vmware tools for workstation 6.5 seem to be broken in a guest OS ubuntu 8.10 intrepid

[sefsinc]

When trying to install vmware tools in a guest OS called Ubuntu 8.10 intrepid, VMSOCK (or is it VSOCK) fails to compile. Is there a way around this?

Thanks.

[nextech]

Sefsinc,

Have you found ANY solution to getting VMWare Tools for Workstation 6.5 working in a guest OS Ubuntu 8.10?

I have found the following threads:

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1129103#1129103

and this one:

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1128951#1128951

and this one:

and this one:

and this one:

and I finally started this one myself as an "unanswered question":

It just seems that VMWare developers are "sleeping on the job" and could really care less about Ubuntu. As far as getting VMWare Tools updated to work properly with Ubuntu 8.10 guest OS, I've been unable to find a single response from ANY of the VMWare developers.

I can understand the frustration as many of these threads have been ongoing for about 3-4+ months now, and there doesn't seem to be a single answer or solution as to how to get the VMWare Tools to work on Ubuntu 8.10 guest OS.

Have you found a solution to this problem? I've checked about 38 different websites, and about 22+ different forums, I have scoured Google, but have still been unable to find a solution anywhere. I would think that VMWare forums is where users should look for a solution, but even the posts here seem to just go unanswered by the VMWare Developers, and there seems to be no solution, and VMWare seems to be keeping "very quiet" about the problem, and continuing to try and bury their head in the sand and ignore it.

It took me less than an hour to do a full LAMP installation on a new server build. Then it took me 9+ hours just looking for a simple solution on how to get VMWare Tools working under Ubuntu 8.10 Server. So I can understand the ANGER and FRUSTRATION by the users in the VMWare forums. I read one post (dated back in October) which seemed like an "angry rant" asking the developers to "stop slacking off".

I believe the exact quote was:

" Come on VMware, where are my working tools? #1 Linux Distro out there, and you don't even have working tools for it as a guest. Don't say "the OS just came out ".

Then the user ends with:* *

" Stop slacking off! "

Seems a tad bit harsh, but I can understand the user's frustrations when VMWare developers just don't even respond or don't even seem to care about the users or customers of their VMWare products. When the product is broken and doesn't work properly, I can see how upsetting it can get for users & customers. I've looked everywhere for a solution to the problem as well, and that previous post was over 2+ months ago, and there still doesn't seem to be ANY type of progress, or anything coming from VMWare.

Is it really that complicated to just FIX the VMWare Tools so that they will work properly on Ubuntu 8.10? Is it really that difficult to do, or is this just a matter of them dragging their feet and not taking the requests of their users & customers seriously?

VMWare is about virtualization, and as far as I know, Ubuntu seems to be one of the most common flavors of Linux, and it's a mainstream distro, and I know most LAMP server builds are either done on RedHat or Ubuntu distros. We are currently developing for the Ubuntu Server platform, but it just seems odd that VMWare can't even get something as simple as the VMWare Tools working properly on Ubuntu 8.10.

Has anyone heard a peep from the VMWare developers as to when this issue will be addressed? Who do we talk to? Are the VMWare Developers even reading these threads?

How long is VMWare going to stick their head in the sand and ignore the problem? Is this something that will be addressed fairly soon? Are there ANY VMWare developers in this forum that could at least respond, and give us some clue as to what on earth is going on with VMWare and why VMWare is broken and what the timeline is for getting VMWare fixed?

Could a VMWare developer just take a few minutes out of his busy schedule to at least just help us a bit, and give us a solution to this problem? How do we get VMWare Tools working on Ubuntu 8.10 Server?

Message was edited by: nextech Added a new link to the tutorial for a solution to the problem

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1129103#1129103

[nextech]

Sefsinc,

I believe I've found the "correct" answer. I've scoured the internet looking for a solution to installing VMWare Tools for Workstation 6.5 in guest OS Ubuntu 8.10 and here are the detailed instructions on how to properly install (and compile) VMware Tools for Ubuntu 8.10 Guest OS.

I created a small tutorial here:

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1129103#1129103

If you are installing Ubuntu 8.10 64-bit OS then following the instructions found here on the Ubuntu forums:

I followed the instructions there, but ran into some problems as I was running a 32-bit version of Ubuntu 8.10 Server, and the instructions are for a 64-bit version of Ubuntu 8.10 Server, and didn't work. So the files you must download for the installation are different.

So if you are using a 64-bit version of Ubuntu 8.10, then follow the instructions on the link above. If you are using a 32-bit version of Ubuntu 8.10, then replace "amd64" with "i386" in the file names and make the following changes in the file names that you download and install:

sudo wget

Change that to:

sudo wget

Then also change the following line from:

sudo wget

and if you are running a 32-bit version of Ubuntu 8.10 then change the above line to this:

sudo wget

-

---

So here is the complete solution for noobies with the complete step by step instructions for getting VMWare Tools running on Ubuntu 8.10 x86 (32-bit) Guest OS working in VMWare Workstation 6.5:

Install dependency for VMware Tools:

Code:

sudo apt-get install build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r) psmisc

sudo apt-get install gcc binutils make wget

And for the hack with the open tools I also installed the following (although some of these were found on sites describing what's needed for Ubuntu with a GUI, some might be unnecessary):

Code:

sudo apt-get install libgtk2.0-dev

sudo apt-get install libproc-dev libdumbnet-dev xorg-dev

cd /tmp

sudo mkdir liburiparser

cd liburiparser

sudo wget

sudo wget

sudo dpkg -i liburiparser1_0.7.2-0exp1_i386.deb

sudo dpkg -i liburiparser-dev_0.7.2-0exp1_i386.deb

sudo apt-get install libicu-dev

Go to /tmp and download the open source version of the tools from [here|http://downloads.sourceforge.net/open-vm-tools/open-vm-tools-2008.11.18-130226.tar.gz?modtime=1227030450&bigmirror=0]_.

Code:

sudo wget

Unpack and build the open-vm-tools:

Code:

sudo tar xzvf open-vm-tools.gz*

cd open-vm-tools-2008.11.18-130226

sudo ./configure --includedir=/usr/include/uriparser

sudo make

In the VMware management console, right click on the VM and tell VMware to install the VM tools (or click VM->Install VMWare Tools in Menu) then copy the tools:

Code:

sudo mount /media/cdrom0

sudo cp -a /media/cdrom0/VMwareTools..gz /tmp/*

cd /tmp/

sudo tar -xzvf VMwareTools.gz*

From the open source modules/linux folder we have the vmblock, vmhgfs, vmmemctl, vmsync and vmxnet modules that we need to tar up and place into the official VMware tools tarball:

Code:

cd /tmp/open-vm-tools-2008.11.18-130226/modules/linux/

sudo for i in *; do sudo mv $ $-only; sudo tar -cf $.tar $-only; done

cd ../../..

sudo mv -f open-vm-tools-2008.11.18-130226/modules/linux/.tar vmware-tools-distrib/lib/modules/source/*

Now we can run the regular VMware tools installer accepting all the defaults:

Code:

cd /tmp/vmware-tools-distrib/

sudo ./vmware-install.pl

Activate the vmxnet drivers:

Code:

sudo /etc/init.d/networking stop

sudo depmod -a

sudo modprobe vmxnet

sudo /etc/init.d/networking start

Shutdown with sudo Code:

init 0

and in the management console edit the VM settings, delete the Network Adapter that was previously created and create new ones with vmxnet settings.

Start the VM and this step should be complete.

[nextech]

Sefsinc,

After 12 1/2+ hours, I've finally found a solution, and finally got everything working under Ubuntu 8.10 guest OS.

For more detailed instructions (step by step) on how to get VMWare Tools working on Ubuntu 8.10 Guest OS, you can look at the following links:

I created a small tutorial here:

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1129103#1129103

A post by Mufasa in this link helped as well:

http://communities.vmware.com/message/887802#887802

This link was very useful as well:

The one single link that helped the most by far was found here on the Ubuntu forums:

Keep in mind that if you are running a x86 (32-bit) version of Ubuntu 8.10, then the files you need to download and use are different than the instructions on the Ubuntu forums. So look over the instructions on the Ubuntu forums (if you are using a 64-bit version of Ubuntu 8.10 guest OS), but if you are installing VMWare Tools on a 32-bit version of Ubuntu Guest OS then follow the very first link up at the top of this post, or the link here below:

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1129103#1129103

That should be enough to help you (step by step) get the VMWare Tools installed and running on Ubuntu 8.10 Guest OS (32-bit or 64-bit).

Mark

P.S. Sefsinc, I do hope that you find the links provided above help as a solution. Please post back with your results, and please award the "correct answer" points for the correct solution accordingly. Thank-you! (I'm hoping I might actually get my very FIRST full "Correct Response" points from a poster, yippie!) Or at least partial points for a "helpful" response. Every little bit helps. If the links above and the tutorial I created above help solve your question/problem, then please close out the question as answered and award the points. Even "helpful" points and "correct response" points are good. Thank-you!

[nextech]

Sefsinc,

Just to clarify. Yes, to recompile the VSOCK module correctly, just follow the instructions at the link below:

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1129190#1129190

After following the instructions in the link above, the file(s) you need will be located in the "/tmp/open-vm-tools-2008.11.18-130226/modules/linux" folder.

The file/directory you are looking for specifically is the "vsock" folder. You'll need to TAR it up (as specified in the instructions in the link above).

After you TAR up the new vsock file, then add/overwrite the existing vsock.tar file (in the official VMWare Tools distribution). After you add the newly compiled vsock.tar file to the Official VMWare Tools distribution, then just rerun the installation accepting all the defaults, and when the installation gets to the vsock portion, it should work correctly and install correctly on your machine now.

Mark

P.S. Hope this helps, please award "helpful" or "correct answer" points accordingly. Thank-you!