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GLettina
Contributor
Contributor

VMware Tools don't work on Ubuntu 8.10

Today I've updated Ubuntu 8.04 to Ubuntu 8.10 in a virtual machine. In the new Ubuntu 8.10 VMware Tools don't work!! No screen resolution, no Unity, nothing... and the mouse doesn't work fine!! If I click in the right side of the screen, it clicks in the left!! I've tried to do something with terminal, but I think the new Ubuntu is unsupported... when an update of VMware Tools for Ubuntu 8.10? Thanks Smiley Happy






I'm using VMware Fusion on my iMac. It's fantastic, thanks VMware!! Smiley Happy

I'm using VMware Fusion on my iMac. It's fantastic, thanks VMware!! 🙂
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59 Replies
dobbilino
Contributor
Contributor

Have you built again the tools after updating ubuntu ? If not , see below, if yes, forget about it.

I ´m new to vmware but i think its possible that a new version of ubuntu comes with a new kernel and that means , to my opinion , that you have to install the tools again. The tools always work only with the kenel that they have compiled for,

and that means, new kernel, built the tools again please. Anyway, its worth a try i think.

wkr

dobbilino

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

Yep, Tools not working with Ubuntu 8.10 is a known issue. We're tracking it as bug 344357.

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urbanomad
Contributor
Contributor

the update about the bug wasn't visible when I posted...

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dimavs
Contributor
Contributor

Sorry, where I can check status of this bug?

Cheers,

D

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

Sorry, where I can check status of this bug?

You can't, our bug tracker is not publicly accessible. Posting the bug number is so if you need to ask us about it, we'll know what you're talking about.

The vmmouse ungrab problem is an Ubuntu bug, they'll hopefully push out a fix soon. Not sure yet about the other aspects.

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Pbryanw
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi, just wondering if there's a time frame for when the Fusion Tools will work with Ubuntu 8.10, or will it be done when it's done?

Thanks.

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

Sorry, VMware policy is to not comment on unannounced timelines/features/products, so we can't say. It'll be done when it's done.

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CuriosCat
Contributor
Contributor

The tools also claim that no compatible video driver for Xorg 7.4.2 is available:

Detected X.org version 7.4.2.

No drivers for X.org version: 7.4.2

That and the vsock module build errors are the two actual errors I receive; the other drivers do seem to work fine.

(Wouldn't it be nice if Linux had a stable kernel API so that drivers didn't have to be upgraded every time you update the kernel?)

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msh_
Contributor
Contributor

Is there any way to easily find out when it's fixed, or will I have to keep polling back to this forum every so often?

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

(Wouldn't it be nice if Linux had a stable kernel API so that drivers didn't have to be upgraded every time you update the kernel?)

It's a nice dream, go bug Linus Smiley Happy

After further investigation, we believe vmware-user not starting is somehow an Intrepid autostart problem - as far as we can tell, vmware-user is never being run. A workaround is noted in .

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

one thing that is not happening is that the vmware-user service is not starting, try doing this

go to System->Preferences->Sessions in the

Ubuntu desktop menu and add /usr/bin/vmware-user as a startup command.

or

sudo vmware-user start

This should get vmware-user to start, however it will not resolve the mouse ungrab issue

This should get screen resize working but unity and parts of DND will continue to not work

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cjfeist
Contributor
Contributor

You can get an updated xserver-xorg-input-vmmouse which fixes the mouse capture issue (the mouse will go in and out without hitting any keys) here: https://edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/intrepid/i386/xserver-xorg-input-vmmouse/1:12.5.1-1ubuntu5.1

The .deb is here: http://launchpadlibrarian.net/19327138/xserver-xorg-input-vmmouse_12.5.1-1ubuntu5.1_i386.deb

I've tried it and it works perfectly for me. It should eventually make it into the normal release, but until then, that .deb will work.

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sefsinc
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I am a little confused, which bugs are we discussing in this thread.

How many bugs are there.

1) mouse issu (this is to be sorted out by ubuntu)

2) vsock and xorg compilation issues (whose job is this)

3) what is this vmware-user issue and what does it resolve by autostarting it in sessions.

thanks.

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Zerocool3001
Contributor
Contributor

1) mouse issu (this is to be sorted out by ubuntu)

This issue has been resolved and added to the Ubuntu repository. Updating should solve it.

2) vsock and xorg compilation issues (whose job is this)

This is vmware's job. Vmware-tools doesn't support the current kernal. I can only assume they're working on this.

3) what is this vmware-user issue and what does it resolve by autostarting it in sessions.

Initially, the vmware-user startup script was failing to initiate vmware-user in 8.10. With the aforementioned updates (which include the mouse fix), this is no longer true. Xorg will now no longer start, even if vmware-user is restarted or vmware-config is rerun. There is simply no compatible module in vmware-tools to compile under the current xorg version. Again, this is vmware's problem.

I hope this helps.

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neiltwist
Contributor
Contributor

I'm currently trialling VMWare Fusion as a dissatisfied Parallels customer.

Anyway, I have a reasonable amount of linux experience and a lot of experience trying to install the Parallels tools in ubuntu 8.04. Here is what I have found today:

I installed the VMWare tools through the usual method, and during the post install scripts found that no modules were available for my kernel, do I want to build them?

So, here is what I would suggest is a sensible install:

  1. Install the package "build-essentials" and it's dependencies through synaptic or apt-get (search in synaptic or "sudo apt-get install build-essentials").

  2. update your packages (using update-manager, "mark upgrades" in synaptic or "sudo apt-get upgrade"). Be sure to update ("refresh" in synaptic or "sudo apt-get update".

  3. When 1 has finished, accept the defaults and go through the config

  4. Accept the default screen dimensions.

  5. You should see "passed" for all modules except the folder sharing.

  6. Go to System>Preferences>Sessions

  7. Add a new session

  8. Call it something sensible (VMWare Tools?)

  9. Set the command to "/usr/bin/vmware-user"

  10. Restart the virtual machine.

  11. Voila, you have a working install of (most of) the tools.

I've only had it running a little while, so it might not be perfect, but I've had Unity working quite nicely.

I hope this helps someone who's a little lost...

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Zerocool3001
Contributor
Contributor

This is appropriate for 8.04, but currently vmware-tools does not have to ability to compile under 8.10. The steps you mentioned (the same as installing vmware-tools for the first time, or reconfiguring them) will not work.

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neiltwist
Contributor
Contributor

it was definitely 8.10 that I did it under, and apart from shared folders (which I haven't tried) it is working fine.

I'll double check the kernel version later...

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SvenGus
Expert
Expert

Personally, I had no problems installing the VMware Tools in Ubuntu 8.10, except for the vmmouse problem (now solved by updating, previously by applying an unofficial patch); by adding /usr/bin/vmware-user to the login items in the Sessions control panel, everything now seems to work OK.

The same in Mandriva 2009 with KDE4: it is sufficient to add vmware-user to the Automatic Startup items (or whatever it's named in English) in the Advanced settings pane in System Preferences, and then every Tools feature works correctly (also Unity).

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SvenGus
Expert
Expert

... In VMware Fusion 2.0.1 (forgot to mention that), which also has updated Tools.

BTW, to compile the Tools, in Ubuntu usually you don't need to install anything additional, while in Mandriva you must also install the kernel-devel package matching your kernel version (and of course gcc and make, at the same time).

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