VMware Communities
Sidhartha
Contributor
Contributor

Can't see shared folders in Linux Guest (Windows Host)

Hi All,

I am running Windows 8.1 preview on two separate computers.

I have recently adjusted the configuration of my Mint 15 Linux Guest VM's to allow them to see some shared folders.

On both systems I followed the shared folder wizard and selected some directories on the C: drive and also the documents library.

On both systems I have also reinstalled VMWare tools.

However, in /mnt/hgfs on both linux guest vm's (one on each computer) I can't see any shared folders at all.

What am I missing? Anyone point me in the right direction?

Many Thanks

Reply
0 Kudos
12 Replies
admin
Immortal
Immortal

This issue occurs if the GCC and PAE kernels are not up to date in the Linux VM and the hgfs folder is not created in the /mnt folder.

To resolve this issue, you must update the GCC and kernel headers and then reinstall VMware Tools.

To update the GCC and kernel headers and to reinstall VMware Tools:

  1. Open a terminal and run this command to log in as a super user:

    su -
  2. Run this command to install the GCC binary packages:

    yum install gcc gcc-c++ make binutils
  3. Run this command to update the Linux kernel:

    yum update kernel
  4. Run this command to reboot the virtual machine:

    reboot
  5. Open a terminal again and login as the super user.
  6. Run this command to install the kernel's development packages to update the kernel headers:

    yum install kernel-headers kernel-PAE-devel ()
  7. Run this command and verify if the update is complete:

    uname -rs

    You see an output similar to:

    Linux 3.1.0-7.fc16.i686

    Where 3.1.0-7.fc16.i686 is the kernel version
  8. Click VM > Install/Reinstall VMware Tools to start the VMware Tools installation.
  9. After the VMware Tools ISO is mounted in the virtual machine, extract the contents.
  10. Change directory from the terminal Window and run the installer using this command:

    ./vmware-install.pl

    During the installation, you can see that the kernel headers and the GCC path are auto detected and you are not prompted to change the location. The Shared Folders option is also presented for installation.
  11. After the installation completes, shutdown the virtual machine.
  12. Click VM > Settings to open the virtual machine settings.
  13. Click the Options tab and select the Shared Folders option.
  14. Enable shared folders and map the required folder or drive to the virtual machine.
  15. Power on the virtual machine. The shared folder should be accessible in the given location, /mnt/hgfs/.
Reply
0 Kudos
WoodyZ
Immortal
Immortal

@JSen I know your a VMware employee however the directions you posted are not directly applicable to the Guets OS that Sidhartha states is being used in the OP!  Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu and uses apt-get not yum and binutils is not a valid package for Linux Mint.

Directions for installing VMware Tools in Ubuntu and or Linux Mint have already been posted numerous times in these forums as well as the Internet and should be hard to find! Smiley Wink  Hint, search Google for: linux mint 15 vmware tools install

Reply
0 Kudos
Sidhartha
Contributor
Contributor

WoodyZ... thanks. I did that. There a bunch of youtube videos with a guy simply installing VMWare tools exactly as I have.

I can't see any of the specific information you are alluding to. Sorry.

Could you point me to a link?

Many Thanks

Reply
0 Kudos
WoodyZ
Immortal
Immortal

One thing you (I had to) might have to do to install VMware Tools in Linux Mint 15 is in a Terminal copy and paste the following command and press Enter:

sudo ln -s /usr/src/linux-headers-$(uname -r)/include/generated/uapi/linux/version.h /usr/src/linux-headers-$(uname -r)/include/linux/version.h

Reply
0 Kudos
Sidhartha
Contributor
Contributor

Hi WoodyZ,

I tried that. Just reinstalled VMWare Tools... all seemed as before. i.e. I never had any indication that the tools weren't installing correctly before...

Anyway, sadly still no shared folders... I have /mnt/hgfs but nothing in there at all.

Any other ideas?

Many Thanks

Reply
0 Kudos
WoodyZ
Immortal
Immortal

Sidhartha wrote: Anyway, sadly still no shared folders... I have /mnt/hgfs but nothing in there at all.

Any other ideas?

Is the share enabled?  Where there any errors when compiling the vmhgfs-only module?  If yes on the later you may need to apply a patch and I can't remember if I did or not however it works fine in my Linux Mint 15.  Look at my reply, Re: VMtools installation problem on Ubuntu 13.04, and do the same in Linux Mint 15 (I probably did it and that's why it's working in my install of Linux Mint).

Sidhartha
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks WoodyZ.

Before I try that, would you know if the attached files in that link will work the current VMWare Tools version? It seems to have updated since that post was written.

Many Thanks

Reply
0 Kudos
Sidhartha
Contributor
Contributor

So an update... I tried changing the two files in the link you gave.

Reinstalled VMWare tools... I DO now have access to shared folders in /mnt/hgfs... THANK YOU!

However, drag and drop still doesn't appear to be working. In options>guest isolation I have "enable drag and drop" and "enable copy and paste" selected.

Is that the only setting I need for drag and drop to work?

Many Thanks

Reply
0 Kudos
WoodyZ
Immortal
Immortal

Okay, I just ran diff on the contents of the vmci.tar and vmhgfs.tar files in VMwareTools-9.2.2-893683.tar.gz (VMware Fusion 5.0.3) and VMwareTools-9.2.3-1031360.tar.gz (VMware Workstation 9.0.2) and there are two other files, one in each, that differ.  So my suggestion would be to manually patch the /vmci-only/linux/driver.c file and the /vmhgfs-only/inode.c file before installing VMware Tools.  Note that I did not diff the other modules and don't think it's necessary since the main issues have been with vmci and vmhgfs with the latest release of Ubuntu/Linux Mint.

I'm going to test this in a little while and see what happens.

Reply
0 Kudos
WoodyZ
Immortal
Immortal

However, drag and drop still doesn't appear to be working.

In the current build I have based on VMwareTools-9.2.2-893683.tar.gz I can DnD from Linux Mint 15 to the Host but not from the Host to the Guest.  Will see what happens when I manually patch and let you know.  Since VMware Shared Folders is working DnD not working shouldn't be to big of a deal.

Reply
0 Kudos
Sidhartha
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks WoodyZ.

Same for me... guest to host is ok... host to guest isn't.

No biggie... but if you get it working let me know.

Thanks

Reply
0 Kudos
WoodyZ
Immortal
Immortal

Sidhartha wrote: Before I try that, would you know if the attached files in that link will work the current VMWare Tools version? It seems to have updated since that post was written.

If you want to use the current version of VMware Tools, VMwareTools-9.2.3-1031360.tar.gz (VMware Workstation 9.0.2), (and I would) then you can use the vmtoolspatch Bash Shell Script I wrote in Re: File sharing on Player betw host and guest doesn't work on Ubuntu 13.04.  Note that while is says it's for Ubuntu 13.04 nonetheless it does work in Linux Mine 15 to patch the two files that were previously patched and without the need for the tarballs that were attached to Re: VMtools installation problem on Ubuntu 13.04 which were from an older version of VMware Tools. Just uninstall VMware Tools then extract the VMwareTools-9.2.3-1031360.tar.gz file to /tmp as normal then execute the script, then install VMware Tools.

Reply
0 Kudos