Important Notice: This post has been updated using a newer, easier method. Read more here.

I’ve had a really hard time trying to find the way to get VMware Tools on Linux virtual machines, but I’ve got it down to just a few steps. If you’re using a ‘big name’ distribution with a graphical interface, it’s not hard to install. But, I like to use Debian or Ubuntu, without X11 (the aforementioned “graphical interface”), so it’s a pain in the butt.

How to install Vmware Tools on Ubuntu without X11:

  1. Install Ubuntu Server
  2. Login
  3. Create a root shell:sudo bash
  4. Update your sources:apt-get update
  5. Upgrade your installed packages (dist-upgrade to force kernel upgrade):apt-get dist-upgrade
  6. Reboot
  7. Create a root shell again:sudo bash
  8. Install packages VMware Tools needs:apt-get install linux-headers-server build-essential
  9. Install VMware tools
  10. Mount the VMware Tools CD ISO:mount /cdrom
  11. Copy VMware Tools to home:cp /cdrom/VmwareTools-x.x.x-xxxxx.tar.gz ~
  12. Go home:cd ~
  13. Untar/Gzip the install:tar -zxf VmwareTools-x.x.x-xxxxx.tar.gz
  14. Go into the resulting directory:cd vmware-tools-distrib
  15. Start the installer:./vmware-install.pl
  16. Install will ask you questions, the defaults should work fine.
  17. Remove the basic AMD PCnet module (if you get errors about building the ethernet driver, run this command and start at step 14 again):rmmod pcnet32
  18. Rebuild module dependancies:depmod -a
  19. Install the VMware accelerated network interface:modprobe vmxnet
  20. Restart network service:/etc/init.d/networking restart
  21. Reboot
12 Responses to “Install VMware Tools on Ubuntu”
  1. Chris says:

    I found your guide here to be awesome compaired to others, but the very last command was slightly different in mine, had to use this instead. Maybe a typo, great work though.

    /etc/init.d/networking restart

  2. Matt Jones says:

    Thanks Chris, I made the correction. It might be a change from Ubuntu 6.06 to the newest, or a typo!

  3. xushi says:

    Great article.

    I’d like to also add, that on some debian installs, it might not find GCC as you might not have it installed. Just in case, just quickly install it first with apt-get.

  4. tupz says:

    Nice guide. Fixed my networking problem I was having with VMware Tools. THANKS A LOT!!!!!! Step 17-19 fixed it right up…

  5. Greg says:

    Thanks for the steps, one thing I had to do was umount /cdrom before the vmware tools could be mounted.

  6. Raz says:

    very good guide
    Help alot
    its 15.12.2008 and still working good
    Thanks for the investment .

  7. drew says:

    This guide came in very, very handy on my ubuntu server-only VM. I’m running Workstation and this was perfect. Thanks!

  8. Mike says:

    Great guide!

    Apart from the Open Source version of VMWare Tools this is the first time that I successfully installed them on Ubuntu JeOS!

    Thankyou!

  9. Jen says:

    Great guide. Just set up the Ubuntu VM to get my feet wet in Linux, and this worked like a champ.

  10. [...] in making it even quicker and easier. It seems newer versions of Ubuntu and VMware Tools broke my previous instructions. Luck for us, VMware and Ubuntu contributors have made the process easier than it was in the [...]

  11. Jamie Smith says:

    on the new vmware ESX if you right click on guest OS virtual maching then select install vmware tools this mounts the cd then type in the following commands:

    sudo aptitude install build-essential linux-headers-generic
    cp /media/cdrom/VMwareTools-*.tar.gz /tmp/
    cd /tmp/
    tar xf VMwareTools-*.tar.gz
    cd vmware-tools-distrib/
    sudo ./vmware-install.pl

    this should install the tools for you

    • Christian Sawyer says:

      VMware Server 2.0.x allow same installation facility with some difference as follow:

      sudo aptitude install build-essential linux-headers-(generic or server or virtual)

      #Need to create symbolic link as vmware-tools only refer to /usr/src/linux/include
      ln -s /usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.x.x-(generic or server or virtual) /usr/src/linux

      # The rest is the same.
      cp /media/cdrom/VMwareTools-*.tar.gz /tmp/
      cd /tmp/
      tar xf VMwareTools-*.tar.gz
      cd vmware-tools-distrib/
      sudo ./vmware-install.pl

      Everything works fine for ubuntu server jeos, hardy, intrepid and jaunty

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