Unable to install VMware Tools in Debian 6 64-bit

[Deryni]

I just installed Fusion v4.0.2, Debian 6 64-bit, and did the usual "apt-get install build-essential linux-headers-2.6-amd64".  However when I attempt to install the Tools (v8.8.0-465068), it is still unable to find GCC nor the kernel headers.  gcc-4.3 is in the path, and /usr/src/linux-2.6.32-5-amd64 (and -common) exist (and match the running kernel).   Ideas?

[Deryni]

The problem is not that I'm doing an unusal installation of VMware tools.  Please read the steps again.

1) Install as basic of a Debian 6 system as possible.  I normally include "Standard system utilities", but for amusement I deselected that one as well.  (With it, there's no change).   Do we agree that this is still a "Debian 6" installation?

2) apt-get install linux-headers-2.6-`uname -r`   and   apt-get install make.    (Normally I do linux-headers-2.6-amd64 and build-essential, but I tried these two more specific items)

3) Attempt to install VMware Tools v8.8.0-465068 (as supplied by VMware when you select Install VMware Tools.  Mount the CD, untar the tarball, etc.)

4) Installation fails during the vmware-config-tools.pl step as described previously by me.

5) apt-get install libglib2.0-0

6) Installation succeeds.

I've tried your installation steps, will you try mine?  Pay particular attention to step 1.  Do not use _all_ of the defaults during installation, but pare down the default selection to either just "Standard system utilities", or have none of them selected.

Does nobody still have Fusion v4.0.1 installed?  If so, could you please post the output of "ldd /usr/lib/vmware-tools/lib64/libvmware-modconfig-console.so/libvmware-modconfig-console.so"?

[Deryni]

New data point.  Installed the tools on ESXi 5.  That supplies the tools v8.6.0-425873.  This one installs without libglib-2.0.  However libvmware-modconfig-console.so does still depend on it... so that shared lib isn't the one trying to load libglib-2.0.

[PeterP86]

1) Do we agree that this is still a "Debian 6" installation?

Yes of course. I always install clear Debian for tests.

2) apt-get install linux-headers-2.6-`uname -r`   and   apt-get install make.    (Normally I do linux-headers-2.6-amd64 and build-essential, but I tried these two more specific items)

linux-headers-`uname -r` will take best options for your kernel.

Once again. Could you upload your VMware tools? I have much older version. Meaby problem

is exactly with installation scripts and nothing else.

[hajk]

A few days late, I know, but I can confirm that VMware Tools don't compile in a non-desktop version of Debian Squeeze for the reason given by Deryni. Also, first installing the libglib2.0-0 package (and linking /usr/bin/gcc to gcc-4.3) solves the problem.

Seems like a bug in bin/vmware-config-tools.pl (in a call to sub getValidGccPath), but I'm not sufficiently adept at Perl to check this much further.:smileyblush:

[Deryni]

Excellent! Indepedant verification.   Based on my investigation, it looks like the execution of vmware-modconfig-console is the one that is failing.  Tried using strace on it to determine what wasn't working properly, but I haven't tracked it down to the specific shared object that it was trying to load.   In any case, I have a support ticket open with VMware on this issue, I will post back when they have a response (probably a new version of Fusion to incorporate a new version of the tools).

[gbeaudoin]

Using VMwareTools-8.8.0-471268.tar.gz, I have the exact same problem.

I wasn't able to work it out until I've found this thread.

The correct solution for me was to install the package libglib2.0-0 before installation the VMwareTools.

[supermaik]

+1 for installing libglib2.0-dev before starting the config process.  Works for me, thank you!

[julienl]

Same here on a Debian 5 x64 (VMWare Fusion 4.1). The installation of libglib2.0-dev solves the problem !

[nancyh]

Many thanks, adding libglib2.0-dev also fixed the install problem with Ubuntu 11.04. I'm still working on the OpenSuse 12.1 (it looks to be installed but I have an option to cancel vmware tools installation under Fusion 4.1.1)

[myacc]

I have been spending for hours googeling and trying to get either VMware tools or open-vm-tools to work on Debian testing Wheezy.

Can someone please post a summary of the findings of this thread? Some very short instructoins how I can get it to work on Wheezy?

I installed and used it before... So from ./installer I am clear. Just need to sort out the problems before.

[dajbozerozum]

Well I have just checked installation of VMware Tools on Debian 6.0 Squeeze in VMware Workstation 8. It needs to have installed libglib2.0 to detect gcc and linux-headers.

In my case I have installed few things:

# apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r` gcc-4.3 make binutils psmisc libglib2.0

After that, I have launched vmware-config.pl without any problems.

Be aware that in case HGFS failes you have to enable Shared Folders in Edit Settings of virtual machine .

[Deryni]

Here we are 5 months later, and multiple versions of Fusion, and this still has not been fixed.  Tools is now up to version 8.8.3-682996 (as shipped with Fusion 4.1.2), and this problem still presents itself.