Opening an existing Virtual Machine in vmplayer GUI doesn't work if "remember recently used files" is set to disabled under Privacy Settings

[mfvianna]

In reference to another thread (https://communities.vmware.com/thread/573225​), I've created this one with a clearer title as well as a better description of the issue use case so that it gets the proper attention from VMWare (note that many people have struggled in this other thread for a while until the cause of this issue got better understood (and there was a high chance that this never get read there).

Use case and issue:

vmplayer 14 (and probabbly vmware-workstation) is not able to open a Virtual Machine in the GUI if the user sets the system to not remember recently used files under privacy settings.

* In Fedora, this is achieved by turning "Usage & History" under "Settings / Privacy / Usage & History" off.

* In Ubuntu, this is the "Record file & application usage" setting under "All Settings / Security & Privacy / Files & Applications".

It is important to notice that this is the same system-wide parameter that allows users to disable things like a text editor to remember which was the last document he/she edited.  It is a perfectly valid use case that the user doesn't want applications to remember their recently open files in text editors, web browsers, graphical editors, etc. and yet wants vmplayer to keep a library of virtual machines, but this is even worse: Simply Opening a Virtual Machine in the GUI doesn't work if this parameter is set to keep the users privacy (being the only alternative to issue the vmplayer command line directly opening the VM, but this turns it immediately on, not allowing many settings modifications).

After some research I understand that VMWare developers use the GtkRecentManager family of functions (that work with the ~/.local/share/recently-used.xbel file) to store and manage the Virtual Machines library.  In my understanding this is a design mistake because it relies in the user letting this privacy setting as active (with less privacy) in order to be able to open a Virtual Machine for editing in the GUI, which implies is a system-wide side effect in the privacy settings for all applications.

In any case, even if VMWare understands this is the proper location to store the library, which is very controversial, the VMWare GUI should at least be able to open a Virtual Machine for editing in this scenario, even if it is the case that vmplayer will not remember the last opened VMs in the next session (a "meno male" fix).

This is clearly a BUG considering a valid use case that doesn't work: opening a VM.

OBS: As a system-wide parameter I mean system-wide for an specific user.