nix-vmware-fusion

Manage VMware Fusion on macOS with Nix.

The flake is currently pinned to VMware Fusion 26H1u1 (build 25689522) for Macs with Apple silicon.

Install

1. Download VMware Fusion

Sign in to the VMware Fusion 26H1u1 downloads page and download this file:

VMware-Fusion-26H1u1-25689522_universal.dmg

If prompted, review and accept Broadcom's Terms and Conditions and complete the Trade Compliance form. Broadcom's download instructions explain these steps.

2. Add the DMG to the Nix store

# Replace this path if the DMG is elsewhere.
dmg="$HOME/Downloads/VMware-Fusion-26H1u1-25689522_universal.dmg"
nix store add \
  --mode flat \
  --hash-algo sha256 \
  --name VMware-Fusion-26H1u1-25689522_universal.dmg \
  "$dmg"

Note

You will only need to import the DMG once per pinned VMware Fusion build.

3. Install VMware Fusion

With nix-darwin

Add the module to your nix-darwin configuration:

{
  inputs.nix-vmware-fusion = {
    url = "github:pradyuman/nix-vmware-fusion";
    inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
  };

  outputs = { nix-darwin, nix-vmware-fusion, ... }: {
    darwinConfigurations.my-mac = nix-darwin.lib.darwinSystem {
      modules = [
        nix-vmware-fusion.darwinModules.default
        {
          programs.vmware-fusion.enable = true;
        }
      ];
    };
  };
}

On activation, the module installs the pinned build and adds the following to the system profile:

nix-vmware-fusion, with install, uninstall, and purge subcommands
VMware Fusion's bundled command-line tools, including vmrun, vmcli, vmrest, vmnet-cli, and ovftool

To manage VMware Fusion's system-wide networks, set:

# vmnet8 is VMware Fusion's default NAT network.
programs.vmware-fusion.networking.networks.vmnet8 = {
  subnet = {
    address = "192.168.200.0";
    prefixLength = 24;
  };
  dhcp.enable = true;
  nat.enable = true;
  hostAdapter.enable = true;
};

The module only adds, updates, or removes networks it manages or has previously managed.

Directly

If you do not use nix-darwin, you can run the installer directly:

NIXPKGS_ALLOW_UNFREE=1 nix run --impure github:pradyuman/nix-vmware-fusion -- install

The installer uses sudo to install the app in /Applications and initialize VMware's privileged helpers.

Manage user preferences

To manage user preferences, use the Home Manager module:

{
  imports = [ nix-vmware-fusion.homeModules.default ];

  programs.vmware-fusion = {
    enable = true;
    settings = {
      appearance = "dark";
      confirmBeforeClosing = true;
      dataCollection = false;
      display = {
        singleWindowFit = "resize";
        fullScreenFit = "resize";
      };

      # Passed through as a raw VMware preference.
      mapISONumpadEnterToAltGrEnabled = false;
    };
  };
}

The module supports these settings:

Setting	Values	Description
`appearance`	`"auto"`, `"light"`, `"dark"`	VMware Fusion's appearance.
`closeAction`	`"suspend"`, `"power-off"`	Action to take when closing a virtual machine window.
`confirmBeforeClosing`	`true`, `false`	Whether to confirm before closing a virtual machine or Fusion.
`gamingMouseMode`	`"auto"`, `"never"`, `"always"`	When to optimize the mouse for games.
`dataCollection`	`true`, `false`	Whether to participate in VMware's data collection program.
`perVmKeyboardShortcuts`	`true`, `false`	Whether to enable per-virtual machine keyboard shortcuts.
`display.singleWindowFit`	`"stretch"`, `"resize"`	How to size the virtual machine display in single-window mode.
`display.fullScreenFit`	`"center"`, `"stretch"`, `"resize"`	How to size the virtual machine display in full-screen mode.

To manage a setting that is not listed above, add its VMware preference key to settings without the pref. prefix. Settings you do not specify are left unchanged.

Quit VMware Fusion before activating your Home Manager configuration, then reopen it afterward so the new settings take effect.

Manage virtual machines

To create a VM or configure an existing one, use the Home Manager module:

programs.vmware-fusion = {
  enable = true;
  virtualMachines.asuna = {
    guestOS = "arm-other6xlinux-64";
    vcpus = 2;
    memory = 8192;
    secureBoot = false;
    networkAdapters.primary = {
      mode = "nat";
    };
    disks.primary = {
      size = 64;
      bus = "nvme";
    };
    sharedFolders.projects.hostPath = "/Users/asuna/projects";
  };
};

By default, the module creates or updates ~/Virtual Machines.localized/<name>.vmwarevm, where <name> is the attribute name (asuna above). Use path to specify a different location.

The module only manages virtual machines listed in your configuration and leaves any others on your system untouched. If you remove a virtual machine from your configuration, the module stops managing it (but doesn't delete it).

Important

nix-vmware-fusion will return an error if it tries to change the configuration of a running virtual machine. Make sure to shut down any virtual machines you're changing before activating a new configuration.

CPU topology

By default, VMware Fusion chooses a socket topology for vcpus when the VM powers on. Set coresPerSocket to use a specific topology:

programs.vmware-fusion.virtualMachines.asuna = {
  vcpus = 8;
  coresPerSocket = 4; # 2 sockets with 4 cores each
  # ...
};

Removing coresPerSocket from your configuration restores VMware Fusion's default behavior.

Network adapters

Declare every virtual network adapter that should be attached to the VM:

programs.vmware-fusion.virtualMachines.asuna = {
  # ...
  networkAdapters = {
    primary = {
      mode = "nat";
      model = "vmxnet3";
      startConnected = true;
    };
  };
};

Each adapter supports the following settings:

Setting	Type	Default	Description
`mode`	`"nat"`, `"bridged"`, `"host-only"`, or `"custom"`	`"nat"`	How the adapter connects to the host network
`vmnet`	String	—	VMware network to use with `"custom"` mode (required)
`model`	`"vmxnet3"`, `"e1000e"`, or `"e1000"`	`"vmxnet3"`	Virtual network adapter model. Use E1000E or E1000 when the guest does not support VMXNET3
`startConnected`	Boolean	`true`	Whether to connect the adapter when the virtual machine starts

Removing an adapter declaration will remove it from the VM.

Virtual disks

Declare every virtual disk that should be attached to the VM:

programs.vmware-fusion.virtualMachines.asuna = {
  # ...
  disks = {
    primary = {
      size = 64;
      bus = "nvme";
      preallocate = false;
      split = true;
    };
  };
};

Each disk supports the following settings:

Setting	Type	Default	Description
`path`	String	`<bundle>/<name>.vmdk`	Disk location, where `<name>` is the attribute name (`primary` above)
`size`	Positive integer	—	Disk capacity in GiB (required)
`bus`	`"nvme"` or `"sata"`	`"nvme"`	Bus used to attach the disk
`preallocate`	Boolean	`false`	Reserve the disk's full capacity on the host instead of growing as data is written
`split`	Boolean	`false`	Store the disk across multiple files instead of a single file

When changing disk settings, keep in mind:

You can expand a disk, but not shrink it.
Expanding a disk does not resize its partitions or filesystems inside the guest.
Changing preallocate or split will convert the virtual disk to the target format.

Removing a disk declaration will detach it from the VM without deleting its files.

Note

When adding an existing VM to your configuration, make sure to declare any existing disks unless you want them detached.

Shared folders

Share a directory on the host with the VM:

programs.vmware-fusion.virtualMachines.asuna = {
  # ...
  sharedFolders.projects = {
    hostPath = "/Users/asuna/projects";
    readOnly = false;
  };
};

Each shared folder supports the following settings:

Setting	Type	Default	Description
`hostPath`	String	—	Absolute path to the host directory (required)
`readOnly`	Boolean	`false`	Whether the shared folder is read-only in the guest

The attribute name (projects above) becomes the shared folder name reported to the guest.

Display

Configure the VM's display settings:

programs.vmware-fusion.virtualMachines.asuna.display = {
  graphics = {
    accelerate3D = true;
    memory = 1024;
  };
  nativeDisplayResolution = {
    enable = false;
    scaledHighResolution = "all";
  };
  singleWindowFit = "inherit";
  fullScreenFit = "inherit";
  useAllDisplaysInFullScreen = false;
};

The display configuration supports the following settings:

Setting	Type	Default	Description
`graphics.accelerate3D`	Boolean	`true`	Whether to enable accelerated 3D graphics
`graphics.memory`	Positive integer	`256` MiB	Maximum VM memory available for graphics
`nativeDisplayResolution.enable`	Boolean	`false`	Whether to render the guest using the host display's native pixel resolution
`nativeDisplayResolution.scaledHighResolution`	`"full-screen"`, `"single-window"`, or `"all"`	`"all"`	View modes that use scaled high resolution on non-Retina displays
`singleWindowFit`	`"inherit"`, `"stretch"`, or `"resize"`	`"inherit"`	How to size the virtual machine display in single-window mode
`fullScreenFit`	`"inherit"`, `"center"`, `"stretch"`, or `"resize"`	`"inherit"`	How to size the virtual machine display in full-screen mode
`useAllDisplaysInFullScreen`	Boolean	`false`	Whether to use all host displays in full-screen mode

Removing display restores VMware Fusion's default behavior for these settings.

Sound card

Attach a VMware HD Audio sound card to the VM:

programs.vmware-fusion.virtualMachines.asuna = {
  # ...
  sound = {
    startConnected = true;
    echoCancellation = false;
  };
};

The sound card uses the host's default audio input and output devices.

Setting	Type	Default	Description
`startConnected`	Boolean	`true`	Whether to connect the sound card when the virtual machine starts
`echoCancellation`	Boolean	`false`	Whether to enable echo cancellation

Removing sound from the configuration removes the sound card from the VM.

USB controller

A virtual USB controller is attached to the VM by default. You can configure how new USB devices are handled:

programs.vmware-fusion.virtualMachines.asuna.usb = {
  newDeviceAction = "ask";
};

Setting	Type	Default	Description
`newDeviceAction`	`"ask"`, `"connect-to-vm"`, or `"connect-to-host"`	`"ask"`	Action to take when a new USB device is connected to the host

Setting usb to null removes the controller and disables USB device passthrough.

Optical drives

Attach an ISO image to the VM with a virtual optical drive:

programs.vmware-fusion.virtualMachines.asuna = {
  # ...
  opticalDrives.installer = {
    source = {
      type = "image";
      path = "/path/to/installer.iso";
    };
    startConnected = true;
  };
};

Each optical drive supports the following settings:

Setting	Type	Default	Description
`source.type`	`"image"`	—	Optical drive backing type (required)
`source.path`	String	—	Absolute path to the ISO image (required)
`startConnected`	Boolean	`true`	Whether to connect the drive when the VM starts

Optical drives can be updated by changing source or detached by removing their declaration. The module only changes drives declared here or previously managed by it.

Isolation

Configure how content is shared between the host and guest:

programs.vmware-fusion.virtualMachines.asuna.isolation = {
  clipboard = true;
  dragAndDrop = true;
};

Setting	Type	Default	Description
`clipboard`	Boolean	`true`	Whether to enable sharing clipboard contents between the host and guest
`dragAndDrop`	Boolean	`true`	Whether to enable drag and drop between the host and guest

Remove VMware Fusion

Uninstall

By default, disabling the nix-darwin module does not remove VMware Fusion. To uninstall during activation when the module is disabled, set:

programs.vmware-fusion = {
  enable = false;
  onActivation.cleanup = "uninstall";
};

You can also run the uninstaller directly:

NIXPKGS_ALLOW_UNFREE=1 nix run --impure github:pradyuman/nix-vmware-fusion -- uninstall

The uninstaller removes /Applications/VMware Fusion.app but leaves your virtual machines, preferences, and privileged helpers in place.

Purge

Unlike uninstall (which only removes the app), purging also removes VMware Fusion's system support files, services, privileged helpers, and the selected user's preferences and logs. It does not touch any existing virtual machine bundles.

To purge during activation when the nix-darwin module is disabled, set:

system.primaryUser = "my-user";

programs.vmware-fusion = {
  enable = false;
  onActivation.cleanup = "purge";
};

You can also run the command directly:

NIXPKGS_ALLOW_UNFREE=1 nix run --impure github:pradyuman/nix-vmware-fusion -- purge

Purging also removes usbarb.rules if the VMware application support directory contains no entries from other VMware programs.

Why not a normal package?

Some files in VMware's app bundle store code-signature data in macOS extended attributes. Because the Nix archive format does not preserve those attributes, storing the extracted app directly in the Nix store would discard the signature data (which means strict code-signature verification would fail even though the files themselves were unchanged).

So instead, the flake stores the original DMG as an opaque file. At runtime, it mounts the DMG and copies the app with ditto (which preserves the extended attributes), and then verifies the copy before installing and initializing it.

Licensing

The code in this repository is licensed under the ISC License. That license does not apply to VMware Fusion.

Broadcom currently makes the supported VMware Fusion release available at no charge for personal, educational, and commercial use. Nevertheless, VMware Fusion remains proprietary software. Downloading, installing, and using it is subject to Broadcom's applicable licensing terms, product-specific terms, and any conditions shown during download.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
cli		cli
modules		modules
pkgs		pkgs
tests		tests
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
flake.lock		flake.lock
flake.nix		flake.nix

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nix-vmware-fusion

Install

1. Download VMware Fusion

2. Add the DMG to the Nix store

3. Install VMware Fusion

With nix-darwin

Directly

Manage user preferences

Manage virtual machines

CPU topology

Network adapters

Virtual disks

Shared folders

Display

Sound card

USB controller

Optical drives

Isolation

Remove VMware Fusion

Uninstall

Purge

Why not a normal package?

Licensing

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nix-vmware-fusion

Install

1. Download VMware Fusion

2. Add the DMG to the Nix store

3. Install VMware Fusion

With nix-darwin

Directly

Manage user preferences

Manage virtual machines

CPU topology

Network adapters

Virtual disks

Shared folders

Display

Sound card

USB controller

Optical drives

Isolation

Remove VMware Fusion

Uninstall

Purge

Why not a normal package?

Licensing

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