Use eval license key without gui on Ubuntu 18.04 for Workstation 16

[andras89]

I am wondering if I can use eval license key for VMware Workstation 16 without GUI. The reason that the GUI is not accessible on that machine, only the CLI commands. The installation was ok, just when I would like to start the *.vmx file, I receiving the following error:

Error: The operation was canceled

Then checking the vmware.log looks like the licensing is not ok.

2022-06-17T16:28:19.590Z In(05) vmx Msg_Post: Error

2022-06-17T16:28:19.590Z In(05) vmx [msg.License.no_valid_license_see_website] Cannot find a license key to unlock this version of vmrun.

2022-06-17T16:28:19.590Z In(05)+ vmx Go to our web site at "http://vmware.com/info?id=27&build=19376536" to obtain a valid license key.

2022-06-17T16:28:19.590Z In(05) vmx ----------------------------------------

2022-06-17T16:28:19.590Z In(05) vmx MsgIsAnswered: Using builtin default 'OK' as the answer for 'msg.License.no_valid_license_see_website'

2022-06-17T16:28:19.590Z In(05) vmx LICENSE no valid one found

2022-06-17T16:28:19.590Z In(05) vmx Module 'License' power on failed.

Thanks a lot in advance. 

[continuum]

Hi
some days ago I posted instructions.
You can enter the serial into a textfile named
/etc/vmware/license-ws-160-e4-202001.
The line looks like
Serial = "abcd123-bcde234-cdef345-defg456-efgh-678"

Ulli

[andras89]

Hi,

thanks a lot for your answer, I have created the following:

ls -l /etc/vmware

and the result:

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  226 Jun 16 05:52 bootstrap

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1039 Jun 18 09:01 config

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   19 Jun 16 05:52 icu -> /usr/lib/vmware/icu

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   58 Jun 16 05:53 installer.sh -> /usr/lib/vmware-installer/3.0.0/vmware-uninstall-downgrade

-rw-r----- 1 root root  655 Jun 18 08:57 license-ws-160-e3-202001

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   54 Jun 16 05:53 locations

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  461 Jun 16 05:53 networking

-rw-r----- 1 root root    0 Jun 16 05:52 usbarb.rules

drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 Jun 16 05:53 vmnet1

drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 4096 Jun 16 05:53 vmnet8

 I have copied a valid EVAL license from another Ubuntu Desktop (18.04) to target /etc/vmware/license-ws-160-e3-202001

StartFields = "Cpt, ProductID, LicenseVersion, LicenseType, LicenseEdition, Option, Epoch"

Field2 = "Option, Epoch"

Cpt = "COPYRIGHT (c) VMware, Inc. 1999-2020"

ProductID = "VMware Workstation"

LicenseVersion = "16.0"

LicenseType = "Site"

LicenseEdition = "ws.eval"

Epoch = "2020-01-01"

Option = "19"

Data = "MaxVcpusPerVm=8;mdate=2020-03-21"

DataHash = "c86ae9f6-7444a377-7c95968c-88682fb4-61d5af83"

Serial = "***key-removed-by-moderator***"

LastModified = "2022-06-18 @ 15:29:05 UTC"

Hash = "0da965a2-5f51882f-4cbeb469-9889f2d0-bbeef54a"

But still receiving the same error. Any idea what I missed?

[continuum · Accepted solution]

Try to name the file blabla-e4-2002001 instead of blabla-e3-2002001.
You should have sample files in
/usr/lib/vmware/licenses/site/
Use one of them to edit.
The line

LicenseEdition = "ws.eval"

may need to be changed to

LicenseEdition = "ws.pro"

By the way - Workstation comes with several commandline tools to enter the license manually like
vmware-license-check.sh
and
/usr/lib/vmware/bin/licenseTool
but afaik all of them are defunct/broken.

Ulli

[andras89]

hey,

I have tried the following:

cp /usr/lib/vmware/licenses/site/license-ws-160-e3-202001 /etc/vmware/

then add Serial line at the end

# VMware software license

StartFields = "Cpt, ProductID, LicenseVersion, LicenseType, LicenseEdition, Option, Epoch"

Field2 = "Option, Epoch"

Cpt = "COPYRIGHT (c) VMware, Inc. 1999-2020"

ProductID = "VMware Workstation"

LicenseVersion = "16.0"

LicenseType = "Site"

LicenseEdition = "ws.eval"

Epoch = "2020-01-01"

Option = "19"

Data = "MaxVcpusPerVm=8;mdate=2020-03-21"

DataHash = "c86ae9f6-7444a377-7c95968c-88682fb4-61d5af83"

Hash = "0da965a2-5f51882f-4cbeb469-9889f2d0-bbeef54a"

Serial = "***key-removed-by-moderator***"

Then try to start the VMX:

vmrun -T ws start ./output/custom-ubuntu.vmx nogui

and see the same error: 

Error: The operation was canceled

and in the log:

2022-06-19T13:26:13.768Z In(05) vmx VMXSTATS: Registering 1 stats: vmx.logDropChars

2022-06-19T13:26:13.768Z In(05) vmx VMXSTATS: Registering 2 stats: vmx.logBytesLogged

2022-06-19T13:26:13.768Z In(05) vmx VMXSTATS: Registering 3 stats: vmx.numTimesLogDrop

2022-06-19T13:26:13.768Z In(05) vmx Msg_Post: Error

2022-06-19T13:26:13.768Z In(05) vmx [msg.License.no_valid_license_see_website] Cannot find a license key to unlock this version of vmrun.

2022-06-19T13:26:13.768Z In(05)+ vmx Go to our web site at "http://vmware.com/info?id=27&build=19376536" to obtain a valid license key.

2022-06-19T13:26:13.768Z In(05) vmx ----------------------------------------

2022-06-19T13:26:13.768Z In(05) vmx MsgIsAnswered: Using builtin default 'OK' as the answer for 'msg.License.no_valid_license_see_website'

2022-06-19T13:26:13.768Z In(05) vmx LICENSE no valid one found

2022-06-19T13:26:13.768Z In(05) vmx Module 'License' power on failed.

2022-06-19T13:26:13.768Z In(05) vmx VMX_PowerOn: ModuleTable_PowerOn = 0

2022-06-19T13:26:13.768Z In(05) vmx Vix: [mainDispatch.c:4206]: VMAutomation_ReportPowerOpFinished: statevar=1, newAppState=1873, success=1 additionalError=0

2022-06-19T13:26:13.768Z In(05) vmx VMXSTATS: Ready to cleanup and munmap 7FBCB9FEF000.

2022-06-19T13:26:13.768Z In(05) vmx Vix: [mainDispatch.c:4206]: VMAutomation_ReportPowerOpFinished: statevar=0, newAppState=1870, success=1 additionalError=0

2022-06-19T13:26:13.769Z In(05) vmx Transitioned vmx/execState/val to poweredOff

2022-06-19T13:26:13.769Z In(05) vmx Vix: [mainDispatch.c:4206]: VMAutomation_ReportPowerOpFinished: statevar=0, newAppState=1870, success=0 additionalError=0

2022-06-19T13:26:13.769Z In(05) vmx Vix: [mainDispatch.c:4244]: Error VIX_E_FAIL in VMAutomation_ReportPowerOpFinished(): Unknown error

2022-06-19T13:26:13.770Z In(05) vmx Vix: [mainDispatch.c:4206]: VMAutomation_ReportPowerOpFinished: statevar=0, newAppState=1870, success=1 additionalError=0

2022-06-19T13:26:13.770Z In(05) vmx Transitioned vmx/execState/val to poweredOff

2022-06-19T13:26:13.770Z In(05) vmx WQPoolFreePoll : pollIx = 3, signalHandle = 17

2022-06-19T13:26:13.771Z In(05) vmx Vix: [mainDispatch.c:815]: VMAutomation_LateShutdown()

2022-06-19T13:26:13.771Z In(05) vmx Vix: [mainDispatch.c:770]: VMAutomationCloseListenerSocket. Closing listener socket.

2022-06-19T13:26:13.771Z In(05) vmx Flushing VMX VMDB connections

2022-06-19T13:26:13.771Z In(05) vmx VmdbDbRemoveCnx: Removing Cnx from Db for '/db/connection/#1/'

2022-06-19T13:26:13.771Z In(05) vmx VmdbCnxDisconnect: Disconnect: closed pipe for pub cnx '/db/connection/#1/' (0)

2022-06-19T13:26:13.771Z In(05) vmx VigorTransport_ServerDestroy: server destroyed.

2022-06-19T13:26:13.771Z In(05) vmx WQPoolFreePoll : pollIx = 2, signalHandle = 8

2022-06-19T13:26:13.771Z In(05) vmx WQPoolFreePoll : pollIx = 1, signalHandle = 9

2022-06-19T13:26:13.775Z In(05) vmx VMX exit (0).

2022-06-19T13:26:13.775Z In(05) vmx OBJLIB-LIB: ObjLib cleanup done.

 Then go with second try:

rm /etc/vmware/license-ws-160-e3-202001 

cp /usr/lib/vmware/licenses/site/license-ws-160-e4-202001 /etc/vmware/

then add Serial key here too (EVALUATION serial too):

# VMware software license

StartFields = "Cpt, ProductID, LicenseVersion, LicenseType, LicenseEdition, Option, Epoch"

Field2 = "Option, Epoch"

Cpt = "COPYRIGHT (c) VMware, Inc. 1999-2020"

ProductID = "VMware Workstation"

LicenseVersion = "16.0"

LicenseType = "Site"

LicenseEdition = "ws.pro"

Epoch = "2020-01-01"

Option = "19"

Data = "MaxVcpusPerVm=8;mdate=2020-03-21"

DataHash = "dcaa4f09-ca2e6908-3a8e97b6-ef7a5803-5659f136"

Hash = "6684e4be-db1c5478-a0c207da-bd095cdf-d68ce136"

Serial = "***key-removed-by-moderator***"

 Then try to run again the VM but still the same issue.

I have also tried the command line tools, but as you mentioned looks like those are broken.

Any idea?

[continuum]

Tried to send you a PM ....

[andras89]

Finally solved, there was a typo in license file.

[Siheng]

Hi, I also encounter the same issue, can you tell me where is the typo. Thanks in advance!