ebsf1 Tracker

Re: ubuntu 22.04 install vm workstation error

ebsf1 — Sun, 12 Feb 2023 20:21:30 GMT

Does it now support Wayland, or still require XORG?

Re: Player 16.2.4 on Ubuntu 22.04 5.15.0-41-generic Fails to Launch W10 Guest

ebsf1 — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 19:22:56 GMT

File history retention is configured in the Linux host's Settings. In Ubuntu 22.04, open Settings and nav to Privacy > File History & Trash > File History and move the File History to "on."

There probably is a corresponding gsettings entry in the dconf editor.

The setting is completely unrelated to the VMware modules, and probably has more to do with GNOME3.

VMware Player prompts for VMware Tools reinstall every time

ebsf1 — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 19:16:06 GMT

VMware Player 16.2.4 on Linux, with a Windows 10 guest, is prompting for VMware Tools to be reinstalled each time it is launched. What do I need to do for the VMware Tools installation to stick?

Currently:

- The VM settings provide for automatic installation.

- The VM has ample free space on its HDD.

Re: Player 16.2.4 Memory Management Failure: Guest Freezes for kcompactd0 Hugepages Defrag

ebsf1 — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 19:11:55 GMT

Another few hacks that have improved and perhaps fixed this, at least so far.

Doubtless, this is a memory management issue requiring both guest and host tweaks.

I got a big improvement with two guest tweaks, first by manually defining pagefile.sys size in System Properties (it was system-managed and >10GB; I reduced it to ~2GB and min=max), and second, by reconfiguring superfetch on the Windows 10 guest for boot only, not boot and applications. This prevents superfetch from loading all of one's commonly-used apps into memory in advance, substantially reducing dirty pages. So:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters]
"EnableSuperfetch"=dword:00000002

Meanwhile, on the Linux host, and in addition to the foregoing IOMMU tweaks, I've set the following kernel parameters in sysctl.conf:

vm.compaction_proactiveness=0
vm.swappiness=1

These two parameter settings may be overkill in light of other kernel parameters that configure memory compaction and memory reclaim but (a) they work; and (b) I don't have time to figure out the other parameters.

Re: Help needed: VM freezes/restarting host

ebsf1 — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 18:49:25 GMT

More of an off-the-cuff than definitive response, but I've been wrestling with this a bit and have gotten to tolerable behavior.

Overall, it's a memory management issue, which requires guest and host tweaking.

On the Windows guest, re-configure superfetch in the registry for boot only, not boot and apps. This will keep superfetch from loading all sorts of stuff into memory, and will help reduce page faults / swapping. So:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters]
"EnableSuperfetch"=dword:00000002

On the Linux host, what's working so far is to set the following kernel parameters in /etc/sysctl.conf:

- vm.swappiness=1

- vm.compaction_proactiveness=0

There are several other kernel parameters relating to memory compaction and memory reclaim that may be better suited but this is a quick-and-dirty that is working well in avoiding freezes so far.

Re: Player 16.2.4 fails to compile kernel modules on CentOS 7

ebsf1 — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 18:31:05 GMT

More of an off the cuff than definitive response but I went through this on Ubuntu 22.04 a month or so ago.

There are a series of failures, each with a different fix. So:

- Make sure the source code for the modules you are compiling matches up exactly by kernel version and workstation/player.

- Run make while in the suitable working directory, typically one above the directory with the source code. A makefile should be in that directory, I believe.

- I had varying results as between vmmon and vmnet in running make. $ make was different from $ sudo make and both were different from # make. I believe the latter was best for vmmon.

- There are a few ways to install the compiled kernels, including make install and just copying the compiled *.o file into the directory it belongs, but with a *.ko extension. I never got make install to work so I just used cp. Check the file sizes to verify.

- Just creating and installing the module's tarball can be an alternative to compiling the module itself.

Player's installation is an absolute train wreck. Hopefully, this will give you some avenues to pursue. Good luck.

Re: Player 16.2.4 Memory Management Failure: Guest Freezes for kcompactd0 Hugepages Defrag

ebsf1 — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 16:43:01 GMT

@jiaxinslee, think you're right.

This hack, like others that have been suggested in various posts to address this phenomenon, e.g., fiddling with vm.compaction_proactiveness and vm.swappiness, turns out not to have eliminated the phenomenon entirely.

The hack did eliminate the phenomenon for a few days, and it also continues to improve performance. Nevertheless, the behavior returned, with intermittent episodes of kcompactd0 pinning its CPU core at 100%, freezing the guest, albeit not the host. The duration of the episodes is significantly less than before, however, perhaps only a minute or two instead of ten or twenty, or even hours.

One bit of memory jiu-jitsu I'm experimenting with is a host tmpfs share. Specifically, I createe a tmpfs on a host mount point via fstab. The host serves files via Samba, so the mount point is within an existing Samba share. Then, on the Windows 10 guest, I created a directory symbolic link to the host's tmpfs share (mklink /d C:\tmp \\server\share\tmpfs-mount-point) and edited %TMP% and %TEMP% to refer to the symlink. An alternative configuration would map a drive letter, e.g., T:\, to the tmpfs share and could be better for the purpose. Either way, this effectively gives me a RAM mount for temp files on the Windows guest's filesystem. It definitely has improved performance and responsiveness and we'll see whether it has any effect on the kcompactd0 behavior.

Re: Player 16.2.4 Memory Management Failure: Guest Freezes for kcompactd0 Hugepages Defrag

ebsf1 — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 19:46:52 GMT

A solution seems to exist. This turns out to be a host IOMMU issue.

Notwithstanding that Intel VT-x and VT-d are enabled in the host firmware, kernel version 5.15.0-46-generic disables IOMMU by default. The kernel is configured with:

CONFIG_INTEL_IOMMU=y

# CONFIG_INTEL_IOMMU_DEFAULT_ON is not set

That is, intel_iommu is compiled into the kernel but not (or no longer is) enabled by default (note the octothorpe commenting out the second configuration option).

Adding the following to the kernel command line fixes the guest freezes and kcompactd0 no longer pins its CPU core at 100%, at least thus far:

intel_iommu=on

So, for GRUB, edit /etc/default/grub to add the above string to GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT, e.g.,

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="intel_iommu=on"

Save and close the file, then run:

# update-grub

Reboot to take effect.

For systemd-boot, either (a) add the above string to a separate line in /etc/kernel/cmdline or (b) add the following to your boot entry .conf file in /loader/entries:

options intel_iommu=on

Save and close the file, then reboot to take effect.

Player 16.2.4 Memory Management Failure: Guest Freezes for kcompactd0 Hugepages Defrag

ebsf1 — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 18:19:39 GMT

Adding to the Workstation/Player 16 woes, including a failure of Wayland support, a failure to compile, a failure to start, and a failure to launch any guest, we now can add a failure of memory management.

Specifically, on a Ubuntu 22.04 host, a Windows 10 guest freezes when, e.g., a database application (e.g., Microsoft Access .accdb) is opened or video is attempted to run in a browser (specifically, Firefox). This behavior also will occur without either of the foregoiing, but with as few as seven tabs open in Firefox with static content.

Running # top on the host reveals that the process kcompactd is pinning one CPU core at 100% while the process vmware-vmx is running at 280%-290%.

This is notwithstanding various configuration changes recommended in sundry posts across the Internet to address transparent hugepages, memory compaction, video demands, and guest behavior, including:

Disablilng transparent hugepages and defragging thereof for the host via kernel command line (transparent_hugepage=never), and startup script (echo never | tee /sys/kernel/mm/transparent_hugepage/enabled; echo never | tee /sys/kernel/mm/transparent_hugepage/defrag; echo 0 | tee /sys/kernel/mm/transparent_hugepage/khugepaged/defrag).
Disabling compaction proactiveness for the host in /etc/sysctl.conf (vm.compaction_proactiveness=0) and for the guest in its VMX file (vm.compaction_proactiveness=0).
Disabling HDD write caching in the guest's Virtual Machine Settings.
Launching vmplayer having set vblank_mode=0
Changing the Windows 10 guest's power options to prevent powering off its HDD.

Again, notwithstanding all of the foregoing, which took a half day to implement, a Windows 10 guest nevertheless continues to freeze under trivial memory demands.

Windows 10 guests running in VirtualBox are reported not to exhibit this behavior. I currently am evaluating this and a similar guest running in KVM myself.

Windows 10 guests running in Player 15 did not exhibit this behavior, nor any of the above-mentioned other failures.

Clearly, the VMware devs have their work cut out for them to fix this flaw.

Pending a bug fix, any suggestions of further configuration to eliminate this issue would be especially well received.

Re: VMware Player 16.2.3 Linux Host Interceps Guest's Keystrokes; Cut & Paste To/From Guest Fail

ebsf1 — Sun, 31 Jul 2022 00:42:13 GMT

I discovered the solution. Persist by spending weeks or months with Google, pay attention, and some shreds and hints will surface.

This is a Wayland issue.

Astonishingly, VMware Player has gone through several revisions and has yet to implement Wayland support, notwithstanding that Wayland has been the default windowing system for many of the major Linux distributions for years.

Furthermore, this post excepted, no official documentation exists of this phenomenon, much less warning users away from Wayland.

Not that it matters, but no amount of tinkering with the OS' Wayland settings affects VMware Player's behavior.

The only solution is to disable Wayland in favor of Xorg. Google will reliably lead one to tutorials on this topic for nearly any distribution.

How humiliating this must be for the VMware development and product management teams.

Re: Player 16.2.4 on Ubuntu 22.04 5.15.0-41-generic Fails to Launch W10 Guest

ebsf1 — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 01:50:50 GMT

@joshiga, I found the solution before having an opportunity to test with a Linux guest.

The solution is to configure the Linux GUI to retain file history. In Ubuntu 22.04, open Settings > Privacy > File History & Trash > File History and toggle the File History switch on.

Thanks to @sdaks in this post, which addresses the issue for an earlier Ubuntu version and Linux Mint, which have different configuration GUIs and menus although the issue seems to remain the same.

This said, Player 16.2.4 remains deeply flawed.

Re: VMware Player 16.2.3 Linux Host Interceps Guest's Keystrokes; Cut & Paste To/From Guest Fail

ebsf1 — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 01:16:32 GMT

Twice, actually. It did not.

Once yesterday or the day before with kernel version 5.15.0-41-generic and again just now with kernel version 5.15.0-43-generic.

In both instances, VMware Player failed identically as described in the OP. The host intercepts any key combination involving Ctrl, Alt, or Win and cut/copy and paste fail.

At least vmmon and vmnet compiled without barfing, which apparently was too much to ask of P16.2.3.

I'm currently spinning up Ubuntu 22.04 instances on separate partitions as testbeds for 16.1.2, KVM/qemu, and Virtualbox.

Honestly, I've sunk hundreds of hours over the past four or five months into trying to get your product to run. I ought to send you a bill.

This must be one of the most sublime and humiliating failures in the history of software publishing. Just, wow.

VMware Player 16.2.3 and 16.2.4 Linux Host Interceps Keystrokes; Cut & Paste To/From Guest Fails

ebsf1 — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 01:23:25 GMT

On top of:

- The failure to install on Ubuntu 20.04 and 22.04;

- The failure of its kernel modules to compile;

- The necessity to resort to third-party sources for the application's components;

- The failure of third-party components to compile except using undocumented procedures;

- The failure of the application to launch any guest;

Now, having managed after months of effort to get the Player 16.2.3 vmmon and vmnet modules to compile, and having resolved a gamut of unrelated fundamental failures, the Linux host intercepts any keystroke combinations including Ctrl, Alt, or Win, including:

- Ctrl + Alt + Del

- Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V

- Alt + Tab

Additionally, attempts to cut and paste between host (Ubuntu 22.04) and guest using menu options, fail.

Furthermore, when in full-screen mode, it is not possible to tab between controls in guest applications, e.g., in Firefox.

Player version 16.2.4 exhibits the same failures but did manage to compile vmmon and vmnet without barfing.

What a _s_h_i_t_ show.

Re: VMware 16.2.3 not working on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

ebsf1 — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 02:52:10 GMT

16.2.4 fails in precisely the same way as 16.2.3 on Ubuntu 22.04, as far as I can tell, at least for Workstation Player. I posted to this effect last evening. The app simply cannot launch a guest.

This said, after months, I think I had a breakthrough today, which requires a synthesis of 5-7 separate hacks or deviations from commonly posted procedures. I still need to confirm a few things but stay tuned.

Re: Player 16.2.4 on Ubuntu 22.04 5.15.0-41-generic Fails to Launch W10 Guest

ebsf1 — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 13:26:15 GMT

New version, new topic.

The other topic is concerned with the fact that Player 16.2.3 fails.

This topic is concerned with the fact that Player 16.2.4 fails. Whatever the developers may have addressed in this version, it had no effect on this behavior.

Player 16.2.4 on Ubuntu 22.04 5.15.0-41-generic Fails to Launch W10 Guest

ebsf1 — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 05:29:49 GMT

Player 16.2.4 on Ubuntu 22.04 kernel version 5.15.0-41-generic fails to launch any guest machine, as has Player 16.2.3.

Double-clicking on guest .vmx files triggers a popup window with the error:

```

Could not open /dev/vmmon: No such file or directory.
Please make sure that the kernel module `vmmon' is loaded.

```

Any thoughts about how to get the application to work would be especially well received.

The application has failed, and failed, and failed yet again for three or four months now, at least. Every attempt to manually compile vmmon has failed.

vmmon Failing to Compile for Player 16.2.3 on Ubuntu 22.04 5.15.0-41-generic

ebsf1 — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 13:29:13 GMT

vmmon is consistently failing to compile for Player on Ubuntu 22.04 kernel version 5.15.0-41-generic, as it has for intervening kernel versions since the Ubuntu 22.04 release.

This prevents Player from launching any guest OS, although it will install and run a guest OS freshly installed from ISO, even through guest restart.

I've tried both methods (make/make install and vmware-modconfig) on having checked out the Player 16.2.3 tree and on downloading and expanding the Player 16.2.3 tarball.

make consistently returns the error:

`Skipping BTF generation for /srv/data/users/eric/data/computer/swr/os/vmware/player-16/vmware-host-modules-p16.2.3-k5.15/vmmon-only/vmmon.ko due to unavailability of vmlinux`

notwithstanding that `mokutil --sb-state` returns `SecureBoot disabled`, consistent with the firmware configuration.

Furthermore, `sudo make install` returns

```
Using kernel build system.
make: *** No rule to make target 'install'. Stop.
```

I should note that I have encountered the same failures both (a) having edited /vmmon-only/include/vm_asm_x86.h to comment out lines 65-71 and 73 (slightly different from other posts because this file has an additional line, but in any event leaving intact the line:

`#define ASSERT_ON_COMPILE_SELECTOR_SIZE(expr)` )

and (b) leaving the file intact and uncommented.

If any prospect exists of installing Player such that it functions, I would be especially grateful to learn how.

Re: Is it worth to update from 16.2.3 to 16.2.4?

ebsf1 — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 19:57:28 GMT

No version 16.2.4 is available from the download page, if it even exists. All that is available is 16.2.3.

Re: No vmware-vdiskmanager installed

ebsf1 — Sat, 09 Jul 2022 02:19:06 GMT

It's in Workstation Pro. So (for Linux):

- Download the Workstation Pro .bundle into its own directory.

- Open Terminal and navigate to that directory:

`cd /path/to/bundledir

- Make the file executable:

`sudo chmod +x V*

- Extract the file into its own subdirectory (this will create newdir) :

`sudo ./V* --extract newdir

- The binary will be in newdir/vmware-workstation/bin. Copy it to /usr/bin and make it executable:

`sudo cp newdir/vmware-workstation/bin/vmware-vdiskmanager /usr/bin

`sudo chmod +x /usr/bin/vmware-vdiskmanager

Re: VMware 16.2.3 not working on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

ebsf1 — Mon, 23 May 2022 05:11:47 GMT

I have absolutely no idea what a kernel header is, how to check whether it/they is/are either installed or really installed, or how to either install or really install it/them.

What I have installed is Ubuntu Desktop 22.04, applying updates using aptitude. If anything else is necessary, then obviously, the installer should do it.

Obviously, the problem is VMware Player hasn't been installed completely. That's my point. The installer installs the app, whereupon it fails. The app continues to fail after applying the third-party kludge. The question is how to get it to install it fully, so it works. One wonders if perhaps the developer might have an interest in there being a functional installer.

uname -a

returns:

Linux greystone 5.15.0-30-generic #31-Ubuntu SMP Thu May 5 10:00:34 UTC 2022 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Two files are attached, one being STDOUT from executing the .bundle file. I never have seen so many (or even any) error messages from vmware-installer. These reference elementary syntax and dependency errors, which is both astonishing and alarming. What also is inexplicable is that it concludes with a statement that the installation completed successfully when it obviously did not.

Also attached is the log file from the failed kludge attempt.

Any ideas about how to get the software installed and running would be greatly appreciated.