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ssa9999
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Shared folders and shared clipboard features do not function on a Linux guest

The problem is that Shared Folders and Shared Clipboard features do not function on a Linux guest

No error messages. Just do not function. The same happens not only in VMware, but also in Oracle VirtualBox. So I cannot use any Linux virtual machine. In the absense of Shared folders and Shared clipboard this is rather labor-consuming

VMware Workstation 15.0 or Oracle Virtual Box version 5. Host Windows 7 64 bit. Guest Linux Debian 10.0.7 32 bit и 64 bit. In the virtual machine settings, there is a Shared folder pointing to disk E root directory on the host. But Linux guest does not see that shared folder. As per VMware help, it should reside in the mnt folder on guest. But mnt folder is empty. Similarly, in Oracle VirtualBox shared folder should reside in the media folder. But there are only cdrom and cdrom0 folders. The feature just do not function, for no reason

Same thing with Shared Clipboard. In virtual machine settings, shared clipboard is set, i.e. Options\Guest isolation\Enable copy and paste check is checked. Similarly, in Oracle VirtualBox, in virtual machine setting on tab General\Advanced the Shared Clipboard field is set to Bidirectional

It does not function, i.e. linux guest does not see the shared clipboard. I cannot transfer a piece of text from host to guest via shared clipboard. The clipboard on guest is empty though clipboard on host is not empty.

With all that, both features function normally on a Windows guest. That is Shared Folders and Shared Clipboard. What does it want? to make it work on linux guest too?

The Troubleshooting section in Help has nothing on this matter

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wila
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Hi,

Here's a few links for configuring apt:
https://www.itzgeek.com/how-tos/linux/debian/setup-debian-10-official-repository-in-sources-list-etc...

https://linoxide.com/linux-how-to/configure-sources-list-on-debian/

You either have a local debian repository (not from debian.org ) or you are missing some parts.

A correction on the link I posted earlier to the debian page from which you downloaded the deb. That link was for sid.. and you are running buster which explains all the missing dependencies you saw when you tried to install it manually.
The correct link for your version of debian would have been: https://packages.debian.org/buster/open-vm-tools-desktop

--
Wil

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva

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wila
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Hi,

Did you install open-vm-tools-desktop ?

Another requirement is having installed a desktop environment such as gnome or KDE, did you do that?
--
Wil

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva
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ssa9999
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Thank you,

I tryed to install open-vm-tools-desktop, but I get an error message
Unable to locate package open-vm-tools-desktop

I have installed GNOME

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louyo
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It is open-vmtools  (sudo apt install open-vmtools).

After copying some text in the host, then open a new text file on the Linux desktop and see if it will paste in there. 

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louyo
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oops: open-vm-tools

 

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ssa9999
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Thank you, I have installed open-vm-tools

After copying some text in the host, I opened a new text file on the Linux desktop and see that it will not paste in there nothing

The problem is still there. Shared clipboard does not work

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wila
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Hi,

Yeah.. well clipboard integration doesn't work yet, because you really need open-vm-tools-desktop ....

https://packages.debian.org/sid/open-vm-tools-desktop

That's the part of open vm tools that has the clipboard integration. Because it has a dependency on open-vm-tools itself it would also have installed that part.

There might still be problems then, but normally it works.

I have no idea why you couldn't install it in the first place as it is a standard debian package and it has been like that for a few years.

--
Wil

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva
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ssa9999
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Thank you again, it's becoming more interesting

I tried again to install open-vm-tools-desktop from suggested link https://packages.debian.org/sid/open-vm-tools-desktop
, so I downloaded package open-vm-tools-desktop_11.2.0-2_amd64.deb from there.

Then I install it by
sudo apt-get install ./open-vm-tools-desktop_11.2.0-2_amd64.deb

It does not install, with message "The following packages have unmet dependencies"
Depends: libatkmm-1.6-1v5:amd64
Depends: libc6:amd64
and so on, total of 22 unmet dependencies.

What am I going to do now?

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wila
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Hi,

Wasn't suggesting to download from debian's website. That is hardly ever the way to handle this as then you are working outside of your repository which can cause all kinds of other headaches over time.

What I would try in your case is:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

and say yes on everything it wants to install

then followed up by:

sudo apt-get install open-vm-tools-desktop open-vm-tools

That really should work.
If it doesn't then your debian apt repository does not carry the files you need and you should probably look into reconfiguring apt to use another repository.

--
Wil

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva
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louyo
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Question: have you already tried installing the VMware vmtools? I have had good luck with them on debian based distros like Mint and LMDE (Mint/Debian).

 

Lou

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ssa9999
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Thank you for prompt answer,

sudo apt-get upgrade
and say yes on everything it wants to install

Did that, and it says:
Calculating upgrade... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

sudo apt-get install open-vm-tools-desktop open-vm-tools
That really should work

No, it does not. Same message I get:
E: Package 'open-vm-tools-desktop' has no installation candidate

If it doesn't then your debian apt repository does not carry the files you need and you should probably look into reconfiguring apt to use another repository

1) how come that my apt repository does not carry some files? I believe this repository was configured by debian intaller, how come that it is missing files that are supposed to be there? I never messed up with configuring repository
2) how do I reconfigure apt to use another repository? and what repository shoud I take instead?

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wila
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Hi,

Here's a few links for configuring apt:
https://www.itzgeek.com/how-tos/linux/debian/setup-debian-10-official-repository-in-sources-list-etc...

https://linoxide.com/linux-how-to/configure-sources-list-on-debian/

You either have a local debian repository (not from debian.org ) or you are missing some parts.

A correction on the link I posted earlier to the debian page from which you downloaded the deb. That link was for sid.. and you are running buster which explains all the missing dependencies you saw when you tried to install it manually.
The correct link for your version of debian would have been: https://packages.debian.org/buster/open-vm-tools-desktop

--
Wil

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva
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ssa9999
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Thank you very much. Configuring the right repositories worked. And Shared Clipboard does function now

Shared Folders function too. I should have read the docs better

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ssa9999
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Some correction. Shared Folders do function, but only after modifying /etc/fstab and rebooting. Some hack is needed there:
vmhgfs-fuse /mnt/hgfs fuse defaults,allow_other 0 0

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louyo
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Great, glad you got it working. 

Happy New Year

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