Vmware Unlocker Ubuntu May 2026

Title: Enabling macOS Virtualization on Ubuntu using VMware Unlocker

Abstract

VMware Workstation and VMware Player on Linux do not natively support the installation of macOS as a guest operating system due to Apple's licensing restrictions and VMware's feature gating. The VMware Unlocker is a community-developed tool that patches VMware’s configuration and virtual machine (VM) files to enable macOS recognition and booting. This paper explores the purpose, installation, usage, and limitations of the VMware Unlocker on the Ubuntu operating system.

Double-check the VMX file.
In the VM settings → Processors → Enable "Virtualize Intel VT-x/EPT or AMD-V/RVI".
Uncheck "Virtualize CPU performance counters".

The unlocker also includes a Kext (Kernel Extension) helper for macOS guests to improve graphics and mouse support, though this runs inside the VM, not on Ubuntu. vmware unlocker ubuntu

Expected output:

smc.version = "0"
keyboard.vusb.enable = "TRUE"
mouse.vusb.enable = "TRUE"

Violation of Apple’s macOS licensing (Apple restricts macOS virtualization to Apple-branded hardware). Using unlocker to run macOS on non-Apple hardware likely breaches that license.
Unsupported and potentially unstable: VMware updates often break unlocker; patches replace vendor binaries which can cause crashes or fail to revert cleanly.
Security risk: running third-party scripts that modify hypervisor binaries can introduce malware or backdoors if the source isn’t trusted.
Updates and maintenance: you must reapply patches after VMware updates; community forks vary in quality.

Add these two lines at the end of the file: Title: Enabling macOS Virtualization on Ubuntu using VMware