First I'd like to say that what's presented here is an automated workaround expressly to make it easier to utilize the information already out there with VMware Tools issues and the yet to be officially supported Ubuntu 13.04 release with VMware Fusion/Player/Workstation. I have not modified any of the already existing source code changes nor do I intend to spend any time doing so to resolve any issues not resolved by what's included herein. Personally I'll wait until Ubuntu 13.04 is officially supported in regards to anything not working as I have no real need (or desire) to use Ubuntu as I have a Mac and IMO OS X is better then the Ubuntu Linux Distro.
Secondly this does not fix all issues that may exist with VMware Tools and Ubuntu 13.04, i.e. Drag and Drop only works from Host to Guest not vice versa and may not be limited to this. What this will specifically fix is the VMware Shared Folder feature in that without this /mnt/hgfs is always empty and the VMware Shared Folder feature would not work otherwise.
The attached file vmtoolspatch.zip contains the vmtoolspatch Bash Shell Script which automates the patching of the driver.c file in vmware-tools-distrib/lib/modules/source/vmci.tar file and the inode.c file in vmware-tools-distrib/lib/modules/source/vmhgfs.tar file. It does this by untaring the target tarballs, creates patch files and applies them respectively and tars the extracted tarballs while cleaning up behind itself and does so with minimal appropriate error checking. So if the output in Terminal is other then what's shown in the example below then wait for VMware to officially support Ubuntu 13.04 or seek a different solution as I have no intent to support the shell script, however one is free to use it in any manner one chooses.
The vmtoolspatch Bash Shell Script can be opened in a Text Editor and you can see its contents.
After the VMware Tools install bundle has been extracted to /tmp as per normal VMware Tools install directions for Linux then to use the vmtoolspatch, just download the vmtoolspatch.zip file and extract the vmtoolspatch file. I'd extract it to my Home Directory (Folder) as that is where Terminal opens to by default. Then in the Terminal type the following command and press Enter.
./vmtoolspatch
The output should show as in the example below.
As you can see in the example image, you can then start the install of VMware Tools by issuing the following commands in the Terminal.
cd /tmp/vmware-tools-distrib
sudo ./vmware-install.pl
Note: This shell script can be used for VMware Fusion 5.0.3, VMware Player 5.0.2 and VMware Workstation 9.0.2 with Ubuntu 13.04.
Message was edited by: WoodyZ - Originally posted, Jul 7, 2013 3:19 PM. - Updated the vmtoolspatch Bash Shell Script. The Date/Time stamp on the old vmtoolspatch script is Jul 7 00:00:00 2013 and the new one is Jul 15 00:04:00 2013.
Ubuntu 13.04 was release on April 25, 2013 and VMware Fusion 5 was released on August 23 2012 so it is not unusual for Linux Distros release anytime after to not be immediately supported or ever in any given product version and since VMware had started working on VMware Fusion 6 when the latest release of VMware Fusion 5.0.3 was released 46 days before Ubuntu 13.04 they focused support for it under VMware Fusion 6. They may/may not release a VMware Fusion 5.0.4 that supports it however I wouldn't hold my breath because frankly keeping up with Linux Distros in a Desktop product it not a money maker and the hard reality is more Mac Users use VMware Fusion to run Windows then Linux and VMware will alway focus on where the most dollars come from, their Enterprise Products not Desktop Products! 