title: “VMware Workstation Pro: Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Install Guide”
date: 2026-07-12
category: linux-software
tags: [VMware, Workstation, Virtualization, Ubuntu, Linux]

VMware Workstation Pro: Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Install Guide

If you’ve ever needed to run a Windows VM alongside your Linux desktop, test a bleeding-edge distro without bricking your main install, or just want a private lab for poking at networks — VMware Workstation Pro is still one of the smoothest options on Linux. And as of November 2024, it’s free for personal use, which removes the only real reason most people used to reach for VirtualBox instead.

This walkthrough targets Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (Resolute Raccoon, kernel 7.0.x). Officially, only VMware Workstation Pro 26H1 supports this combination — older 17.x / 25H2 builds won’t compile their vmmon and vmnet kernel modules against the new kernel without patching.

Heads up on the download: Broadcom’s official portal is genuinely painful to navigate (registration, T&C checkbox, multi-step dashboard hunt). Before we go through all that, a community mirror has the 26H1 bundle ready to grab — no account, no clicks. We’ll cover the mirror first, then the official route as a fallback.

Prerequisites

Before touching the installer, line up the basics. Without them, the kernel module compilation step fails silently and you end up with an installed app that refuses to launch any VM.

Hardware:

  • 64-bit x86 CPU with Intel VT-x or AMD-V enabled in BIOS/UEFI. Without this, VMs silently refuse to power on.
  • At least 8 GB of RAM (16 GB+ if you plan to run more than one VM at a time).
  • ~20 GB free disk for the installer, plus space for whatever VMs you create.

Software:

Bash
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r) libaio1

The linux-headers package must match your running kernel. Run uname -r first; if you just did a kernel upgrade but haven’t rebooted, reboot now so the headers and the kernel actually agree.

A Broadcom Support Portal account — free to register at support.broadcom.com. VMware downloads moved off vmware.com after the acquisition, and the personal-use entitlement is tied to this account.

Quick Download (Easiest Route)

A community mirror has the 26H1 bundle ready to grab — no Broadcom account, no T&C checkbox, no “where did the download button go” scavenger hunt:

GitHub mirror: github.com/201853910/VMwareworkstation → VMwareWorkstation-26H1

If the link works, jump straight to step 2 below. The Broadcom official path is documented next as Method A in case the mirror is down or you need a specific build.

Method A — Official .bundle Installer (Broadcom Portal)

This is the path Broadcom officially supports on Ubuntu 26.04 — but the portal is genuinely painful, which is why we put the mirror first.

1. Download the bundle. From the Broadcom portal, navigate to:

support.broadcom.com → My Dashboard → Free Software Downloads → VMware Workstation Pro → 26H1 for Linux

You’ll see a row with the Terms and Conditions checkbox. Tick it, accept, then grab the .bundle file — typically around 300 MB. The filename looks like:

Bash
VMware-Workstation-Pro-26H1-<build>.x86_64.bundle

If the direct link gives you trouble, log in first, then paste this URL (it pre-filters to the free-downloads view):

Bash
https://support.broadcom.com/group/ecx/productdownloads?subfamily=VMware%20Workstation%20Pro&freeDownloads=true

2. Make the bundle executable and run it:

Bash
chmod +x VMware-Workstation-Pro-26H1-*.x86_64.bundle
sudo ./VMware-Workstation-Pro-26H1-*.x86_64.bundle

A graphical installer pops up — typical Next → Next → Install flow. When it asks for a license key, select Personal Use (no key required, since the November 2024 license change).

3. Compile the kernel modules. The installer triggers vmware-modconfig automatically, but on first boot it’s worth re-running it manually so you see any errors:

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

This step compiles vmmon (the hypervisor itself) and vmnet (the virtual networking stack) against your kernel headers. Watch the output. If you see Building module succeeded for both, you’re done.

4. Launch:

Bash
vmware &

Or find VMware Workstation Pro in your GNOME app menu.

Method B — Tarball from the Portal (No GUI Installer)

Some users prefer not to run graphical installers on headless boxes, or want a fully scripted install. The portal exposes a .tar.gz alternative.

Bash
wget "https://download.broadcom.com/.../VMware-Workstation-Pro-26H1-<build>.x86_64.tar.gz"
tar -xzf VMware-Workstation-Pro-26H1-*.x86_64.tar.gz
cd vmware-workstation-distrib
sudo ./vmware-install.pl

The Perl installer prompts for install paths, daemon registration, and module compilation. Defaults are fine; press Enter through everything unless you have a reason to change it.

Post-Install: Kernel Module Compilation

This is the section most guides skip and where most users get stuck.

Where modules live: /usr/lib/vmware/modules/source/ contains vmmon.tar and vmnet.tar — VMware’s original, un-patched source. When vmware-modconfig runs, it extracts these, runs make, and installs the resulting .ko files.

Verify modules loaded:

Bash
lsmod | grep -E 'vmmon|vmnet'

You should see both. If not:

Bash
sudo modprobe vmmon
sudo modprobe vmnet

If modprobe says not found, the build silently failed. Check the log:

Bash
sudo vmware-modconfig --console --install-all 2>&1 | tee /tmp/vmware-build.log
tail -50 /tmp/vmware-build.log

Workaround: When the Official Modules Won’t Compile

If your kernel is newer than what 26H1’s bundled source supports (Broadcom’s official support only goes up to kernel 7.0.0-14-generic), the build dies. The community-maintained fix lives at github.com/mkubecek/vmware-host-modules — it’s been keeping VMware buildable on bleeding-edge kernels since the 5.x days and currently tracks ~2,500 stars.

1. Clone the repo and check out the matching branch:

Bash
git clone https://github.com/mkubecek/vmware-host-modules.git
cd vmware-host-modules
git branch -a | grep workstation
# Pick the branch that matches your installed product version:
git checkout workstation-26.0.0

2. Build and install (Method 1 — direct install):

Bash
make
sudo make install

3. Or replace VMware’s tarballs and let Workstation’s own tool rebuild (Method 2):

Bash
tar -cf vmmon.tar vmmon-only
tar -cf vmnet.tar vmnet-only
sudo cp -v vmmon.tar vmnet.tar /usr/lib/vmware/modules/source/
sudo vmware-modconfig --console --install-all

4. Reboot so both modules load at boot, then verify again with lsmod | grep -E 'vmmon|vmnet'.

This fork is not a hack — it’s the same code VMware ships, with back-ported fixes for kernel API changes (access_ok() signature, totalram_pages() as a function, etc.). Use it freely.

Verification

A clean install should show all of these passing:

Bash
# 1. Binary present
which vmware && vmware --version

# 2. Kernel modules loaded
lsmod | grep -E 'vmmon|vmnet'

# 3. Networking daemon up
systemctl status vmware.service

# 4. Launch the GUI and create a test VM (e.g. an Ubuntu 26.04 ISO)
vmware &

If all four pass, you can build any VM you like. Install open-vm-tools inside the guest for shared clipboard, drag-and-drop, and dynamic resolution:

Bash
# Inside the guest VM (Ubuntu/Debian)
sudo apt install -y open-vm-tools

Troubleshooting Common Errors

Symptom Cause Fix
Cannot open /dev/vmmon Module not loaded sudo modprobe vmmon && sudo modprobe vmnet
Kernel headers for version X.Y.Z were not found Headers don’t match running kernel sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname -r) and reboot
Failed to compile vmmon Kernel too new for bundled source Use the mkubecek fork (see above)
GUI launches but VM says Not enough physical memory RAM overcommit policy Lower VM RAM, or enable swap
Virtual machine monitor: started then crashes Secure Boot blocking unsigned module Either disable Secure Boot OR enroll MOK when prompted during install
Network bridge doesn’t work after suspend vmnet state lost sudo systemctl restart vmware.service

Secure Boot note: if your Ubuntu was installed with Secure Boot enabled, the installer will offer to enroll a MOK (Machine Owner Key) for the VMware modules. Say yes, set a temporary password, then on next reboot the blue MOK Manager screen appears — select Enroll MOK → Continue → enter that password. Without this, vmmon won’t load and every VM launch fails with a cryptic “module not found” error.

Uninstall

When you’re done with Workstation (or want to upgrade to a newer build cleanly):

Bash
sudo vmware-installer -u vmware-workstation

This removes the application, services, and kernel modules. Your VM files (.vmdk, .vmx) in ~/Documents/Virtual Machines/ or wherever you stored them are not touched — back them up if you care, or just keep them for the next reinstall.

To fully purge leftover config:

Bash
sudo rm -rf /etc/vmware/ ~/.vmware/

Final Thoughts

VMware Workstation Pro on Ubuntu 26.04 works out of the box if you install the 26H1 build — don’t try to use an older 17.6 or 25H2 .bundle on the 7.0 kernel and expect it to compile. The mkubecek fork is a reliable escape hatch when Broadcom’s bundled modules lag behind a kernel upgrade by a few days, which happens regularly.

If your workflow is KVM/QEMU with virt-manager, you don’t need VMware at all — but for users coming from Windows, or anyone who values Workstation’s snapshot UX and broad guest OS support, the free personal-use license plus this install path makes it a strong pick on Resolute Raccoon.

Last modified: 2026年7月12日

Author

Comments

Write a Reply or Comment

Your email address will not be published.