Auto-Unlocker is a utility that patches VMware Player and Workstation to enable macOS virtual machine creation and operation.
The tool solves the problem that VMware Player and Workstation do not natively support macOS guests. It works by patching the vmware-vmx executable and vmwarebase library to allow macOS to boot and to make Apple selectable during VM creation, and it downloads the latest VMware Tools for macOS. The project is a C++ rewrite of an existing Python-based unlocker, designed to eliminate dependency on Python installation, particularly on Windows where Python is not installed by default. It uses libcurl for downloading files and libzip for extraction, with tar extraction implemented from scratch. Libraries are statically linked to produce a single standalone executable.
Adoption is most relevant for users running VMware Player or Workstation on Windows or Linux who want to run macOS guests. The Windows version provides a GUI built with the Win32 API to minimize executable size and maximize compatibility, while the Linux version uses a command-line interface with options to install, uninstall, or download tools. The tool requires that VMware is not running and any guest machines are shut down before patching. This is a native alternative to the original Python-based unlocker, eliminating the need to install Python as a prerequisite.
The project maintains active development with regular commits addressing bug fixes and feature improvements. The codebase shows consistent attention to cross-platform compatibility, with separate build processes for Windows using CMake and Visual Studio and for Linux using an embedded Makefile. Documentation is kept current with clear compilation instructions and usage guidance for both platforms.
