MacFuse Install failing with Fusion on Clean Lion Installation

[jkazules]

I installed Lion on a formatted hard disk and reinstalled Fusion. The install works fine if I don't select MacFuse. But, if I do a custom install with MacFuse then the installation says it fails.

Is there any way to mount a vmdk to the host OS without MacFuse installed? The installed OS is Mac OS.

Thanks,

kazooless

[WoodyZ]

Are you running a 64-bit kernel?  That may be at the root of the issue as the official release of MacFUSE only works with the 32-bit kernel and you could try using a 64-bit version of MacFUSE.  Note that this is an unofficial version however it does work with Snow Leopard and it might with Lion, although I've not tested it under Lion.  BTW The usual caveats for using unofficial software apply.  MacFUSE is required for VMDKMounter to mount supported filesystems on .vmdk files.  You could also try booting the 32-bit kernel and see if the official MacFUSE release will install and work.

Message was edited by: WoodyZ - BTW If you can get the official MacFUSE to install while running the 32-bit kernel it will mount .vmdk files with VMDKMounter as I just tested mounting the virtual hard disk it and it worked under Lion.

[jkazules]

I didn't know there was a choice as to what kernel you could run when you install OS X from the retail distribution. I thought Snow Leopard finally went to 64-bit and that Lion would have followed. Either way, I'll give your suggestion a try. Thanks very much!

kazoo

[WoodyZ]

Have a look at: Mac OS X v10.6: Starting up with the 32-bit or 64-bit kernel

Method 1 should work for Mac OS X 10.7 Lion.

Haven't tested Method 2 with Mac OS X 10.7 Lion.

[rx-sp]

As far as I know Lion is 64-bit by default on all hardware. Snow Leopard was 32-bit by default on most desktops and portables, but 64-bit on Mac Pro.

64-bit causes problems for any program that relies on MacFuse, such as TrueCrypt and apparently Fusion, because the MacFuse developers haven't yet made a 64-bit binary release (in fact, has development stalled on MacFuse?).

I hope the Fusion developers are addressing this in their next release.

As mentioned there are a handful of 64-bit MacFuse binaries floating around on the web. I got mine from here: http://www.tuxera.com/mac/macfuse-core-10.5-2.1.9.dmg

I don't like trusting binaries from sources I don't know, but I had no choice here, I'm afraid 😞

[jkazules]

Thanks guys. I'm sure this is the problem based on your clear answers. However, I've installed the 64-bit versions of MacFuse and can't figure out how to mount the vmdk. When I open the package for the vm and then right-click on the vmdk, I don't get vmdkmounter as an option in the "Open with..." dialog. I also am not sure where the vmdkmounter program was put. It isn't in the path, so from terminal it just says command not found.

Can you point me to its location or tell me what I am missing?

Thanks,

Jeff

[jkazules]

I promised I Googled and searched before I just posted but found nothing. Then I posted and thought of a different search and sure enough I found it. Sorry.

For anyone searching in the future and following this thread, vmdkmounter is found in /Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion

Thanks again!

[WoodyZ]

Just to add to this, I've found that when VMDKMounter does not appear on the Open With context menu that executing the VMDKMounter.app by itself will usually update the Mac OS X Launch Services Database and it will then appear on the Open With context menu.