How to Install VMware Workstation on Arch Linux and Fix the Shutdown Issue

📚 Always Read the Official Documentation First

Before you start installing VMware Workstation or Player, be sure to read the VMware page on the ArchWiki. This page has the most up-to-date instructions and information about different versions.

⚙️ Installation Steps

The latest versions of VMware (Workstation Pro and Player 17, 16, 15, 14, 12.5) can be installed on Arch Linux using AUR packages.

1. Required Packages

First, make sure that virtualization support is enabled in your BIOS/UEFI. (AMD-V or VT-x must be active.)

Install the following packages:

yay -S vmware-workstation
sudo pacman -S linux-headers

2. Network and USB Services

After the installation is complete, create VMware’s network configuration files:

sudo systemctl start vmware-networks-configuration.service

Then, enable these services as needed:

sudo systemctl enable vmware-networks.service
sudo systemctl enable vmware-usbarbitrator.service
# vmware-hostd.service (not available for version 16 and later)

3. Loading Modules

Load the VMware modules manually:

sudo modprobe -a vmw_vmci vmmon

If this step takes a long time or you get a Cannot load module vmmon error, you can check the notes on the ArchWiki.

4. Starting VMware

• Pro version:

  vmware
  

• Player version:

  vmplayer
  

5. Entering a License Key (Pro)

From the terminal:

sudo /usr/lib/vmware/bin/vmware-vmx-debug --new-sn XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

If that doesn’t work, you can run this command from the GUI:

sudo /usr/lib/vmware/bin/vmware-enter-serial

⚠️ VMware Suddenly Closing (UI Exit) Issue on Arch Linux

Recently, some Arch Linux users have started to experience an issue where the VMware GUI suddenly closes. This problem appeared especially after system updates in early 2025.

🔍 Source of the Problem

The problem was found to be caused by an X11 interaction error in newer versions of the libxkbcommon library. The VMware interface closes due to a SIGSEGV (segmentation fault) that occurs within the library. You might see an error output in the terminal like the one below:

(vmware-tray:20007): Gdk-WARNING **: 15:24:16.744: The program 'vmware-tray' received an X Window System error.This probably reflects a bug in the program.The error was 'BadValue (integer parameter out of range for operation)'.(Details: serial 811 error_code 2 request_code 135 (XKEYBOARD) minor_code 8)(Note to programmers: normally, X errors are reported asynchronously;that is, you will receive the error a while after causing it.To debug your program, run it with the GDK_SYNCHRONIZE environmentvariable to change this behavior. You can then get a meaningfulbacktrace from your debugger if you break on the gdk_x_error() function.)
(vmware:19912): Gdk-WARNING **: 15:24:16.856: The program 'vmware' received an X Window System error.This probably reflects a bug in the program.The error was 'BadValue (integer parameter out of range for operation)'.(Details: serial 20939 error_code 2 request_code 135 (XKEYBOARD) minor_code 8)(Note to programmers: normally, X errors are reported asynchronously;that is, you will receive the error a while after causing it.To debug your program, run it with the GDK_SYNCHRONIZE environmentvariable to change this behavior. You can then get a meaningfulbacktrace from your debugger if you break on the gdk_x_error() function.)

Source links:

• Broadcom Community: Sudden UI exit on Arch Linux
• GitHub Issue: xkbcommon/libxkbcommon#888

According to user reports, the cause of this error is:

“A bug in keyboard layout management in libxkbcommon-x11 version 1.11.1 and higher.”

💡 Temporary Solution

Users have reported that downgrading the libxkbcommon and libxkbcommon-x11 packages to version 1.11.0 makes VMware work without any issues:

sudo downgrade libxkbcommon libxkbcommon-x11

🧩 Permanent Solution

An Arch user has developed a patched AUR package to fix this error. This package includes an LD_PRELOAD patch that temporarily bypasses the libxkbcommon error.

After installing this version, the “sudden closing” problem of the VMware interface is completely gone:

yay -S libx11-mr293

📝 This article is for informational purposes only. Official source: ArchWiki – VMware.