vmtoolsd core dump when running vmware-user

[myitcv]

Host OS: Mac OS X 10.13

Guest: Ubuntu 17.10

I start X manually and so have the following in my .xinitrc:

/usr/bin/vmware-user &

But following the upgrade to 17.10 from 17.04 this is producing core dumps of vmtoolsd in my home directory.

I'm using the VMWare distributed tools (because I can't for the life of me get the open-vm-tools to work, but that's another issue) and they have been reinstalled post upgrade.

Any ideas what's going on here?

Thanks

[parmarr]

Hello,

I would suggest having a look at the KB below to see if disbaling the logs would help:

https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=10078...

[myitcv]

Even with the logging configuration:

[logging]

log = false

vmtoolsd.level = none

vmtoolsd.handler = file

vmtoolsd.data = /tmp/vmtoolsd.log

I am still seeing core dumps being generated.

[stanguturi]

> But following the upgrade to 17.10 from 17.04 this is producing core dumps of vmtoolsd in my home directory.

Can you please check if the 'vmtoolsd' process/service is running irrespective of the core dumps?

$ ps -ef | grep -i vmtools

or

$ ps -ef | grep -i vmware

Above command should show if the tools process is running or not.

Will log an internal tracking bug to do the necessary investigation and resolve the issue. This issue should not happen with the 'open-vm-tools'. Did you try to build and install the 'Open-vm-tools' version? Did you encounter any issues installing / building OVT? If so, what are those issues?

Thanks

Sankar.

[myitcv]

> Can you please check if the 'vmtoolsd' process/service is running irrespective of the core dumps?

Yes, it is running:

$ ps -ef | grep -i vmtools

root       1307      1  0 21:33 ?        00:00:00 /usr/sbin/vmtoolsd

myitcv     1720      1  5 21:33 tty1     00:00:00 /usr/lib/vmware-tools/sbin64/vmtoolsd -n vmusr --blockFd 3

> This issue should not happen with the 'open-vm-tools'. Did you try to build and install the 'Open-vm-tools' version? Did you encounter any issues installing / building OVT? If so, what are those issues?

I have never been able to get open-vm-tools working properly. The current outstanding issue is that been copy-paste does not work between host and guest.

I would happily switch if the switch was literally a case of switching, and not having to debug for hours on end.

Should I be building from source or using the Ubuntu package open-vm-tools?

Thanks

[stanguturi]

> Yes, it is running:

Thanks for confirming.

> myitcv     1720      1  5 21:33 tty1     00:00:00 /usr/lib/vmware-tools/sbin64/vmtoolsd -n vmusr --blockFd 3

Using the command 'lsof -p 1720 | grep -i plugin', you can check the list of plugins loaded by the 'vmware user level process'. The dndcp plugin which is needed for 'copy - paste' should be loaded. Please check.

> Should I be building from source or using the Ubuntu package open-vm-tools?

Try installing the Ubuntu package 'open-vm-tools'. You also need to install 'open-vm-tools-desktop' package for 'copy-paste' operation. Please update this post if you see any issue installing / updating the 'open-vm-tools[-desktop]' package(s).

Thanks

Sankar.

[myitcv]

I just uninstalled the legacy vmtools and then ran:

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

Screen resolution is fine but the following two things are not working:

1. Shared directories

2. Copy and paste

Do I need to follow special instructions to get these working?

Thanks

[myitcv]

Ok I have shared directories working now (hadn't realised this now needs an explicit entry in /etc/fstab)

But copy and paste still not working in either direction.

Thanks

[stanguturi · Accepted solution]

Nice to know that there is no more a tools crash / dump.

> But copy and paste still not working in either direction.

'copy and paste' operation is provided by 'dndcp' plugin. Can you please check and make sure that dndcp plugin is loaded by 'vmware tools'

$ ps -ef | grep -i tools

$ lsof -p <pid of vmtoolsd vmusr process> | grep -i plugin

dndcp plugin should be loaded. If it is not loaded, we need to figure out why is not loaded.

Also, can you please follow the instructions at VMware Knowledge Base  and enable the debug logging for vmusr and vmsvc modules and provide the log bundle (you can send me the attachment in a private message).

Few more suggestions / links:

- Please reboot the VM.

- 14.04 - Copy/paste and drag&drop not working in vmware machine with Ubuntu - Ask Ubuntu

- Please check Re: cant copy/paste from guest to host  and follow the instructions to make sure that 'copy / paste' operation is NOT DISABLED.

Thanks

Sankar.

[myitcv]

Thanks Sankar - I replied via a private message.

[myitcv]

Sankar,

Thanks again for your help. As I mentioned in our private message, all issues are now resolved.

1. Shared folders not working; solved by ensuring there was an entry in /etc/fstab (per mount - Enabling shared folders with open-vm-tools - Ask Ubuntu​):

.host:/ /mnt/hgfs fuse.vmhgfs-fuse allow_other 0 0

2. Copy and paste not working - because I manually startx, I needed to add the following to my $HOME/.xinitrc file:

/usr/bin/vmware-user-suid-wrapper

Now all working.

Thanks again.

[stanguturi]

> Thanks again for your help. As I mentioned in our private message, all issues are now resolved.

Thanks for the update.