VMware 25H2 couldn't install in Ubuntu 25.10

Ubuntu Version:
25.10

Desktop Environment (if applicable):
I think it’s GNOME, I installed by “ubuntu-25.04-des’tktop-amd64.iso” image file, it is the default, I didn’t change it. Because I am a totally new hand in Linux world, so I am not sure it’s GNOME or not.

Problem Description:
I try to install VMware by file “VMware-Workstation-Full-25H2-24995812.x86_64.bundle”, I heard Ubuntu 25.10 is better for this edition VMware. So I upgrade to Ubuntu 25.10 online. The upgrade is normal without any warning and error.

So I start install VMware 25H2, there are some abnormal during installation, some files it said can’t find.

libglibmm-2.4.so.1 => not found
libsigc-2.0.so.0 => not found
libatkmm-1.6.so.1 => not found
libgtkmm-3.0.so.1 => not found
libglibmm-2.4.so.1 => not found
libgiomm-2.4.so.1 => not found
libsigc-2.0.so.0 => not found
libatkmm-1.6.so.1 => not found
libcairomm-1.0.so.1 => not found
libgdkmm-3.0.so.1 => not found
libgtkmm-3.0.so.1 => not found
libpangomm-1.4.so.1 => not found

Most of above file I have found in Synapic and installed. But the two file (libgdkmm-3.0 and libgiomm-2.4) I can’t find it by Synapic, even in the internet.

When I open VMware, the window seem normal at beginning. But when I start a virtual machine, there are three error, and then stop running.

1, Could not open /dev/vmmon; ???. Please make sure that the kernel module `vmmon’ is loaded.
2, Failed to initialize monitor device.
3, Unable to change virtual machine power state; Transport (VMDB) error-14; Pipe connection has been broken.

Relevant System Information

My computer is HP ZBook 16inch G11 Mobile Workstation

Screenshots or Error Messages:
I have the three alarm screen shot, but I found it’s difficoult to upload picture, It upload failed twice.

Before Posting:
:mag: Please check if similar issues have already been reported and resolved.

:blue_book: See the “Start here” guide:

Hi,
This is a known compatibility issue with Ubuntu/Kubuntu 25.10 and VMware Workstation. The newer kernel in 25.10 is not fully supported by VMware yet, which is why the installer reports missing libraries and fails to load the vmmon/vmnet modules.

Several users reported the same problem on Ubuntu and Kubuntu 25.10. Some managed to work around it by patching and rebuilding the VMware kernel modules from community repos, but this is unofficial and breaks again after kernel updates.

For now, the stable solution is to use an LTS release (22.04 or 24.04), where VMware works properly, or switch to KVM/QEMU on 25.10.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ubuntu/comments/1o54w7v/ubuntu_2510_vmware_workstation/

https://www.reddit.com/r/vmware/comments/1o3i0n9/kubuntu_2510_vmware_installation_error_vmware/

1 Like

Thank you! Could you tell me how to switch to KVM/QEMU? More detail is better, because I am a new hand. Thank you again!

I’m sure I started with this info a few years ago

https://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/2024/12/kvm-qemu-virtual-machines-ubuntu/

Now I got it, thank you very much!

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