a00 EFLAGS: 00010002
[ 6.914959] RAX: 000000000000002b RBX: ffffaf76820d3a38 RCX: 0000000000000000
[ 6.914960] RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: ffff9c40cfa9c840 RDI: ffff9c40cfa9c840
[ 6.914961] RBP: 0000000000000000 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: ffffaf76820d37f8
[ 6.914962] R10: ffffffff8c922208 R11: 0000000000000003 R12: 0000000000000003
[ 6.914963] R13: 0000000000000000 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: 0000000000000000
[ 6.914964] FS: 00007f88b5c77740(0000) GS:ffff9c40cfa80000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000
[ 6.914965] CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
[ 6.914966] CR2: 00007f88b5c7651d CR3: 0000000125448000 CR4: 0000000000f50ef0
[ 6.914967] PKRU: 55555554
[ 6.914969] Call Trace:
[ 6.914972] <TASK>
[ 6.914973] ? __die_body.cold+0x19/0x26
[ 6.914976] ? die+0x29/0x50
[ 6.914977] ? do_trap+0xc5/0x110
[ 6.914980] ? do_error_trap+0x60/0x80
[ 6.914982] ? exc_control_protection+0x28f/0x2a0
[ 6.914983] ? exc_invalid_op+0x4d/0x70
[ 6.914985] ? exc_control_protection+0x28f/0x2a0
[ 6.914986] ? asm_exc_invalid_op+0x1a/0x20
[ 6.914990] ? exc_control_protection+0x28f/0x2a0
[ 6.914991] asm_exc_control_protection+0x26/0x40
[ 6.914994] RIP: 0010:init_module+0x0/0xd0 [vmnet]
[ 6.914999] Code: e1 cc 66 90 b8 f7 ff ff ff c3 cc cc cc cc b8 ff ff ff ff c3 cc cc cc cc 66 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 <66> 0f 1f 00 53 e8 a6 4e 00 00 85 c0 0f 85 65 7d 00 00 48 c7 c2 a0
[ 6.915000] RSP: 0018:ffffaf76820d3ae8 EFLAGS: 00010246
[ 6.915001] RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffffffffc1e53120 RCX: 0000000000000000
[ 6.915002] RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI: ffffaf76820d3ad0
[ 6.915003] RBP: 0000000000000000 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: ffffaf76820d3836
[ 6.915004] R10: 00000000000007e0 R11: 0000000000000006 R12: 000055fd38660715
[ 6.915004] R13: ffffaf76820d3af0 R14: ffff9c394e64fa00 R15: ffff9c397ad174c8
[ 6.915005] ? __pfx_init_module+0x10/0x10 [vmnet]
[ 6.915010] do_one_initcall+0x5b/0x290
[ 6.915013] do_init_module+0x5b/0x1f0
[ 6.915016] init_module_from_file+0x81/0xc0
[ 6.915018] idempotent_init_module+0x11c/0x310
[ 6.915020] __x64_sys_finit_module+0x57/0x90
[ 6.915021] do_syscall_64+0x7d/0x160
[ 6.915023] ? ksys_lseek+0x64/0xb0
[ 6.915025] ? syscall_exit_to_user_mode+0x10/0x1c0
[ 6.915027] ? do_syscall_64+0x89/0x160
[ 6.915029] ? vfs_read+0x154/0x370
[ 6.915031] ? vfs_read+0x154/0x370
[ 6.915032] ? __rseq_handle_notify_resume+0xa1/0x3e0
[ 6.915035] ? switch_fpu_return+0x46/0x80
[ 6.915037] ? syscall_exit_to_user_mode+0x197/0x1c0
[ 6.915038] ? do_syscall_64+0x89/0x160
[ 6.915040] ? do_user_addr_fault+0x31b/0x570
[ 6.915042] ? exc_page_fault+0x5f/0x80
[ 6.915043] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x71/0x79
[ 6.915045] RIP: 0033:0x7f88b550055d
[ 6.915046] Code: ff c3 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 90 f3 0f 1e fa 48 89 f8 48 89 f7 48 89 d6 48 89 ca 4d 89 c2 4d 89 c8 4c 8b 4c 24 08 0f 05 <48> 3d 01 f0 ff ff 73 01 c3 48 8b 0d 83 58 0f 00 f7 d8 64 89 01 48
[ 6.915047] RSP: 002b:00007ffdf0346938 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000139
[ 6.915049] RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 000055fd7732fef0 RCX: 00007f88b550055d
[ 6.915050] RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 000055fd38660715 RDI: 0000000000000003
[ 6.915051] RBP: 00007ffdf03469f0 R08: 00007f88b55f6b20 R09: 0000000000000000
[ 6.915051] R10: 000055fd77330040 R11: 0000000000000246 R12: 000055fd38660715
[ 6.915052] R13: 0000000000040000 R14: 000055fd7732ff90 R15: 000055fd77330bd0
[ 6.915054] </TASK>
[ 6.915054] Modules linked in: vmnet(O+) vmw_vsock_vmci_transport vsock vmw_vmci vmmon(O) bnep sunrpc binfmt_misc vfat fat snd_ctl_led snd_soc_skl_hda_dsp snd_soc_hdac_hdmi snd_soc_intel_hda_dsp_common snd_sof_probes snd_hda_codec_hdmi snd_hda_codec_realtek snd_hda_codec_generic snd_hda_scodec_component snd_soc_dmic snd_hda_scodec_cs35l41_spi regmap_spi snd_sof_pci_intel_tgl snd_sof_pci_intel_cnl snd_sof_intel_hda_generic iwlmvm soundwire_intel soundwire_cadence snd_sof_intel_hda_common mac80211 snd_sof_intel_hda_mlink snd_sof_intel_hda libarc4 snd_sof_pci snd_sof_xtensa_dsp snd_sof snd_sof_utils snd_soc_hdac_hda snd_soc_acpi_intel_match soundwire_generic_allocation snd_soc_acpi soundwire_bus nvidia_drm(O) intel_uncore_frequency snd_soc_avs intel_uncore_frequency_common snd_soc_hda_codec intel_pmc_core snd_hda_ext_core nvidia_modeset(O) snd_soc_core snd_compress ac97_bus snd_pcm_dmaengine x86_pkg_temp_thermal intel_powerclamp snd_hda_intel mei_hdcp mei_pxp uvcvideo snd_intel_dspcfg uvc snd_intel_sdw_acpi iwlwifi
[ 6.915079] coretemp videobuf2_vmalloc snd_hda_codec videobuf2_memops btusb snd_hda_scodec_cs35l41_i2c snd_hda_core videobuf2_v4l2 btmtk processor_thermal_device_pci rapl snd_hwdep snd_hda_scodec_cs35l41 videobuf2_common processor_thermal_device btrtl spi_nor pmt_telemetry iTCO_wdt btbcm videodev snd_seq intel_pmc_bxt btintel mtd intel_cstate snd_hda_cs_dsp_ctls ee1004 intel_rapl_msr iTCO_vendor_support pmt_class joydev mc snd_seq_device cfg80211 hp_wmi processor_thermal_wt_hint snd_soc_cs_amp_lib bluetooth intel_uncore sparse_keymap platform_profile wmi_bmof pcspkr snd_pcm nvidia(O) processor_thermal_rfim cs_dsp mei_me snd_timer spi_intel_pci snd_soc_cs35l41_lib processor_thermal_rapl intel_rapl_common snd spi_intel i2c_i801 thunderbolt processor_thermal_wt_req processor_thermal_power_floor mei idma64 rfkill intel_vsec drm_ttm_helper processor_thermal_mbox i2c_smbus igen6_edac soundcore serial_multi_instantiate int3403_thermal int340x_thermal_zone int3400_thermal acpi_thermal_rel acpi_pad loop dm_multipath dm_mod
[ 6.915105] nfnetlink zram intel_ishtp_hid hid_sensor_hub crct10dif_pclmul crc32_pclmul crc32c_intel polyval_clmulni polyval_generic ghash_clmulni_intel rtsx_pci_sdmmc sha512_ssse3 mmc_core sha256_ssse3 intel_ish_ipc ucsi_acpi sha1_ssse3 typec_ucsi rtsx_pci i2c_hid_acpi intel_ishtp typec i2c_hid pinctrl_tigerlake serio_raw uas usb_storage nf_conntrack_pptp nf_conntrack nf_defrag_ipv6 nf_defrag_ipv4 ip6_tables ip_tables fuse i2c_dev
[ 6.915118] ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---
[ 6.915119] RIP: 0010:exc_control_protection+0x28f/0x2a0
[ 6.915120] Code: f9 ff 45 31 c9 49 89 d8 b9 09 00 00 00 48 8b 93 80 00 00 00 be 63 00 00 00 48 c7 c7 96 9c 58 8c e8 06 0e f9 ff e9 38 fe ff ff <0f> 0b 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 0f 1f 44 00 00 90 90 90 90 90
[ 6.915121] RSP: 0018:ffffaf76820d3a00 EFLAGS: 00010002
[ 6.915122] RAX: 000000000000002b RBX: ffffaf76820d3a38 RCX: 0000000000000000
[ 6.915123] RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: ffff9c40cfa9c840 RDI: ffff9c40cfa9c840
[ 6.915124] RBP: 0000000000000000 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: ffffaf76820d37f8
[ 6.915124] R10: ffffffff8c922208 R11: 0000000000000003 R12: 0000000000000003
[ 6.915125] R13: 0000000000000000 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: 0000000000000000
[ 6.915126] FS: 00007f88b5c77740(0000) GS:ffff9c40cfa80000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000
[ 6.915127] CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
[ 6.915128] CR2: 00007f88b5c7651d CR3: 0000000125448000 CR4: 0000000000f50ef0
[ 6.915129] PKRU: 55555554
[ 6.915129] note: modprobe[1190] exited with irqs disabled
Sometimes the install appears to complete successfully, but then there is no network connection available to the guest (Win10) system…
After further testing, I have reverted to 17.5.2… Fortunately 17.5.2 with the 6.9 patchset still works fine on Kernel 6.11.x (tested with 6.11.5) and 6.12-rc (tested with 6.12-rc4).. It is worth mentioning that the 17.6.1 release has been reported to compile/install with Kernel 6.11 without any patches, but I have not had an opportunity to confirm this yet…..
Robert Gadsdon. October 26th 2024.
Hi Robert
Yes, I can confirm that VMware Workstation 17.6.1. runs without patches on my desktop computer with kernel 6.11.5. I haven’t observed any problems since I installed version 17.6.1 two weeks ago.
However, I use OpenSuse Tumbleweed which is (unfortunately) not an officially supported host system by VMware/Broadcom. I figured out, that it is necessary to provide the non-empty directory /etc/init.d with any arbitrary file in it, e. g. hello.txt, before you start the installation (bundle-file). The services “vmware” and “vmware-USBArbitrator” appear in YAST -> Services Manager. They are not available in the directory /etc/init.d.
In case of a workstation update, consider the following steps:
1. Stop the services “vmware” and “vmware-USBArbitrator” by using YAST -> Services Manager.
2. Check with “lsmod | grep vm” that the modules vmmon and vmnet are no longer loaded in the kernel.
3. Uninstall workstation manually:
rm -rfv /etc/vmware*
rm -v /usr/bin/vmware-usbarbitrator
rm -v /usr/bin/vmnet*
rm -rv /usr/lib/vmware*
rm -rv /usr/share/doc/vmware*
4. Install the bundle file. That’s it.
If you use OpenSuse Leap 15.6, make sure that the package “insserv-compat” is installed before you run the installation.
… and finally I want to thank you for your 12-years-old website that always provides very helpful information!!
Best regards
Dieter
I use openSUSE Tumbleweed as well. It definitely does not work with stock modules. It will hang.
To Robert and to anyone who, like me, visits this site to follow the state of VMWare Workstation on Linux: KVM + virt-manager is working great here, it entirely replaced Workstation. With Windows clients, cut&paste works, dynamic resolution works, file sharing works, USB works, Windows 11 works… Performance is better (I don’t do graphic-intensive work though). Setting up the thing was quite a chore, but I’m very pleased with the result. Give it a try.
Use https://github.com/philipl/vmware-host-modules/tree/workstation-17.6.1
I already told about this issue in previous post. You exactly same symptoms as I had for 17.6.0.
17.6.1 on Tumbleweed works fine with mentioned patch, as well as 17.6.0 before.
P.S. Maybe it is really better to change hosting. And use TLS at least for google search )))
Some cheap dedicated server for 20 euro per month is amazing alternative for CloudFlare shit.