vmware-host-modules VS vmware-host-modules-builder-cli

I had to fix a well known issue with running VMware on Linux - compiling your own kernel modules. This isnt much of a problem for seasoned users but for others it might be a deal breaker. This repo will save you hours of searching google.

Ive found that I had to manually compile and install patched host modules from https://github.com/mkubecek/vmware-host-modules in order for it to work.

I've had to run this after each kernel update (and reboot).

# From sabennett on VMWare Forum Second method (replace original tarballs): wget https://github.com/mkubecek/vmware-host-modules/archive/workstation-16.2.1.tar.gz tar -xzf workstation-16.2.1.tar.gz cd vmware-host-modules-workstation-16.2.1 tar -cf vmmon.tar vmmon-only tar -cf vmnet.tar vmnet-only cp -v vmmon.tar vmnet.tar /usr/lib/vmware/modules/source/ vmware-modconfig --console --install-all In this case, last two commands require root privileges.

wget https://github.com/mkubecek/vmware-host-modules/archive/workstation-16.2.4.tar.gz tar -xzf workstation-16.2.4.tar.gz cd vmware-host-modules-workstation-16.2.4 tar -cf vmmon.tar vmmon-only tar -cf vmnet.tar vmnet-only sudo cp -v vmmon.tar vmnet.tar /usr/lib/vmware/modules/source/ sudo vmware-modconfig --console –install-all

I'm on the same boat - the current Kernel (5.19) doesn't support the VMware Workstation (same build as player) - I believe kernel 5.17 works. This git page has helped me out in the past https://github.com/mkubecek/vmware-host-modules

wget https://github.com/mkubecek/vmware-host-modules/archive/workstation-16.2.3.tar.gz

I compared the two to understand them. The TLDR on nala is "fast apt". Topgrade finds the distro and uses the appropriate upgrade tool, plus gets things like brew, cargo, pip, snap, flatpak and fwupd. On Pop!, Topgrade will use nala instead of apt if it's installed (so that part is faster). That last part surprised me so I looked at the source code in the repo. I'm not a Rust programmer, but the code is readable and you can see the logic. You're right, topgrade is a wrapper and you could just make a shell script yourself (that's what I used to do). The benefit here is that the script is being maintained and improved. The "gotcha" with Pop! upgrades for me is VMWare Workstation. Kernel updates break vmmon and vmnet and they have to be recompiled. I recommend the VMWare host modules Builder CLI project. I wrote about it here.

Found an automated solution : https://github.com/david-kariuki/vmware-host-modules-builder-cli

This might help Link