Arch Linux install VMware Workstation

[Black Sniper]

VMware Version 17.6.2

Does someone get a card when installing Windows10 virtual machine after installing vmware in ArchLinux?

[Daniel Casota]

The following very long answer has been created using Grok3.
I wonder if the answer has some useful content for your use case. Thanks in advance for a feedback.

Installing VMware Workstation 17.6.2 on Arch Linux

To install VMware Workstation 17.6.2 on Arch Linux, you'd typically follow these steps:

1. Download the Installer: Obtain the .bundle file for VMware Workstation 17.6.2 from the official VMware website (e.g., VMware-Workstation-Full-17.6.2-24409262.x86_64.bundle).
2. Install Dependencies: Ensure your system has necessary packages like fuse2, gtkmm, linux-headers (matching your kernel), pcsclite, and libcanberra. You might also need ncurses5-compat-libs from the AUR for the console installer.
3. Run the Installer: Make the bundle executable (chmod +x VMware-Workstation-Full-*.bundle) and run it with sudo (sudo ./VMware-Workstation-Full-*.bundle). Follow the prompts to install.
4. Load Kernel Modules: After installation, load the required VMware kernel modules (vmmon and vmw_vmci) using sudo modprobe -a vmmon vmw_vmci. You may need to install kernel headers and run sudo vmware-modconfig --console --install-all if modules fail to load.
5. Enable Services: Start and enable services like vmware-networks.service for networking and vmware-usbarbitrator.service for USB support using systemctl.

Alternatively, you can install it via the AUR package vmware-workstation using an AUR helper like yay (yay -S vmware-workstation), which simplifies dependency management and kernel module compilation.

Setting Up a Windows 10 VM

Once VMware is installed on Arch Linux:

1. Create a New VM: Open VMware Workstation, select "Create a New Virtual Machine," choose "Typical," and point it to a Windows 10 ISO file.
2. Configure Hardware: Allocate RAM (e.g., 4 GB), CPU cores (e.g., 2), and disk space (e.g., 20 GB). You can enable 3D acceleration under Display settings if your hardware supports it.
3. Install Windows 10: Boot the VM and follow the Windows 10 installation prompts.

The "Card" Question

Your mention of a "card" is ambiguous. Here are some possibilities based on common VM issues:

• Graphics Card: If you mean a graphics-related issue, enabling 3D acceleration in the VM settings might require your host's GPU drivers (e.g., NVIDIA or AMD) to be properly configured on Arch Linux. Some users report black screens or sluggish performance with Linux hosts and Windows guests if the GPU isn't correctly utilized (e.g., using prime-run for NVIDIA). Check your VM's Display settings and ensure your Arch Linux GPU drivers are up to date.
• Network Card: VMware uses virtual network adapters (e.g., e1000 or vmxnet3). If the Windows 10 VM lacks network connectivity, ensure the vmware-networks.service is running on the host (sudo systemctl start vmware-networks.service). You might need to switch the VM's network adapter type to "Bridged" or "NAT" in the settings.
• Sound Card: Audio issues could arise if the virtual sound card isn't configured. In the VM settings, ensure a sound card is added and set to your host's audio output (e.g., surround51:CARD=Live,DEV=0 in the .vmx file).
• Misinterpretation: If "card" refers to something else (e.g., a credit card or smart card), please clarify! No physical card is involved in this process unless you're passing through a hardware device like a USB smart card reader.

Potential Issues and Fixes

• Kernel Module Errors: If you see "Could not open /dev/vmmon," ensure the vmmon module is loaded and your kernel headers match your running kernel (uname -r).
• Graphics Problems: For NVIDIA GPUs, try launching VMware with prime-run vmware to force discrete GPU usage. For AMD, ensure open-source drivers (mesa) are installed.
• VM Fails to Start: Verify your CPU supports virtualization (VT-x for Intel, AMD-V for AMD) and it's enabled in your BIOS/UEFI.

Steps to Use prime-run with VMware Workstation

You don't configure prime-run itself-it's a fire-and-forget tool. Instead, you configure VMware and your host system to ensure the NVIDIA GPU is utilized. Here's how to make it work:

1. Ensure Prerequisites Are Met
   • NVIDIA drivers (nvidia, nvidia-utils) and nvidia-prime are installed:
     
     bash

     
     

     
     

     sudo pacman -S nvidia nvidia-utils nvidia-prime
   
   
   • Your system supports PRIME render offload (check with xrandr --listproviders; you should see both Intel and NVIDIA providers).
   
   
   • VMware Workstation 17.6.2 is installed and functional.

1. Launch VMware with prime-run
   • Start VMware Workstation using prime-run to force it to use the NVIDIA GPU:
     
     bash

     
     

     prime-run vmware
   
   
   • This ensures the VMware GUI and any VM rendering (e.g., 3D acceleration) use the NVIDIA card instead of the integrated GPU.

1. Verify NVIDIA GPU Usage
   • On the host, check if VMware is using the NVIDIA GPU:
     
     bash

     
     
     nvidia-smi
     
     Look for vmware or vmware-vmx in the process list. If it's not there, the NVIDIA GPU isn't being used directly yet.
   
   
   • Alternatively, run:
     
     bash

     
     
     prime-run glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"
     
     You should see something like NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 instead of Intel HD Graphics.

1. Configure the VM for 3D Acceleration
   • Open VMware Workstation (via prime-run vmware).
   
   
   • Edit your Windows 10 VM's settings:
     
     • Go to Display > Check Accelerate 3D graphics.
     
     
     • Optionally, increase video memory if needed (e.g., 256 MB or higher).
   
   
   • Start the VM.
   
   
   • Inside the Windows 10 guest, install VMware Tools (from the VMware menu: VM > Install VMware Tools) to ensure proper graphics drivers.

1. Check Guest GPU Detection
   • In the Windows 10 VM, open Device Manager or run dxdiag (DirectX Diagnostic Tool).
     
     • Under Display, you won't see "NVIDIA" directly-VMware emulates a virtual GPU (e.g., "VMware SVGA 3D"). This is normal because the NVIDIA GPU is used on the host, not passed through to the guest.
   
   
   • To confirm 3D acceleration works, run a graphics benchmark or game in the VM. If it's smooth, the host's NVIDIA GPU is being utilized via prime-run.

Key Notes

• No Direct Detection of prime-run: VMware doesn't "detect" prime-run. The script just ensures VMware uses the NVIDIA GPU on the host. The VM sees VMware's virtual graphics adapter, not the physical NVIDIA card, unless you're doing GPU passthrough (a different setup requiring a dedicated GPU and IOMMU).

• Performance: Using prime-run improves performance for 3D workloads in the VM by leveraging the NVIDIA GPU for rendering, but the guest OS still relies on VMware's virtualized graphics stack.

• Troubleshooting:
  
  • If the VM display is black or sluggish, ensure prime-run is working (test with prime-run glxgears-you should see high FPS).
  
  
  • Check VMware logs (/var/log/vmware/ or ~/vmware/<VM-name>/vmware.log) for graphics errors.
  
  
  • Verify your Xorg configuration supports PRIME offload (xrandr --setprovideroutputsource 1 0 might be needed if providers aren't linked).

Advanced Configuration (Optional)

If prime-run vmware alone doesn't suffice (e.g., 3D acceleration still lags), you could:

• Edit the .vmx File: Add these lines to your VM's .vmx file (e.g., ~/vmware/Windows 10/Windows 10.vmx):
  
  plaintext

  
  
  

  mks.gl.allowBlacklistedDrivers = "TRUE" mks.enable3d = "TRUE"
svga.vramSize = "268435456" # 256 MB, adjust as needed

• Set a Launcher: Create a custom script or desktop file to always launch VMware with prime-run:
  
  bash

  
  

  
  #!/bin/bash prime-run /usr/bin/vmware
  
  Save it as ~/vmware-nvidia.sh, make it executable (chmod +x), and run it instead of vmware.