Perhaps you've seen this error:
Version mismatch with VMCI driver: expecting 11, got 10.
I get this every time I upgrade a kernel, and this is how I fix it.
What is happening:
- When you apply a kernel update, new VMware modules are linked into
/lib/modules/$KERNEL_VERSION/weak-updates/updates
. - When you compile new modules through
vmware-modconfig
, they get dropped into/lib/modules/$KERNEL_VERSION/misc
. - When Workstation launches, it is the modules in 'weak-updates' that get loaded, and they're the wrong version.
- You start a VM, get the error message even though you know you compiled the right ones.
- You start googling.
The fix is pretty straight forward, but it does have to be done every time you update kernel versions.
- Close Workstation if it is open.
- Stop the vmware service,
service vmware stop
. - Check lsmod to ensure the VMware modules are not loaded (vmmon, vmci, vmnet, vsock, vmblock)
- If they are loaded, check ps output to see if any
vmnet
andvmware-
processes are running. Kill those processes. Once those processes are unloadedrmmod
each of the listed modules.
- If they are loaded, check ps output to see if any
- Compile the new modules through
vmware-modconfig --console --install-all
- Remove the modules from
/lib/modules/$KERNEL_VERSION/weak-updates/updates
- Restart the vmware service,
service vmware start
. - Launch Workstation.