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RexFeral
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Vmrun fails with VMware Player

Hello,

I am currently using VMware Player version 7.1.2 and VIX version 1.13.

I want to start my Virtual machine using VIX vmrun, unfortunately when I type in the command line the following command:

vmrun -T player start "D:\myUser\VMWare\Windows7\Windows 7.vmx"

It will give me something like this:

Unable to connect to host.

Error: The specified version was not found

Am I doing something wrong or is this a bug?

For the mention I don't want to buy or even install VMware Workstation as I had a lot of trouble with it in the past uninstalling it (I had to do a system restore to get rid of it).

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RexFeral
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Ok, managed to get it working, here's how:

1) In the VMware\VMware VIX folder there is a vixwrapper-config.txt file. Make a backup and overwrite the following over the content of the file:

#@Version-Info

#

# VixAllProducts revision mapping for Workstation/Player

#

# This file translates product version specifications into the appropriate Vix

# implementations.

#

# Each @Version-Info line has 5 white-space seperated entries:

#

#    provider-type: ws, esx, viserver, etc

#    apiVersion: the apiVersion supported, as passed in from VixHost_Connect()

#    ipc-type: none, vmdb, vmodl, cim

#    product-version: the product version string

#

#    implementation-directory: the path to the library that implements the

#          version described by the first 4 parameters

#

#

# The configuration is based on the first 4 fields, which describe

# the product.  The 5th field is the location.  To force it to try

# multiple location, the same configuration can be repeated.  Note that

# list is built in LIFO order, so the latest entry in the configuration

# will be the first used.  If for some reason that value fails, it will

# continue through any other matches.

# Workstation 11.1.2 and Player 7.1.2

ws        17  vmdb  11.1.2 Workstation-11.0.0-and-vSphere-6.0.0

player    17  vmdb   7.1.2 Workstation-11.0.0-and-vSphere-6.0.0

ws-shared 17  none  11.1.2 Workstation-11.0.0-and-vSphere-6.0.0

# EOF

2) If there is a folder named "Workstation-11.0.0-and-vSphere-6.0.0" then move it somewhere else as a backup

3) Make a copy of the folder "Workstation-10.0.0-and-vSphere-5.5.0" and name it:

Workstation-11.0.0-and-vSphere-6.0.0

4) Don't forget to add the vmrun path to the user variable: PATH (the vmrun path should be something like this: "C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware VIX\")

Now the vmrun commands should work.

The following command opens the VM:

vmrun -T player start "D:\myUser\VMWare\Windows7\Windows 7.vmx"

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5 Replies
Alexxsw
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Hi,

I am starting VMs using such command:

alx@sup ~$ vmrun -T player start ./vmware/office/windows-7.vmx nogui

but your error means that some vmware related service not running.

try also list command:

alx@sup ~$ vmrun -T player list

Total running VMs: 1

/home/alx/vmware/office/windows-7.vmx

RexFeral
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Ok, managed to get it working, here's how:

1) In the VMware\VMware VIX folder there is a vixwrapper-config.txt file. Make a backup and overwrite the following over the content of the file:

#@Version-Info

#

# VixAllProducts revision mapping for Workstation/Player

#

# This file translates product version specifications into the appropriate Vix

# implementations.

#

# Each @Version-Info line has 5 white-space seperated entries:

#

#    provider-type: ws, esx, viserver, etc

#    apiVersion: the apiVersion supported, as passed in from VixHost_Connect()

#    ipc-type: none, vmdb, vmodl, cim

#    product-version: the product version string

#

#    implementation-directory: the path to the library that implements the

#          version described by the first 4 parameters

#

#

# The configuration is based on the first 4 fields, which describe

# the product.  The 5th field is the location.  To force it to try

# multiple location, the same configuration can be repeated.  Note that

# list is built in LIFO order, so the latest entry in the configuration

# will be the first used.  If for some reason that value fails, it will

# continue through any other matches.

# Workstation 11.1.2 and Player 7.1.2

ws        17  vmdb  11.1.2 Workstation-11.0.0-and-vSphere-6.0.0

player    17  vmdb   7.1.2 Workstation-11.0.0-and-vSphere-6.0.0

ws-shared 17  none  11.1.2 Workstation-11.0.0-and-vSphere-6.0.0

# EOF

2) If there is a folder named "Workstation-11.0.0-and-vSphere-6.0.0" then move it somewhere else as a backup

3) Make a copy of the folder "Workstation-10.0.0-and-vSphere-5.5.0" and name it:

Workstation-11.0.0-and-vSphere-6.0.0

4) Don't forget to add the vmrun path to the user variable: PATH (the vmrun path should be something like this: "C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware VIX\")

Now the vmrun commands should work.

The following command opens the VM:

vmrun -T player start "D:\myUser\VMWare\Windows7\Windows 7.vmx"

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DerekShaw
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this did not work for me using vmplayer (paid-for "pro" version) and vix on ubuntu 14.04

The only solution I found was to uninstall both, then download and install the vmware-workstation 11.1.2 bundle, (it accepted the vmware player key, and registered the vm-player portion).

removed the vmware-worrkstation choices from the menus to prevent the end-user from blundering into trouble.

sure hope someone looks at the testing procedures for vix soon....  This has been going on a long time.

RexFeral
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Indeed, I have not tried with a  paid version. Frankly, I'm afraid of Workstation since I had problems with it and would not suggest installing it unless one considers strongly on buying it.

Thank you for your insight, Derek. Between the free and the paid version solutions I hope we covered all cases where vix doesn't work with VMware Player.

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ElCoyote_
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I suspect you ran into issues because vmrun is broken in VMW12 (Prod).

The last known working version was 11.1.2.

I posted a workaround on my blog here:

Coyote's Blog: Workaround for vmrun under VMWare Workstation 12

I hope this helps,

Vincent

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