Vmware Workstation: 16 Download Better Linux

VMware Workstation 16 Pro remains a popular choice for Linux users who need to run virtual machines (Windows, Linux, or other OSes) on their Linux host system. While version 17 is now the latest (as of late 2024/2025), version 16 is still downloaded for legacy support, specific hardware compatibility, or licensing reasons.

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt update && sudo apt install build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r) dkms
Locate Software: From the "Software" menu, select VMware Cloud Foundation, then go to My Downloads. Vmware Workstation 16 Download Linux

Ensure virtualization is enabled in BIOS/UEFI.
Blacklist conflicting modules if previously installed virtualization packages interfere (e.g., older VMware modules, VirtualBox sometimes).

Dependencies: Ensure gcc, make, kernel headers, and build-essential are installed for compiling kernel modules. VMware Workstation 16 Pro remains a popular choice

You will be asked to accept the End User License Agreement (EULA). Type 'yes' to continue.
You may be asked if you want to install VMware Player alongside Workstation Pro. It is generally recommended to select 'yes'.
You will be prompted for a default location for Virtual Machines (accept the default or choose a drive with more storage).
Finally, enter your license key. If you are using it for personal non-commercial use (like the Player version) or want to trial the Pro version for 30 days, you can leave this blank initially.

Why Still Use Version 16?
Supported Linux Distributions (Official)

Ubuntu 18.04 – 20.04, 22.04 (LTS recommended)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 – 8
CentOS 7 – 8
Fedora 32 – 34
Debian 9 – 11
openSUSE Leap 15.2


Ubuntu/Debian:
sudo apt install build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r) pkg-config


Fedora:
sudo dnf install @development-tools kernel-headers kernel-devel


RHEL/CentOS (enable appropriate repos) install gcc, make, kernel-devel, kernel-headers.