Workstation 9 on linux crashes on startup for one user

[S_Scharf]

Running VMWare 9 and Debian testing (vmware patched for 3.10.5)

Today when starting vmware as myself, the application flashes on the screen and crashes. Runs fine as another user.

renaming my .vmware directory didn't help.

Any clues?

-----------------------------------

ss@localhost:~$ /usr/bin/vmware

Logging to /tmp/vmware-ss/vmware-modconfig-5400.log

filename:       /lib/modules/3.10-2-amd64/misc/vmmon.ko

supported:      external

license:        GPL v2

description:    VMware Virtual Machine Monitor.

author:         VMware, Inc.

depends:       

vermagic:       3.10-2-amd64 SMP mod_unload modversions

Aborted

ss@localhost:~$ cat /tmp/vmware-ss/vmware-modconfig-5400.log

2013-08-25T15:09:05.639-05:00| vthread-3| I120: Log for VMware Workstation pid=5400 version=9.0.2 build=build-1031769 option=Release

2013-08-25T15:09:05.639-05:00| vthread-3| I120: The process is 64-bit.

2013-08-25T15:09:05.639-05:00| vthread-3| I120: Host codepage=UTF-8 encoding=UTF-8

2013-08-25T15:09:05.639-05:00| vthread-3| I120: Host is Linux 3.10-2-amd64 Debian GNU/Linux testing (jessie)

2013-08-25T15:09:05.570-05:00| vthread-3| I120: Msg_Reset:

2013-08-25T15:09:05.570-05:00| vthread-3| I120: [msg.dictionary.load.openFailed] Cannot open file "/usr/lib/vmware/settings": No such file or directory.

2013-08-25T15:09:05.570-05:00| vthread-3| I120: ----------------------------------------

2013-08-25T15:09:05.570-05:00| vthread-3| I120: PREF Optional preferences file not found at /usr/lib/vmware/settings. Using default values.

2013-08-25T15:09:05.587-05:00| vthread-3| I120: Msg_Reset:

2013-08-25T15:09:05.587-05:00| vthread-3| I120: [msg.dictionary.load.openFailed] Cannot open file "/home/ss/.vmware/config": No such file or directory.

2013-08-25T15:09:05.587-05:00| vthread-3| I120: ----------------------------------------

2013-08-25T15:09:05.587-05:00| vthread-3| I120: PREF Optional preferences file not found at /home/ss/.vmware/config. Using default values.

2013-08-25T15:09:05.639-05:00| vthread-3| W110: Logging to /tmp/vmware-ss/vmware-modconfig-5400.log

2013-08-25T15:09:05.672-05:00| vthread-3| I120: Reading in info for the vmmon module.

2013-08-25T15:09:05.672-05:00| vthread-3| I120: Reading in info for the vmnet module.

2013-08-25T15:09:05.672-05:00| vthread-3| I120: Reading in info for the vmblock module.

2013-08-25T15:09:05.672-05:00| vthread-3| I120: Reading in info for the vmci module.

2013-08-25T15:09:05.672-05:00| vthread-3| I120: Reading in info for the vsock module.

2013-08-25T15:09:05.672-05:00| vthread-3| I120: Setting vsock to depend on vmci.

2013-08-25T15:09:05.672-05:00| vthread-3| I120: Created new pathsHash.

2013-08-25T15:09:05.672-05:00| vthread-3| I120: Invoking modinfo on "vmmon".

2013-08-25T15:09:05.674-05:00| vthread-3| I120: "/sbin/modinfo" exited with status 0.

2013-08-25T15:09:05.674-05:00| vthread-3| I120: Invoking modinfo on "vmnet".

2013-08-25T15:09:05.676-05:00| vthread-3| I120: "/sbin/modinfo" exited with status 0.

2013-08-25T15:09:05.676-05:00| vthread-3| I120: Invoking modinfo on "vmblock".

2013-08-25T15:09:05.693-05:00| vthread-3| I120: "/sbin/modinfo" exited with status 0.

2013-08-25T15:09:05.693-05:00| vthread-3| I120: Invoking modinfo on "vmci".

2013-08-25T15:09:05.694-05:00| vthread-3| I120: "/sbin/modinfo" exited with status 0.

2013-08-25T15:09:05.694-05:00| vthread-3| I120: Invoking modinfo on "vsock".

2013-08-25T15:09:05.696-05:00| vthread-3| I120: "/sbin/modinfo" exited with status 0.

[dariusd]

Hi S_Scharf, and welcome to the VMware Communities!

Assuming the two user accounts (the working one and the failing one) have the same permissions (group memberships etc.), it might possibly be something in the user's ~/.gnome* or ~/.gconf* causing the problem.

The modconfig log you posted looks perfectly normal.  Workstation should then go on to create an apploader log (maybe more than one) and finally a ui log in the same directory.  Can you look for those logs?  If they're there, see if they give you any hints; Post them here if you'd like us to help decipher them.

Cheers,

--

Darius

[S_Scharf]

The files from my latest run attached. I also tired renaming all the .gnome* and .gconf*  files before trying, but no difference.

[S_Scharf]

Thanks, I posted the log files to the message board.

--Stuart

dariusd created the

discussion

"Workstation 9 on linux crashes on startup for one user"

To view the discussion, visit:

https://communities.vmware.com/message/2280809#2280809

>

[dariusd]

It looks like the Workstation UI is crashing while trying to make a web connection (using libcurl), most likely to check for product updates at launch.  It also looks like an update to Debian testing libcurl was posted recently... any chance that the onset of this problem might correlate with that update?  (Check for curl in your /var/log/aptitude/history.log*)  Maybe there is an issue between WS and the updated libcurl.

Does the user account have any HTTP/HTTPS proxy configuration in its environment, or any other network-related configuration you can think of which might cause libcurl to fail?

To try working around the problem, edit the affected user's ~/.vmware/preferences and add the following two lines:

pref.autoSoftwareUpdatePermission = "deny"

pref.componentDownloadPermission = "deny"

(If there's already an "allow" entry for either of those two options, just change the "allow" to "deny".)

Cheers,

--

Darius

[slscharf]

😞

no joy

My curl update was dated the 12th of August, I believe that things were still working after that.

Also, I have renamed my .vmware directory and tried running vmware, the only difference is that it then asks me to approve the license agreement before crashing.

Changing the pref's had no effect.

The problem has also appeared in my office machine (the other one was at home). I only log off once a week, but this AM I have the same problem there on starting vmware. (only one user on that machine, but

vmware does start as root)

thanks so far

Stuart

[dariusd]

Is your office machine the same distro, version and arch (i.e. Debian testing amd64)?

Thanks,

--

Darius

[slscharf]

Is your office machine the same distro, version and arch (i.e. Debian testing amd64)?

Yes!

--Stuart

[Wolf_Lub]

Hi all!

I have exactly the same problem... Workstation starts, and then crashes immediately.

I use Debian testing, and today i did an update.

I attach history log from today update (before them workstation works perfectly for me):

[slscharf]

Vmplayer still works (as a short term work around) as does running vmware under root.

[slscharf]

Today after a kernel upgrade I had to download and install the latest Nvidia driver, and then

repatch and compile the VMware modules. VMware Workstation is now running just fine (although

I haven't the slightest idea what changed or what the problem was!)

[Wolf_Lub]

bellow solution was helpful for me:

http://alexmufatti.it/2013/08/20/vmware-crash-on-startup-after-curl-update/

applied the patch only for vmware-workstation. VMPlayer working perfectly all time.