Ventura / VMware Fusion: "Error (VMDB) -14: Pipe connection has been broken"

[bobesch]

After upgrading to OCLP_Ventura, I've got the error message "Transport error (VMDB) -14: Pipe connection has been broken" on my "mid2012 15" MBP9,1" whenever trying to start a VM with VMware Fusion13,
while the same installation routine works flawless on my "2013/14er 11 "MBair".
Spent some time with nitpicky web-search today, and it turned out that VMware Fusion demands the discrete graphics card on the 15"MBP, but has problems with switching between the graphic cards.
Fortunately the dGPU can be turned on permanently via "System settings/Battery/Options/Automatic switching of graphics modes=off".
Or easier via menu bar through the app "gfxCardStatus by Cody Krieger"
Crazy! Simple solution, but no help or hints thru VMware.
Hope this will help others, who encounter the same problem ...

 

[fivos_sak]

Hello. I faced the same problem. Did you try installing Fusion on 13.3.1?

 

[bobesch]

Hello. I faced the same problem. Did you try installing Fusion on 13.3.1?

No, I went back from Ventura13.3 to Ventura13.2.1
After having upgraded from a nearly perfectly running Ventura13.2.1 to Ventura13.3 I wasn't able to boot into the system anymore, even after installing OpenCore 0.6.2.
Probleme with OCPL in my mid2012 MBP9,1 is, that "With macOS 13.3, Apple broke support for the legacy 3802-based Metal GPUs" and "To restore support for these models, AMFI has to be disabled. If your workflow requires AMFI enabled, we recommend staying on macOS 13.2.1 or older"
VMware Fusion obviously requires AMFI to be switched off. After I reinstalled Ventura13.3 with OCLP0.6.2 AMFI was set "off" an I couldn't start any VirtualMachine either. I also didn't manage to switch AMFI "on" through OCLP's GUI so I went back to OCPL 0.6.1
I was a bit of a hassle. Now I installed 3 Partitions on my Test-Mac: P1:Mojave(OCLP); P2:Ventura13.2.1(OCLP); P3:Test partition for further Ventura-Updates.
But as long, as AMFI has to stay off in order to make Ventura13.3.x running on my system, I'm stucked, since I don't want Fusion stop from working.

---

You can find the original documentation about the problem here:

"Support for macOS 13.3 on 3802-based Metal GPUs​

With macOS 13.3, Apple broke support for the legacy 3802-based Metal GPUs. With OpenCore Legacy patcher v0.6.2, we've been able to restore support for the following models:
Applicable Models (click to expand)

Family​	Year​	Model​	Notes​
MacBook Air​	Mid 2012 - Mid 2017​	MacBookAir5,x - MacBookAir7,x​	​
MacBook Pro​	Mid 2012 - Mid 2015​	MacBookPro9,x - MacBookPro11,x​	​
iMac​	Late 2012 - Mid 2015​	iMac13,x - iMac15,1​	​
Mac mini​	Late 2012 - Late 2014​	Macmini6,x - Macmini7,1​	​
Mac Pro​	Early 2008 - Mid 2012​	MacPro3,1 - MacPro5,1​	If Nvidia Kepler GPU installed​
Xserve​	Early 2008 - Early 2009​	Xserve2,1 - Xserve3,1​	If Nvidia Kepler GPU installed​

Note: To restore support for these models, AMFI has to be disabled. If your workflow requires AMFI enabled, we recommend staying on macOS 13.2.1 or older. "

 

[fivos_sak]

Fusion was working fine on 13.2.1 with AMFI disabled on my Broadwell Hackintosh (MacBookPro12,1 SMBIOS). It's very confusing to say the least...

 

[bobesch]

Fusion was working fine on 13.2.1 with AMFI disabled on my Broadwell Hackintosh (MacBookPro12,1 SMBIOS). It's very confusing to say the least...

Sure, that AMFI had been disabled on Your Ventura_13.2.1 installation.
I happened to encounter the "Error (VMDB) -14: Pipe connection has been broken" just yesterday after I had installed Ventura_13.2.1 / OCLP_0.6.2 from the scratch. AMFI was disabled. As I said, I somehow didn't manage to enable it through the OCLP_0.6.2-GUI, so I downgraded OCLP to 0.6.1, where the preset for AMFI is "enabled".
Well, that's all I found out. Maybe You'll have to tinker a bit more with the settings or make a fresh install of Ventura13.2.1 with OCLP_0.6.1 and migrate Your stuff back from 13.3 to 13.2.1.
I wish You good luck and please keep us informed about Your progress!

PS: today I gave UTM a try. Let's see how it compares to Fusion.
Currently I run Monterey and Ventura only on a test-machine with the SSD divided into 3 Partitions (P1:Monterey; P2:Ventura13.2.1; P3: for testing further Ventura-Upgrades). I don't want to brick my working Ventura-installation again. On my other Macs I'm still running Mojave/Patched_Mojave to keep 32bit-support and hardware-support for ScanSnap-Scanners.

 

[coolio2004]

Sure, that AMFI had been disabled on Your Ventura_13.2.1 installation.
I happened to encounter the "Error (VMDB) -14: Pipe connection has been broken" just yesterday after I had installed Ventura_13.2.1 / OCLP_0.6.2 from the scratch. AMFI was disabled. As I said, I somehow didn't manage to enable it through the OCLP_0.6.2-GUI, so I downgraded OCLP to 0.6.1, where the preset for AMFI is "enabled".
Well, that's all I found out. Maybe You'll have to tinker a bit more with the settings or make a fresh install of Ventura13.2.1 with OCLP_0.6.1 and migrate Your stuff back from 13.3 to 13.2.1.
I wish You good luck and please keep us informed about Your progress!

PS: today I gave UTM a try. Let's see how it compares to Fusion.
Currently I run Monterey and Ventura only on a test-machine with the SSD divided into 3 Partitions (P1:Monterey; P2:Ventura13.2.1; P3: for testing further Ventura-Upgrades). I don't want to brick my working Ventura-installation again. On my other Macs I'm still running Mojave/Patched_Mojave to keep 32bit-support and hardware-support for ScanSnap-Scanners.

I never had a problem with AMFI enabled on my broadwell MBA 7,2. I am on 13.4b2 and oclp 0.63 and fusion is like always fine. On my haswell MM 7,1 fusion is broken.

 

[fivos_sak]

I never had a problem with AMFI enabled on my broadwell MBA 7,2. I am on 13.4b2 and oclp 0.63 and fusion is like always fine. On my haswell MM 7,1 fusion is broken.

I'm using a Broadwell hackintosh HP laptop. When I enable AMFI, graphics acceleration stops working. How did you manage to get acceleration working with AMFI enabled?

 

[Richy85]

I have the same problem in a macmini 6.2 2012. It has installed macos ventura 13.3.1 and OCLP 0.6.4

 

[bobesch]

I have the same problem in a macmini 6.2 2012. It has installed macos ventura 13.3.1 and OCLP 0.6.4

Yeah, OCPL 0.6.4 didn't solve my problem with VMware Fusion too.
I had to go back to OCPL 0.6.1 and Ventura 13.2.1 and AMFI enabled.
OCLP 0.6.5 apparently does not adress the reenabling of AMFI ...

 

[fivos_sak]

Yeah, OCPL 0.6.4 didn't solve my problem with VMware Fusion too.
I had to go back to OCPL 0.6.1 and Ventura 13.2.1 and AMFI enabled.
OCLP 0.6.5 apparently does not adress the reenabling of AMFI ...

You can reenable AMFI by removing the amfi_get_out_of_my_way=1 boot argument from the config.plist inside the OC folder in the EFI partition. However, I believe you cannot boot into the patched root volume by doing that, so you will lose graphics acceleration and any other root patches applied.

 

[Richy85]

I reinstall macos 13.2.1 with OCLP 0.6.1 and it keeps giving me the same error

 

[bobesch]

I reinstall macos 13.2.1 with OCLP 0.6.1 and it keeps giving me the same error

Maybe a problem with activated SIP? (Run a trial with "csrutil disabled")
Maybe a problem with graphic-card-switch (Run a trial with "gfxCardStatus")
Sorry, no more aces up the sleeve ...

 

[ivansoriarab]

I'm having the same issue with an iMac mid 2011 and macOS Ventura - OpenCore Legacy Patcher 0.6.5.

It only has AMD Radeon 6770HD with it's patched using Non-Metal patches, so I can't change to other card.

 

[bobesch]

I'm having the same issue with an iMac mid 2011 and macOS Ventura - OpenCore Legacy Patcher 0.6.5.

It only has AMD Radeon 6770HD with it's patched using Non-Metal patches, so I can't change to other card.

So this is my experience on a mid2012 15" MBP9,1:
1) Ventura needs VMware Fusion13.
2) Fusion13 needs the dGPU to be used (if one is present)
a) dGPU can be turned on permanently
via "System settings/Battery/Options/Automatic switching of graphics modes=off"
b) use "gfxCardStatus by Cody Krieger" to manually enable the dGPU.
c) add the line mks.forceDiscreteGPU="TRUE" to the .vmx file to make Fusion switch dGPU on.
3) Fusion13 does not like AMFI to be set off: you may fall back to OCLP0.6.1 and Ventura13.2.1
4) Sometimes SIP has blocked the necessary kext-files. Try to turn SIP off.

If you want to avoid too much hassle, then fall back to Monterey or Ventura13.2.1 and wait, until/if current glitches can be sorted out by the OCLP-team ...
... and check latest Ventura/OCLP-versions on an external test-drive.

 

[Daniel Pascoal]

So this is my experience on a mid2012 15" MBP9,1:
1) Ventura needs VMware Fusion13.
2) Fusion13 needs the dGPU to be used (if one is present)
a) dGPU can be turned on permanently
via "System settings/Battery/Options/Automatic switching of graphics modes=off"
b) use "gfxCardStatus by Cody Krieger" to manually enable the dGPU.
c) add the line mks.forceDiscreteGPU="TRUE" to the .vmx file to make Fusion switch dGPU on.
3) Fusion13 does not like AMFI to be set off: you may fall back to OCLP0.6.1 and Ventura13.2.1
4) Sometimes SIP has blocked the necessary kext-files. Try to turn SIP off.

If you want to avoid too much hassle, then fall back to Monterey or Ventura13.2.1 and wait, until/if current glitches can be sorted out by the OCLP-team ...
... and check latest Ventura/OCLP-versions on an external test-drive.

I have the same Macbook model. Just installed OCLP 0.6.7 (AMFIPass Beta Test) and now Fusion works! Did not change anything related to GPU.

 

[bobesch]

I have the same Macbook model. Just installed OCLP 0.6.7 (AMFIPass Beta Test) and now Fusion works! Did not change anything related to GPU.

Great news - thanks for letting us know!

 

[ivansoriarab]

With AMFIPass Beta Test VMware Fusion is working again in my iMac mid-2011!

As you said before, seems that WMware need AMFI to be enabled.

 

[davidlv]

With OCLP 0.6.7 (AMFIPass Beta Test) VMware Fusion is working again in my iMac mid-2011!

As you said before, seems that WMware need AMFI to be enabled.

Technically, OCLP 0.6.7 is a nightly beta and the web page for that version is different than that for the AMFIPass Beta Test version. At present, the AMFIPass Beta Test is at version 2.
Calling that later version "0.6.7" may confuse people. I know it confused me when I saw that mixed-together name is this thread.

 

[ivansoriarab]

Technically, OCLP 0.6.7 is a nightly beta and the web page for that version is different than that for the AMFIPass Beta Test version. At present, the AMFIPass Beta Test is at version 2.
Calling that later version "0.6.7" may confuse people. I know it confused me when I saw that mixed-together name is this thread.

Oh, I'm sorry. It confused me, too.

I have edited my post to remove "OCLP 0.6.7" to avoid any confusion.

 

[Richie07]

Hi, i have 2 mbp mid-2012 13" (a1278) and ventura 13.4.1 and fusion won't work : pipe connection has been broken, opencore AMFIPass Beta Test don't help, it's the same pronblem, please any idea?

Regards

 

[davidlv]

Hi, i have 2 mbp mid-2012 13" (a1278) and ventura 13.4.1 and fusion won't work : pipe connection has been broken, opencore AMFIPass Beta Test don't help, it's the same pronblem, please any idea?

Regards

You should ask for help on the discord server (where you got the AMFIPass version of OCLP. That is what it is for, reporting bugs and the like.

 

[Richie07]

You should ask for help on the discord server (where you got the AMFIPass version of OCLP. That is what it is for, reporting bugs and the like.

i download in the oclp directly not by discord

 

[bobesch]

i download in the oclp directly not by discord

As a novice better fall back to Ventura13.2.1 and OCPL 0.6.1 if You have to rely on Fusion. (see postings #1 and #3)
And pause OCPL- and Ventura-Upgrades until the AMFI-problems etc have been settled.

 

[davidlv]

i download in the oclp directly not by discord

The AMFIPass version you said didn't help is only available on the discord server;
Release AMFIPass Beta Test · dortania/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher · GitHub
It cannot be downloaded from the regular OCLP site:
Releases · dortania/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher (github.com)
Many people have had success running VMFusion using the AMFIPass OCLP version.
Have you actually tried it?

 

[Richie07]

The AMFIPass version you said didn't help is only available on the discord server;
Release AMFIPass Beta Test · dortania/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher · GitHub
It cannot be downloaded from the regular OCLP site:
Releases · dortania/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher (github.com)
Many people have had success running VMFusion using the AMFIPass OCLP version.
Have you actually tried it?

yes, but no succes