Vmware tools installation on pfSense 2.0.1 with ESXi5

wilco

Hi,

This is my first post and I am new to pfSense. I used to use openbsd pf before. I want to use pfSense on production with ESXi 5. I installed successfully using pfsense document for installation on ESXi5. But there is no document for installation of vmware tools. I tried to install vmware tools from webgui and it installed but on ESXi vsphere, it is still showing vmware tool is not installed.
Any help or guide would be appreciated.

Rgds,
Wilco

trunix

I've got the Open-VM-Tools-8.8.1 package installed on the pfSense vm I'm running under ESXi 5.1 (installed via the System menu in the pfSense webGUI > Packages). From what I remember, the regular Open-VM-Tools package gave me some errors, but the 8.8.1 version seems to be fine. I'm running the i386 2.0.1-Release. My vSphere client reports the tools as installed and 3rd party/Independent. You may consider upgrading to 5.1, as it fixes a problem where the pfSense vm (or any other vm for that matter) wouldn't auto-start after the ESXi host was booted. Not sure if auto-start is important to you or not.

wilco

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. I will upgrade to 5.1 and will try it.

Rgds,
Wilco

evil79genius

@wilco:

I want to use pfSense on production with ESXi 5. I installed successfully using pfsense document for installation on ESXi5. But there is no document for installation of vmware tools. I tried to install vmware tools from webgui and it installed but on ESXi vsphere, it is still showing vmware tool is not installed.

Here's what I've done to have VMware's tools (so, not the Open-VM-Tools) installed and with ESXi noticing it.
First of all, a basic setup with working WAN connection (and DNS) is needed: you'll have to download some packages directly from the internet!
Insert the vmimages/tools-isoimages/freebsd.iso CD-Rom, then enter the shell and issue those commands - paying attention to replace every occurrence of "i386" with "amd64" if you've performed a 64bit install:

setenv PACKAGEROOT "ftp://ftp-archive.freebsd.org"
setenv PACKAGESITE "ftp://ftp-archive.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD-Archive/ports/i386/packages-8.1-release/Latest/"

pkg_add -r perl
pkg_add -r compat6x-i386

ldconfig -m /usr/local/lib/compat/

mount_cd9660 /dev/acd0 /mnt
cd /tmp
tar zxvf /mnt/vmware-freebsd-tools.tar.gz
cd vmware-tools-distrib
./vmware-install.pl

I've performed the installation accepting default options - it should make no difference anyway if you customize them.
Now ESXi says VMware Tools are running, but as soon as you'll reboot the vmtoolsd won't start! The issue is bound (or at least it seems so) to the compat6x-i386 package not properly registering itself to the shared libraries search path - that's why you've issued the ldconfig command after its installation.
To make it work every time, you'll have to modify the file /etc/rc to search for additional libraries within /usr/local/lib/compat/ folder too. Open it with your favourite text editor and locate the line
/sbin/ldconfig -elf /usr/lib /usr/local/lib /lib
and append the previously specified directory at the end, turning it into
/sbin/ldconfig -elf /usr/lib /usr/local/lib /lib /usr/local/lib/compat
Now on every reboot you'll see ESXi reporting VMware Tools as running.

Hope this helps.
Cheers!

joako

@trunix:

I've got the Open-VM-Tools-8.8.1 package installed on the pfSense vm I'm running under ESXi 5.1 (installed via the System menu in the pfSense webGUI > Packages). From what I remember, the regular Open-VM-Tools package gave me some errors, but the 8.8.1 version seems to be fine. I'm running the i386 2.0.1-Release. My vSphere client reports the tools as installed and 3rd party/Independent. You may consider upgrading to 5.1, as it fixes a problem where the pfSense vm (or any other vm for that matter) wouldn't auto-start after the ESXi host was booted. Not sure if auto-start is important to you or not.

There's another release something like 5.0.1 update 1b that also fixes it. Off the top of my head build number is 8xxxxx