How do I install VMware Tools in an Ubuntu VM running in VMware Fusion?

ubuntu vmware-fusion vmware-tools

10,703

Solution 1

lilott8's answer is correct, here are a few more details:

You want the instructions for the "Tar Installer": http://www.vmware.com/support/ws55/doc/ws_newguest_tools_linux.html#wp1127177

If there's nothing at /media/cdrom0, check to see where the CDROM is mounted by entering into the terminal: mount

This will show a list of all mounted filesystems. If the CDROM isn't mounted, try: mount /media/cdrom0

EDIT: I'm not sure why nothing is showing up in the CDROM. Try (as root) to umount it and remount it?

sudo umount /media/cdrom1
sudo mount /media/cdrom1

EDIT2: vmware-toolbox is only for X11. It adjusts the display size to match the window size and other such things. TO confirm that VMware tools are properly installed and running, restart them:

/etc/init.d/vmware-tools restart

If you are told that they are not (properly) configured and to run vmware-config-tools.pl, then they are not properly installed and you should run that script.

Solution 2

For Debian/Ubuntu systems I generally prefer to use the open vm tools packages within the repository. It is easier and they work fine.

Install by sudo apt-get install open-vm-source open-vm-tools. Then build the kernel modules by running these two commands.

sudo module-assistant prepare open-vm
sudo module-assistant auto-install open-vm

Solution 3

I know on some distros you need to pull the tar.gz file from the cd, un compress it, then run the ./vmware-install.pl.

10,703

Daryl Spitzer

Father of three, husband, computer programmer (Pythonista), skeptic, atheist, podcast listener, baseball fan, Canadian (in the United States).

Updated on September 17, 2022

Comments

Daryl Spitzer over 1 year
I have Ubuntu (Ubuntu 8.04.3 LTS) running in a VMware Fusion VM, and I believe I've installed VMware Tools. But how can I confirm that VMware Tools is running correctly?

When I try step 8 of http://www.vmware.com/support/ws55/doc/ws%5Fnewguest%5Ftools%5Flinux.html#wp1127177 (in an xterm) I get:
```
$ su -
Password: 
# vmware-toolbox &
[1] 7791
(vmware-toolbox-gtk:7791): Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display:  
```
I wonder if it's also a bad sign that the menu item in Fusion's Virtual Machine menu still reads "Install VMware Tools" rather than "Update VMware Tools". Or perhaps Fusion can't properly detect whether Tools is running in Ubuntu (and this is not a problem)?

Update 5: (1 through 4 are below) I've confirmed that the VMware Tools are running correctly, by running (in an xterm):
```
$ su -
# /etc/init.d/vmware-tools restart
```
...as suggested by Josh.

So at least for an Ubuntu 8.04.3 LTS guest and VMware Fusion 2.0.6, the "Install VMware Tools" item in the Virtual Machine menu does not change to "Update VMware Tools" when they're properly installed.

Update 6: After reading Thorbjørn's comment, I ran:
```
$ sudo -s
# vmware-toolbox
```
...and got:
```
(vmware-toolbox-gtk:8192): Gtk-WARNING **: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "ubuntulooks",
```
...and a "VMware Tools Properties" dialog box appears.
```
# /etc/init.d/vmware-tools restart
```
...doesn't report any errors.

Copy & paste was working for me previously, but now it's stopped: the clipboard is no longer copied from the guest to the host, nor visa-versa.

The following was written before I was able to install VMware Tools:

I have Ubuntu (Ubuntu 8.04.3 LTS) running in a VMware Fusion VM, and I'm trying to install VMware Tools. I'm following the instructions at http://www.vmware.com/support/ws55/doc/ws_newguest_tools_linux.html.

I choose Virtual Machine > Install VMware Tools, and (after pressing the Install button in the confirmation dialog) a "VMware Tools" item appears in Ubuntu's Places menu. But nothing happens after I select it. And ls /media/cdrom0 returns nothing.

Update: Responding to Josh's suggestions:
```
$ mount
/dev/sda1 on / type ext3 (rw,relatime,errors=remount-ro)
proc on /proc type proc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
/sys on /sys type sysfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
varrun on /var/run type tmpfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,mode=0755)
varlock on /var/lock type tmpfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,mode=1777)
udev on /dev type tmpfs (rw,mode=0755)
devshm on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,gid=5,mode=620)
lrm on /lib/modules/2.6.24-23-generic/volatile type tmpfs (rw)
securityfs on /sys/kernel/security type securityfs (rw)
.host:/ on /mnt/hgfs type vmhgfs (rw,ttl=5)
none on /proc/fs/vmblock/mountPoint type vmblock (rw)
/dev/scd0 on /media/cdrom1 type iso9660 (ro,nosuid,nodev,utf8,user=dspitzer)
tmpfs on /lib/modules/2.6.24-25-generic/volatile type tmpfs (rw,mode=0755)
gvfs-fuse-daemon on /home/dspitzer/.gvfs type fuse.gvfs-fuse-daemon (rw,nosuid,nodev,user=dspitzer)
```
I tried:
```
$ mount /media/cdrom0
mount: No medium found
```
And seeing "/dev/scd0" above, I tried:
```
$ mount /dev/scd0
mount: block device /dev/scd0 is write-protected, mounting read-only
mount: /dev/scd0 already mounted or /media/cdrom1 busy
mount: according to mtab, /dev/scd0 is already mounted on /media/cdrom1
```
Which led me to:
```
$ ls -al /media/cdrom1
total 0
-r-xr-xr-x 1 root root 0 1996-04-25 00:37  primary volume descriptor for contact information.
```
I'm puzzled.

Update 2: Josh's suggestion to try:
```
sudo umount /media/cdrom1
sudo mount /media/cdrom1
```
...worked to get the VMware Tools DVD-ROM to mount. Now I can follow the instructions in http://www.vmware.com/support/ws55/doc/ws%5Fnewguest%5Ftools%5Flinux.html#wp1127177.

Update 3: When I try step 8 of http://www.vmware.com/support/ws55/doc/ws%5Fnewguest%5Ftools%5Flinux.html#wp1127177 I get:
```
$ su -
Password: 
# vmware-toolbox &
[1] 6892
(vmware-toolbox-gtk:6892): Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display:  
```
Could this be because I'm not actually in an X terminal? (I'm opening Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal.)

I wonder if it's also a bad sign that the menu item in Fusion's Virtual Machine menu still reads "Install VMware Tools" rather than "Update VMware Tools". Perhaps Fusion can't properly detect whether Tools is running in Ubuntu?

Update 4: I ran xterm and then the following:
```
$ su -
Password: 
# vmware-toolbox &
[1] 7791
(vmware-toolbox-gtk:7791): Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display:  
```
As you see, I got the same warning.

How can I confirm that VMware Tools is running correctly?
- Josh over 14 years
  
  Yes, vmware-toolbox is for X11
- user1089802 over 14 years
  
  "su -" forgets the DISPLAY variable which is needed for X11. Use "sudo -s" instead.
Josh over 14 years

This is the proper way to do it
Josh over 14 years

Personally I always use VMware's tools. It's very simple to install them and that way you're sure you're using supported software.
boxofrats over 14 years

This is correct, but you might have to do "sudo ./vmware-install.pl" instead. It is recommended that you have gcc installed in your Ubuntu, the VMWare tools will compile a couple of things if you let them.
Daryl Spitzer over 14 years

Do you mean the physical CD? Won't I then be installing an out-of-date version of tools?
Daryl Spitzer over 14 years

Yours is the only answer addressing the problem I'm having mounting the CD-ROM. Perhaps I should edit my question and change the title to make this more clear. See my update.
Josh over 14 years

That's odd. What you want is /media/cdrom1 but it's empty!
Josh over 14 years

Just grasping at straws, see my edited answer
Josh over 14 years

See EDIT2 on how to know if vmware tools are running