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bytemind
Contributor
Contributor
‎08-14-2008 08:22 AM

Howto install VMWare Tools on FreeBSD v7.0

Hi,

Im running FreeBSD 7.0 under ESXi, and install worked like a charm, but i cant install the VMWare Tools, it just gives me an error "A general system error occurred: Internal error".

How did you guys get this running?

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3 Replies
pmhausen
Contributor
Contributor
‎08-16-2008 05:16 AM

I have not tried with FreeBSD 7.0, yet, but I got the same error with Win2K - seems like for some reason ESXi fails to connect the ISO image to the virtual CD ROM drive.

Here's, what I did:

1. ssh to ESXi server, there are plenty of instructions around for how to enable ssh.

2. # cp /usr/lib/vmware/isoimages/freebsd.iso /vmfs/datastore1/or/whatever/your/datastore/is

3. manually connect the ISO image residing in your datastore to the CD ROM drive

4. install VMware tools the regular way, that would be the corresponding port in FreeBSD (in Windows I just had to click Smiley Wink

Please report back, if you are successful.

Patrick

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wrf3f34ff
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
‎08-16-2008 10:24 AM

The FreeBSD VMware tools are not included with ESXi. I don't think they are supported on ESXi either.

I got them by downloading the Linux distribution of VMware Server 1.0.6, extracting the tar file, and getting the file vmware-server-distrib/lib/isoimages/freebsd.iso out of it.

That was for 6.3, though. I don't know whether or how well the VMware tools will work under 7, but my preliminary net searches on the subject indicated that they would, but some extra hackery was required due to an update in the libc major version number. The compat6x package might help as well.

I don't think the vmxnet driver works at all under FreeBSD 7 due to changes in the network stack. Since it's no longer supported under FreeBSD, it's doubtful it ever will. The e1000 interface works fine, however, for the most part (no jumbo frames), and I believe it performs a lot better than the le driver in FreeBSD 7.

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wrf3f34ff
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
‎08-16-2008 10:27 AM 

The FreeBSD VMware tools are not included with ESXi.
Never mind that, it's wrong.  The freebsd.iso is there as stated by the previous poster.  I guess I was fooled by the same error message you got, and by the lack of a FreeBSD option under the OS Type settings.
Sorry for the misinformation.

					
				
			
			
				
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
		

		
		
	

	
	


	
				
		
			
		
			
		
			
					
			
		
				
		
			
					
		
	
				
		
			
					
		
	
				
		
			
					
		
	
				
		
			
					
		
	
				
		
			
					
		
	
				
		
	
	


		

	

		

			

	
		
			
					
				
		
			
		
			
					
		
		
	
				
		
			
					
				
		
			
					

	
			

				
		
			
		
			
				

					
						
	
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