Log File locations for VMware Fusion

[admin]

You can find the log files for VMware Fusion in the following locations

VMware Fusion UI log

/var/tmp/vmware-username/

Please grab the most recent file by its creation date

vmnat.log

/var/log/vmnat.log

Apple Installer Log

/var/log/install.log

VM log

/Users/User Name/vmware/VM Name/vmware.log

[bgertzfield]

Thanks for the tip!

Here's a couple more useful log locations to look at when reporting issues:

Panic log:

/Library/Logs/panic.log

You can easily read these logs by double-clicking on them. Note that the /var directory is not shown by default in Finder. To browse to it in Finder:

1) Select the menu Go -> Go to Folder...

2) Type /var and click Go.

3) Select the "tmp" or "log" directory (depending on the log you're looking for) and double-click on it to view.

[admin]

just a little update. For the installer log the section relevant to Fusion will look something like this

Oct 17 10:25:16 macbookpro : @(#)PROGRAM:Installer PROJECT:Installer-94 DEVELOPER:root BUILT:Jan 13 2006 18:32:16\n

Oct 17 10:25:16 macbookpro : Hardware: MacBookPro1,1 @ 2000 MHz (x2), 2048 MB

Oct 17 10:25:16 macbookpro : Running OS Build: 8L2127

Oct 17 10:25:16 macbookpro : VMware Fusion Installation Log

Oct 17 10:25:16 macbookpro : Opened from: /Volumes/VMware Fusion/VMware Fusion 1.0.pkg

Oct 17 10:25:17 macbookpro : It took 0.976590 seconds to finish launching.

Oct 17 10:25:18 macbookpro : Distribution: VMware Fusion

Oct 17 10:25:20 macbookpro : Installation checks completed successfully.

Oct 17 10:25:32 macbookpro : admin auth received to install

Oct 17 10:25:32 macbookpro : ================================================================================

Oct 17 10:25:32 macbookpro : User picked Easy Install

Oct 17 10:25:32 macbookpro : Choices selected for installation:

Oct 17 10:25:32 macbookpro : Install: "VMware Fusion"

Oct 17 10:25:32 macbookpro : VMware Fusion 1.0.pkg : com.vmware.vmware.application : 1.0.0.1.0

Oct 17 10:25:32 macbookpro : ================================================================================

Oct 17 10:25:32 macbookpro : It took 0.000777 seconds to summarize the package selections.

Oct 17 10:25:32 macbookpro : Starting installation:

Oct 17 10:25:32 macbookpro : Preparing volume "Macintosh HD" for installation

Oct 17 10:25:32 macbookpro : Configuring volume "Macintosh HD"

Oct 17 10:25:33 macbookpro : Preparing local booted disk

Oct 17 10:25:33 macbookpro : Create temporary directory "/private/tmp/VMware Fusion 1.0.pkg.279uOOmb2"

Oct 17 10:25:33 macbookpro : Processing VMware Fusion:

Oct 17 10:25:33 macbookpro : Initialize patching

Oct 17 10:25:33 macbookpro : Determining files to install

Oct 17 10:25:33 macbookpro : Evaluating versions of bundles

Oct 17 10:25:33 macbookpro : Evaluating custom file version checking

Oct 17 10:25:33 macbookpro : Configuring deferred files

Oct 17 10:25:33 macbookpro : Assembling temporary receipt

Oct 17 10:25:33 macbookpro : Performing pre-extraction actions

Oct 17 10:25:33 macbookpro : ==== It took 0.045740 seconds to check for prebinding

Oct 17 10:25:33 macbookpro : Creating destination path

Oct 17 10:25:33 macbookpro : Extracting files

Oct 17 10:25:41 macbookpro : 352 files looked up in 0.00 seconds. 352 files written in 7.49 seconds.

Oct 17 10:25:41 macbookpro : 99792 kilobytes installed.

Oct 17 10:25:41 macbookpro : Performing post-extraction actions

Oct 17 10:25:41 macbookpro : Assembling receipt

Oct 17 10:25:41 macbookpro : run postflight script for VMware Fusion

Oct 17 10:25:41 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: Configuring a NAT network for vmnet8.

Oct 17 10:25:41 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:25:41 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: Probing for an unused private subnet (this can take some time)...

Oct 17 10:25:41 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:25:41 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: The subnet 172.16.50.0/255.255.255.0 appears to be unused.

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: This program previously created the file dhcpd.conf, and was about to remove it.

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: Somebody else apparently did it already.

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: This program previously created the file /var/db/vmware/dhcpd.leases, and was

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: about to remove it. Somebody else apparently did it already.

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: This program previously created the file /var/db/vmware/dhcpd.leases~, and was

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: about to remove it. Somebody else apparently did it already.

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: This program previously created the file nat.conf, and was about to remove it.

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: Somebody else apparently did it already.

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: No matching processes were found

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: No matching processes were found

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: kextunload: unload kext /Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion/kexts/vmmon.kext failed

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: kextunload: unload kext /Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion/kexts/vmioplug.kext failed

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: kextunload: unload kext /Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion/kexts/vmnet.kext failed

Oct 17 10:26:01 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: kextload: /Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion/kexts/vmmon.kext loaded successfully

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: kextload: /Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion/kexts/vmioplug.kext loaded successfully

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: kextload: /Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion/kexts/vmnet.kext loaded successfully

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: Internet Software Consortium DHCP Server 2.0

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: Copyright 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 The Internet Software Consortium.

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: All rights reserved.

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: Please contribute if you find this software useful.

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: For info, please visit http://www.isc.org/dhcp-contrib.html

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: Configured subnet: 172.16.50.0

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: Setting vmnet-dhcp IP address: 172.16.50.254

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: Opened: y^A

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: Recving on VNet/vmnet8/172.16.50.0

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : Removing temporary directory "/private/tmp/VMware Fusion 1.0.pkg.279uOOmb2"

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : Finalize disk "Macintosh HD"

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]: Sending on VNet/vmnet8/172.16.50.0

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : postflight\[293]:

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : Notifying system of updated components

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : TOTAL: Packages report 352 files, 352 actual files written

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : Private/Total = (5.0MB, 63.9MB), Heap/Total = (2.3MB, 17.6MB), Regions(malloc, private) = (24, 31)

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : It took 30.395357 seconds to successfully install "VMware Fusion" (1 pkg(s))

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : It took 1.004932 seconds to Configuring volume "Macintosh HD" (dm prepare*disk)

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : It took 7.814309 seconds to Install VMware Fusion: 20 elements

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : It took 7.812828 seconds to successfully Install package VMware Fusion

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : It took 0.037472 seconds to Build install plan (& redirected paths)

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : It took 0.081021 seconds to Assembling temporary receipt

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : It took 0.074911 seconds to Collect path info (ATS, Sec Equiv, Kext, Pref Panes)

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : It took 7.534467 seconds to Write files

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : It took 0.081362 seconds to Assembling receipt

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : It took 21.559864 seconds to run postflight script for VMware Fusion

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : Summary Information

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : Type Elapsed time (sec)

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : patch 0.000055

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : zero 0.012922

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : script 21.559864

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : extract 7.534467

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : config 0.115741

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : receipt 0.162383

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : disk 1.008444

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : install 7.814309

Oct 17 10:26:02 macbookpro : Oct 17 10:26:03 macbookpro : Starting installation:

Oct 17 10:26:03 macbookpro : Finalizing installation.

Oct 17 10:26:03 macbookpro : Registering applications

Oct 17 10:26:03 macbookpro : Registered /Applications/VMware Fusion.app.

Oct 17 10:26:03 macbookpro : Private/Total = (5.1MB, 64.5MB), Heap/Total = (2.3MB, 17.6MB), Regions(malloc, private) = (24, 35)

Oct 17 10:26:03 macbookpro : It took 0.087914 seconds to successfully End of Install Jobs

Oct 17 10:26:03 macbookpro : It took 0.020856 seconds to Send End Jobs Did End notification "Finishing end-of-install jobs."

Oct 17 10:26:03 macbookpro : It took 0.052498 seconds to Send Install Completed notification "Finished install."

Oct 17 10:26:03 macbookpro : Oct 17 10:26:03 macbookpro : Summary Information

Oct 17 10:26:03 macbookpro : Type Elapsed time (sec)

Oct 17 10:26:03 macbookpro : AppRegister 0.011744

Oct 17 10:26:03 macbookpro : zero 0.076170

Oct 17 10:26:03 macbookpro :

[IlDavo]

Bless, you, bgertzfield for providing instructions on how to find the "var" folder tree in Finder!

I'm incredulous at the number of FAQ and community threads that leave out this vital information!

[chinno53]

Thanks. I found where they were after and actually seemed the same issue that was already in this thread. Although I tried what was in this thread and it did not work. Although thanks for the advice but I am doing this on an M1 and not Intel so if VMWare does not work on it not exactly the end of the world for me.

[scott28tt]

The log locations might be different since this post was created in 2006.

[ColoradoMarmot]

If you're on M1, then you need to use the tech preview, not Fusion 12. 

Note that intel guests will not run.  You'll need an ARM guest.