How to load VMTools from VMWare 6.0.5 build-109488 on Hardy Heron

[Sloppyunderfoot]

I apparently misunderstand what needs to be done to actually load VMWare and VMTools onto Hardy Heron. Previously I downloaded the eval edition of VMWare Workstation 6.0.5 build - 109488. Once I had it on my computer I ran vmware-config.pl. All went well and VMWare loaded fine. I thought that by selecting VM and installing VMTools that VMTools would install by itself. Apparently, I am incorrect. I created two virtual machines: one for OpenSuse10.3 and one for Mandriva2008 however, I do not know how to install VMTools. I uninstalled VMWare because I thought I had somehow installed it incorrectly. I don't think that is the case. Should I be running vmware-config.pl and when that is complete do a cd vmware-tools-distrib and then a

./vmware-install.pl? I'm confused and I do have the Workstation manual..Thanks

[Sean_C]

Here's what I did to install vmware tools 109488 on Ubuntu 8.0.4:

1 - Make sure you have the latest linux-headers package installed. (It should be by default for Ubuntu 8.0.4).

2 - Make sure you have the 'build-essential' package installed.

3 - Do the following:

sudo cp VMwareTools-6.0.5-109488.tar.gz /tmp

cd /tmp

sudo tar xvzf VMwareTools-6.0.5-109488.tar.gz

cd vmware-tools-distrib

sudo ./vmware-install.pl

4 - Choose the default answers at each prompt. Pay particular attention to the instructions at the end concerning the vmxnet module.

do the following if needed:

sudo /etc/init.d/networking stop

sudo rmmod pcnet32

sudo rmmod vmxnet

sudo modprobe vmxnet

sudo /etc/init.d/networking start

Sean

[Sloppyunderfoot]

Sean thank you for your response. I hope that I have found as least one of the sources of my confusion. I just re-downloaded the tar which is named VMware-workstation-6.0.5-109488.i386.tar.gz. This is the tar I initially installed from. I did not download a file called VMwareTools-6.0.5-109488.tar.gz Is it correct that I have to download and install from both of these tars? Thanks

[Sloppyunderfoot]

Sean, interestingly I am unable to locate vmware-tools-distrib folder. There is a vmware-distrib folder within the vmware folder but that's it. Any ideas? Thanks

[louyo]

>>I am unable to locate vmware-tools-distrib folder. There is a vmware-distrib folder within the vmware folder but that's it.

PMJI: You install tools on the guests, not the host. To install, click VM and then click Install vmware tools.

This does not install the tools, it just mounts the CDROM file so you can install tools from there. In Windows VM's with autoplay turned on, the tools install program loads and installs automagically. In Linux guests you need to install from the either the RPM or the tarball. I always use the tarball. For Debian based distros, you could use alien to convert it to a deb. For the tarball, untar it, and run the install program. It is well covered in the users manual but if you need more info, post back here.

Lou

[Sloppyunderfoot]

Sean, thanks again for your response this is what I have done - how I installed vmware workstation 6.05.

"a Copy the tar archive to a temporary directory on your hard drive (for example, /tmp):

cp VMware-.tar.gz /tmp

b Change to this temporary directory:

cd /tmp

c Unpack the archive:

tar zxpf VMware-.tar.gz

d Change to the installation directory:

cd vmware-distrib

e Run the installation program:

./vmware-install.pl"

Worked like a charm. I then loaded vmware from the command line. I've created to guest operating systems and use isos for them. After the guest os has been been booted in VMWare I select VM and then attempt to load tools, tools will not load. I get the activity image but it never loads tools. After looking through the file folders. I find that the folder vmware-tools-distrib is not to be found. I have reinstalled VMWare Workstation 6.0.5 twice and this does not solve the problem. I keep thinking that there's another file perhaps vmware-tools-distrib that needs to be installed but I'm unclear on this.

I've looked at the following numerous times:

To install VMware Tools with the tar installer or RPM installer

1 Power on the virtual machine, and after the guest system has started, choose

VM>Install VMware Tools.

The remaining steps take place inside the virtual machine.

2 As root (su -), mount the VMware Tools virtual CD‐ROM image and change to a

working directory (for example, /tmp), as follows.

NOTE Some Linux distributions automatically mount CD‐ROMs. If your

distribution uses automounting, do not use the mount and umount commands

described in this procedure. You still must untar the VMware Tools installer to

/tmp. Where do I find the VMware Tools installer?

Some Linux distributions use different device names or organize the /dev

directory differently. If your CD‐ROM drive is not /dev/cdrom or if the mount

point for a CD‐ROM is not /mnt/cdrom, you must modify the following

commands to reflect the conventions used by your distribution:

mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom

cd /tmp

NOTE If you have a previous installation, delete the previous

vmware-tools-distrib directory before installing. The location of this directory

depends on where you placed it when you did the previous installation. Often it is

placed in:

/tmp/vmware-tools-distrib

VMware, Inc. 127

Workstation User's Manual

3 Uncompress the installer and unmount the CD‐ROM image.

Depending on whether you are using the tar installer or the RPM installer, do one

of the following:

For the tar installer, at the command prompt, enter:

tar zxpf /mnt/cdrom/VMwareTools-5.0.0-.tar.gz

umount /dev/cdrom

Where is the build/revision number of the Workstation release.

For the RPM installer, at the command prompt, enter:

rpm -Uhv /mnt/cdrom/VMwareTools-5.0.0-.i386.rpm

umount /dev/cdrom

Where is the build/revision number of the Workstation release.

NOTE If you attempt to install an rpm installation over a tar installation-or the

reverse-the installer detects the previous installation and must convert the

installer database format before continuing.

4 Depending on whether you are using the tar installer or the RPM installer, do one

of the following:

For the tar installer, run the *VMware Tools tar installer:

cd vmware-tools-distrib

./vmware-install.pl

*This is what I am confused about..Thanks for your assistance.

[Sean_C]

My instructions are for installing VMware Tools on a guest installation of Ubuntu. You do not need to install VMware Tools on your host operating system.

Host OS -> VMware Workstation

Guest OS -> VMware Tools

Once you've installed VMware Workstation on your host OS you can create virtual machines. Once you've installed a guest OS on the virtual machine you can install the VMware Tools package by selecting the workstation menu item 'VM -> Install VMware Tools'. In Ubuntu a 'CD' will automatically be mounted. You can grab the VMwareTools-6.0.5-109488.tar.gz file from there. If you follow my previous instructions you will find that VMwareTools-6.0.5-109488.tar.gz expands to a directory 'vmware-tools-distrib'.

Apologies if this isn't what you're trying to accomplish.

Sean

[Sean_C]

Re: Step 2

Once you select 'VM -> Install VMware Tools', Ubuntu should automount the Linux Tools CD. You should see this on your desktop. Double-click on it and it will open up. Select the *.tar.gz file and copy it to your home directory. Follow my instructions from there.

If the CD does not appear on the desktop, try /media/cdrom (the mount location for CD's). If you find the *.tar.gz file in there, great! Follow my instructions from that point.

Of course, this is assuming that your Ubuntu 8.04 installation is the GUEST Virtual Machine. If Ubuntu 8.04 is your HOST OS, you do not need to install VMware Tools, just VMware Workstation.

Sean

[Bluesharpman]

Sean, thanks very much for your generous help. I am using Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron as the host operating system. I have been able to create two virtual machines: the first is OpenSuse10.3 and the second is Mandriva 2008. I am able to boot both guests - one at a time of course. However, after I boot either one of them within VMware and them select VM -> Install VMware Tools the display pops up showing the installer for VMtools but VMtools never completely loads or a 'CD is never mounted'. Because of this I am unable to grab VMwareTools-6.0.5-109488.tar.gz and therefore never see directory 'vmware-tools distrib'. Yesterday, I tried running /media/cdrom but I thought it was supposed to be run from inside the guest os and it would not run. It appears that it is the mounting of the tools CD that is not happening and I'm still unsure of where it is to be run from. My guess is that you have described how to load VMtools for any guest os - Ubuntu or otherwise. I tried the exact same thing running VMware 6.5 and ran into the same problem. I'm going to try it again in a few minutes. Thanks again for your help.