201853910/VMwareWorkstation: a mirror repository for VMware Workstation installers

What 201853910/VMwareWorkstation actually is

The repository has one top-level entry: README.md. There is no source code, no build script and no packaging. The README states that the original VMware links stopped working after the Broadcom acquisition and that Broadcom does not publish public direct links, so the author uploads the official installer packages and lists them here. The stated purpose is to keep a working download path for VMware Workstation installers, and the topics attached to the repository (vm, vmware, vmwareworkstation, workstation, workstation16) describe that narrow scope.

The audience is narrow too. The README opens with a compatibility note: Windows 7 is supported up to version 15.5.7, and Windows XP and 32-bit operating systems up to version 10.0.7. Anyone running those hosts cannot use the current releases, so the value of this repository is the archive of older builds rather than the newest one. If you are on a current Windows or Linux host, the README's own instructions point you at Broadcom instead.

How the download links are organised

The README is a version index. Sections run from 26H1 down to 9, and each version lists its point releases with direct GitHub release URLs. Two file types are distinguished: .exe for Windows and .bundle for Linux. Some older entries also carry ed2k links, which the README describes as eMule links that rely on a file hash and need a client such as Xunlei; it notes that these fail when few peers hold the file. The README also mentions that BT torrents were requested in issues and may be added later, which means they are not available now.

Because the files live in GitHub releases, downloading works the same way as any other release asset. The README's own caveat is the important part: the links point at uploads, not at a vendor CDN, so availability depends on the repository owner keeping the releases in place. The repository was last pushed on 2026-09-05, and the newest release listed is 26H1u1 from 2026-05-17, so the index is current as of that push.

Installing VMware Workstation from a mirrored package

The README gives no installation steps of its own; it only lists files. On Windows, the .exe entries are the installer, so you download the file and run it. On Linux, the .bundle entries are self-extracting installers, and the conventional way to run one is to make it executable and invoke it with sudo. The README does not document the exact command, so treat the block below as the standard .bundle invocation rather than a quoted instruction:

chmod +x VMware-Workstation-Full-26H1u1-25688693.x86_64.bundle
sudo ./VMware-Workstation-Full-26H1u1-25688693.x86_64.bundle

The first line marks the downloaded bundle as executable; the second starts the installer, which on most distributions opens a graphical wizard. The filename must match the release you actually downloaded, so substitute the version and build number from the README entry you chose. For the Windows side, the README lists files such as:

https://github.com/201853910/VMwareWorkstation/releases/download/26H1/VMware-Workstation-Full-26H1u1-25688693.exe

That URL is the release asset for the 26H1u1 Windows build; downloading it and running the .exe is the whole procedure the README describes. Nothing in the repository covers licence activation, and the README's separate key list is a set of licence strings and a key generator, which is a legal and security decision you have to make for yourself.

Where this repository is the wrong choice

The README is explicit that from version 17.5.2 VMware Workstation Pro became free for personal use, and from 17.6.2 free for all users, with links to the Broadcom announcements. That undercuts the main reason to use a mirror: if the current release is free, the safest source is Broadcom's own download page, which the README also documents as a two-step process (open the product downloads page, register or sign in, download).

The second limitation is provenance. The README says the files are uploaded by the repository owner because Broadcom provides no public direct link. It does not publish checksums, signatures or a verification procedure for the mirrored files, and it does not say how the uploads were obtained. For a hypervisor that runs with kernel-level components, that gap matters. The ed2k links are weaker still: the README itself notes they fail when the network holds few copies of the file. Finally, the README does not document rollback, upgrade paths between the listed versions, or what happens to existing virtual machines when you move between 15, 16, 17 and 26H1.

Alternatives: Broadcom's own download page

The direct alternative is the source the README points to: Broadcom's support portal, where VMware Workstation Pro downloads are listed under the product downloads page with a free-downloads filter. The difference in approach is provenance and scope. Broadcom gives you the current release with a vendor-controlled distribution channel and an account gate; this repository gives you an unauthenticated GitHub link, including builds Broadcom no longer surfaces, such as 15.5.7 for Windows 7 or 10.0.7 for Windows XP and 32-bit hosts.

That trade-off cuts both ways. If you need an old build for an old guest or host, Broadcom's page is unlikely to offer it, and this README is one of the few indexes that names the version boundaries. If you need the current release, Broadcom is the only source the README itself treats as authoritative, and the mirrored links add a third party between you and the binary. The repository does not attempt to be a package manager, a build system or a compatibility matrix beyond the two version notes at the top.

Maintenance, licensing and what to check before adopting it

The repository is not archived and its last push was on 2026-09-05, so the index is being updated, but the README does not state an update cadence or a policy for removing old releases. The release list shows 26H1u1 on 2026-05-17, 25H2u1 on 2026-01-29 and 17.0 on 2022-12-11, which suggests updates track upstream releases rather than a schedule. The repository declares no licence, so there is no licence text governing the README or the mirrored files; the installers themselves remain under VMware's and Broadcom's terms, and the README's free-for-personal-use and free-for-all-users notes are the only licensing statements present. The key generator and licence strings in the README are not covered by any statement about their legality, and nothing here is legal advice.

Before relying on it, verify three things: that the version you need is actually still attached to its GitHub release, that the file matches the corresponding Broadcom listing if that listing exists, and that your organisation permits binaries from a third-party mirror. The README does not provide checksums, so the comparison has to come from somewhere else.

Editorial conclusion

Use this repository if you need a specific older VMware Workstation build, particularly 15.5.7 for Windows 7 or 10.0.7 for Windows XP and 32-bit systems, and you accept that the files come from a third-party GitHub mirror rather than Broadcom. Do not use it if you need the current free Pro release, because the README points to the Broadcom download page for that, or if your policy forbids third-party binaries. Before installing anything, check the release page against the Broadcom listing and confirm the checksum of the file you downloaded.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

1. 201853910/VMwareWorkstation on GitHub
2. Issues
3. README
4. Releases