How to Fix VMware Tools Installation Error

VMware Tools is a set of utilities that enhances the performance of a virtual machine by providing features like better graphics, mouse synchronization, and more.

However, sometimes the installation of VMware Tools can fail with error messages. For example:

Setup is unable to find the "gcc" program on your machine. Please 
make sure it is installed. Do you want to specify the location of this
program by hand?

Setup is unable to find the 'make' program on your machine. Please 
make sure it is installed. Do you want to specify the location of this 
program by hand? [yes]

This guide will show you how to fix the VMware Tools installation error on Linux virtual machines.

Step 1: Mount VMware Tools ISO

First, make sure that the VMware Tools ISO is mounted on the virtual machine. To check if the ISO is mounted, run the following command:

ls /mnt/cdrom

If the output shows the contents of the VMware Tools ISO, then it is mounted. Otherwise, you can mount it by running the following command:

sudo mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom

Step 2: Install Required Dependencies

Next, install the required dependencies for VMware Tools using the following command:

sudo yum install gcc make kernel-devel kernel-headers glibc-headers glibc-devel

This command will install the required packages for VMware Tools installation.

Step 3: Run the VMware Tools Installer

Navigate to the VMware Tools directory using the following command:

cd /mnt/cdrom

Then, extract the VMware Tools installer files using the following command:

tar -xvf VMwareTools-VERSION.tar.gz

Replace VERSION with the version number of your VMware Tools ISO.

Next, run the VMware Tools installer using the following command:

sudo ./vmware-install.pl

Follow the prompts to complete the installation.

Step 4: Restart the Virtual Machine

After the installation is complete, restart the virtual machine to apply the changes:

sudo reboot

Commands Mentioned:

• ls /mnt/cdrom – checks if the VMware Tools ISO is mounted
• sudo mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom – mounts the VMware Tools ISO
• sudo yum install gcc make kernel-devel kernel-headers glibc-headers glibc-devel – installs required dependencies for VMware Tools installation
• cd /mnt/cdrom – navigates to the VMware Tools directory
• tar -xvf VMwareTools-VERSION.tar.gz – extracts the VMware Tools installer files
• sudo ./vmware-install.pl – runs the VMware Tools installer
• sudo reboot – restarts the virtual machine

Conclusion

In this guide, we have shown you how to fix the VMware Tools installation error on Linux virtual machines. By ensuring that the VMware Tools ISO is mounted, installing the required dependencies, running the installer, and restarting the virtual machine, you can successfully install and configure VMware Tools to enhance the performance of your virtual machine.

If you have any comments or suggestions for improvements, feel free to leave them below!