Solution: Reinstall kernel headers and run:
sudo vmware-modconfig --console --install-all
Ensure your system has the necessary build tools to compile kernel modules (vmmon and vmnet). If these are missing, the installation will succeed, but the software will fail to start virtual machines.
If you have legitimately downloaded this file on a Linux distribution (like Ubuntu, Debian, or Fedora), the installation process is performed via the terminal.
1. Make the file executable:
Because a .bundle file is a script, it needs permission to run. vmwareworkstation176024238078x8664bundle full
chmod +x ./VMware-Workstation-Full-17.6.0-24238078.x86_64.bundle
2. Execute the installer: You must run this with superuser (root) privileges so it can write to system directories.
sudo ./VMware-Workstation-Full-17.6.0-24238078.x86_64.bundle
3. The Installation UI: Once executed, the script extracts the binaries and launches a text-based UI in the terminal (or a graphical one if libraries are present) to guide you through the installation and license agreement.
VMware signs bundles with their Linux Engineering key. Import the key and verify: Ensure your system has the necessary build tools
gpg --import VMware-PKG-GPG-Key.asc
gpg --verify bundlefile.cms bundlefile.bundle
If the filename you downloaded does not match the pattern above or fails checksum, delete it immediately. The string 176024238078 is not a valid VMware build ID — that is a red flag.
Unlike Windows applications that use .exe or .msi installers, VMware for Linux utilizes the .bundle format.
The latest version of VMware Workstation, specifically Build 2402787 of the 17.6.0 release, targets both Windows and Linux hosts, offering a broad range of features: Key features in version 17:
VMware Workstation Pro is a Type-2 hypervisor that allows you to run multiple operating systems (Windows, Linux, macOS as guest, BSD, etc.) as virtual machines on a single Linux or Windows host.
The x86_64 bundle refers to the Linux installer format: a self-executable .bundle file designed for 64-bit Intel/AMD systems. For example:
Key features in version 17: