sudo dnf install gcc make kernel-devel kernel-headers elfutils-libelf-devel
Make the .bundle file executable
chmod +x VMware-Workstation-Full-16.2.5-*.bundle
Run the installer
sudo ./VMware-Workstation-Full-16.2.5-*.bundle
Follow the GUI or CLI prompts.
Apply License (optional – evaluation works 30 days without)
sudo /usr/lib/vmware/bin/vmware-vmx --new-sn <your-license-key>
Move to the directory where you downloaded the .bundle file.
Make the bundle executable:
chmod +x VMware-Workstation-Full-16.2.5-*.x86_64.bundle
Run the installer (as root):
sudo ./VMware-Workstation-Full-16.2.5-*.x86_64.bundle
A graphical wizard will launch. Follow these steps:
Silent installation (advanced): For servers or headless environments: Vmware Workstation 16 Download Linux
sudo ./VMware-Workstation-Full-*.bundle --console --eulas-agreed --required
After installation, restart your desktop session or run:
sudo vmware-modconfig --console --install-all
The most common issue when installing VMware Workstation 16 on modern Linux distributions is the failure to compile the vmmon and vmnet kernel modules. This happens because newer Linux kernels (5.15+) remove or rename certain functions.
The fix: Use the industry-standard vmware-host-modules repository. Make the