Copy/Paste issue with VMware fusion 13.0.2 , Ubuntu 22.04 server (arm)

[shaulch]

Hi,

I installed open-vm-tools and open-vm-tools-desktop,  check in Isolation but still the guest works like no VMware tools.  

Always need Cmd+ctrl to release , no option to copy/paste .

What is the solution here ?

Thanks in advance,

Shaul.

[Technogeezer]

You indicate you are running Ubuntu Server. Are you running a graphical environment (GNOME/KDE/etc) or are you just running a TTY console session?

[shaulch]

Only TTY console session

[Technogeezer]

That could explain it. Copy/paste only works with graphical sessions, not tty sessions. It hooks into the clipboard that's implemented in the windowing systems. 

A work-around would be to ssh into the VM from your Mac. 

[shaulch]

I wrote copy/Paste but the issue is with the VM - always need to click to make focus and Ctrl + cmd to release like you have when vm tool doesn't installed.  So you can't use mouse in the guest. (Also there is no scrolling)

I did install open-vm-tools and open -vm-tools-desktop.

Anything else ?

[RDPetruska]

---

@shaulch wrote:

I wrote copy/Paste but the issue is with the VM - always need to click to make focus and Ctrl + cmd to release like you have when vm tool doesn't installed.  So you can't use mouse in the guest. (Also there is no scrolling)

I did install open-vm-tools and open -vm-tools-desktop.

Anything else ?

---

Well, it is my understanding that the open-vm-tools-desktop package contains all the items used when working with a graphical desktop environment.  If your system does not run a GUI, then (1) you won't have a mouse, and therefore there will be no mouse integration expected, and (2) copy/paste won't work either (along with a handful of other Tools-related functions).  This is the same as my MS-DOS VMs...  I have to click in the window to send focus, and Ctrl-Alt to release focus back to the host.  I can use a mouse in DOS programs if I load the DOS mouse driver, and it works... but there are no VMware Tools which run.

[shaulch]

Thanks  - So do you mean I installed a wrong Ubuntu image or wrong configuration during the installation ? 

I want to install Ubuntu image 22.04 on VMware Fusion 13 , ARM.  What ISO should I use ?  

I took the ISO from : https://ubuntu.com/download/server/arm

after I installed the Linux, I got the problem I wrote before.  (I didn't choose minimal installation)

Should I just install GNOME on my current VM ?

[Technogeezer · Accepted solution]

You didn't do anything wrong. You installed a server variant of Ubuntu. What you see is normal for any Linux server distribution that relies on a tty console interface (such as Ubuntu Server) and not a graphical environment.

Unfortunately Ubuntu doesn't package a Ubuntu Desktop with the graphical environment installed by default for ARM computers like they do for Intel x64. My advice has always been if you want an ARM version of Ubuntu Desktop, install Ubuntu Server for arm64, then use the procedure in the Unofficial Fusion 13 for Apple Silicon Companion Guide The Unofficial Fusion 13 for Apple Silicon Compani... - Page 2 - VMware Technology Network VMTN to install the graphical environment and configure the VM so it's just like what you'd get from Ubuntu Desktop. 

Or, as an option, make sure the VM is configured with sshd, and then use the macOS Terminal app to ssh to the VM. You'll then be able to copy/paste from the macOS Terminal. If all you need is copy/paste from a tty window, that's a more lightweight approach than installing all the graphical environment packages in the VM.

[shaulch]

I understand.  Thanks for your help !