For some reason VMware 9 is running inito a problem with entering the license key on newer kernles. The behavior is as you described. . I suspct it is a bug. Anyway, navigate to
/usr/lib/vmware/licenses/site
You will find quite a few license templates there ((license-xxxx)
.
Now use your text editor of choice to open - if you are licensing ws.
license-ws-80-e1-201010
you will find
StartFields = "Cpt, ProductID, LicenseVersion, LicenseType, LicenseEdition, Field2"
Field2 = "AdminUI, Option, Epoch"
Cpt = "COPYRIGHT (c) VMware, Inc. 1999-2011"
ProductID = "VMware Workstation"
LicenseVersion = "8.0"
LicenseType = "Site"
LicenseEdition = "ws"
AdminUI = "1"
Epoch = "2010-10-01"
Option = "3"
Data = "MaxVcpusPerVm=8;mdate=2010-10-05"
DataHash = "77391239-bd289f78-b214ec45-263dbefb-d370e6e6"
Hash = "11aa1798-735a23ef-b6b6ff2d-1ba05818-e7be6be8"
Insert this line
Serial=xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx
after LicenseType=WS .(your serial number instead of xxxx of coure)
Save the license file Now - launch VMware and you find that you have an no expiration license and some other information.
Every steps must be prefaced woth sudo.