OpenSuse Tumbleweed Cant install VMWare Workstation. Needs Kernel Headers

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1

I’m attempting to install VMWare Workstation and it’s asking for the Kernel Headers 4.16.4-1-default. Can someone lead me in the right direction to install this dependency?

2

You need the “kernel-devel” package, which should pull in the “kernel-default-devel” package.

However, you needed to do that while 4.16.4-1-default was a current kernel. By now, the packages that you want are probably gone from the repos.

I wonder whether you have been keeping your system up to date. Tumbleweed has been on 4.17.x kernels for a while.

1 Like
3

The bottom line for every User…

You always will need the kernel headers that match the version of your current kernel.
The simple way to ensure this always happens is to first install the kernel headers and then follow that with a system update (For TW users an upgrade).

So,
First install your kernel headers

zypper in kernel-devel kernel-default-devel

Followed by updating or upgrading, in this case because this is Tumbleweed

zypper dup

Then, you’ll be set to do whatever requires kernel headers, in this case installing VMware Workstation.
BTW - Specifically for installing VMware Workstation on Tumbleweed, you may find that you may need to use an older version of gcc, and will neqired to do what is described in the following Wiki page I wrote

https://en.opensuse.org/User:Tsu2/gcc_update-alternatives

TSU

4

Easiest way to install the -devel packages:

zypper in kernel-syms

rpm -q --requires kernel-syms
kernel-default-devel = 4.17.12-2.gef4920c
kernel-devel = 4.17.12-2.gef4920c
pesign-obs-integration
rpmlib(CompressedFileNames) <= 3.0.4-1
rpmlib(FileDigests) <= 4.6.0-1
rpmlib(PayloadFilesHavePrefix) <= 4.0-1
rpmlib(PayloadIsXz) <= 5.2-1
kernel-default-devel = 4.17.13-2.g9079348
kernel-devel = 4.17.13-2.g9079348
pesign-obs-integration
rpmlib(CompressedFileNames) <= 3.0.4-1
rpmlib(FileDigests) <= 4.6.0-1
rpmlib(PayloadFilesHavePrefix) <= 4.0-1
rpmlib(PayloadIsXz) <= 5.2-1
5

They should be installed automatically. Did you try a reboot?
I had the same problem yesterday and after a reboot it worked.

/EDIT assuming you are running an up to date system, so run sudo zypper dup, then reboot and try installing Virtualbox again.