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SteveWampler
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CentOS 7.4 - VMware Workstation 12.5.7-5813279x86_64 only runs as root

After upgrading to CentOS 7.4 and installing the above version of Workstation I'm only able to run vmware as root (but all of my VMs are owned by a non-root user, so this doesn't help).  Attempting to start vmware as a non-root user pops up the message about needing to install the modules. Clicking on "Install" quickly and quietly terminates the execution of vmware. Running as root doesn't display the popup but simply starts vmware as I would expect.

Attempting to start with "vmware-gksu --user XXXX vmware" behaves the same bad way.

I don't see anything useful in the logs, but then again, I don't really know what would be useful.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

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SteveWampler
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The problems were incorrect permissions on many of the modules* files in /lib/modules/$(uname -r).

Fixing those (to 644) fixed the problem.

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SteveWampler
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Ok, I know part of the problem, but none of the solution.

-- Under CentOS 7.3, the modinfo command works fine when run as a normal user, e.g.:

   ->modinfo ptp

   filename:       /lib/modules/3.10.0-514.26.2.el7.x86_64/kernel/drivers/ptp/ptp.ko

   license:        GPL

   description:    PTP clocks support

   author:         Richard Cochran <richardcochran@gmail.com>

   rhelversion:    7.3

   srcversion:     36CE19F4E7A4C8C3135662C

   depends:        pps_core

   intree:         Y

   vermagic:       3.10.0-514.26.2.el7.x86_64 SMP mod_unload modversions

   signer:         CentOS Linux kernel signing key

   sig_key:        61:8F:5D:DF:77:2E:4B:E8:25:FB:1B:B0:95:91:86:27:24:ED:1E:97

   sig_hashalgo:   sha256

   ->

-- Under CentOS 7.4, it doesn't:

   ->modinfo ptp

   modinfo: ERROR: Module alias ptp not found.

   ->

-- But running as root, works fine:

   ->sudo modinfo ptp

   filename:       /lib/modules/3.10.0-693.2.2.el7.x86_64/kernel/drivers/ptp/ptp.ko.xz

   license:        GPL

   description:    PTP clocks support

   author:         Richard Cochran <richardcochran@gmail.com>

   rhelversion:    7.4

   srcversion:     E9B762D238C43D9B251E339

   depends:        pps_core

   intree:         Y

   vermagic:       3.10.0-693.2.2.el7.x86_64 SMP mod_unload modversions

   signer:         CentOS Linux kernel signing key

   sig_key:        C0:8B:35:53:41:76:0F:03:0A:64:E3:C5:50:E1:13:CD:47:77:1E:A9

   sig_hashalgo:   sha256

   ->

This explains why VMware thinks it needs to rebuild the modules when running in a

non-root account.  And may explain why vmware then silently dies - there's a permission

problem on something somewhere that catches both the modinfo call and

whatever comes next.  I just don't know where that permission problem is.

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SteveWampler
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The problems were incorrect permissions on many of the modules* files in /lib/modules/$(uname -r).

Fixing those (to 644) fixed the problem.

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