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    Open-VM-Tools on 2.1?

    Virtualization
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    • valnar
      valnar last edited by

      Is the Open-VM-Tools package still needed on 2.1, or recommended to install?

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      • B
        biggsy last edited by

        Yes.

        http://reformedmusings.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/what-does-vmware-tools-do/

        EDIT: I hasten to add that this was just the first link Google gave me and it seemed to be a concise description.  I have no interest in whatever other content might be there :)

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        • M
          mauirixxx last edited by

          usually the vm tools can give better video performance, and depending on the virtual NIC, better network performance too, and other stuff, so generally yeah it's a good idea to install the tools.

          On the new release of v2.1 I couldn't get the Open VM Tools v8.8.1 to work (it claims it installed just fine), so I installed the Open VM Tools v8.7.0.3046 (build-425873) and now I can do a clean shutdown from the vsphere client. Not sure if there's any performance increase, but it worked fine and fast before I installed the tools (I'm only on a 50/5 connection, so it's not like I'm maxing out a NIC or something), and continued to work fine and fast after the installation.

          I say go for it, what have you got to lose?

          –mauirixxx

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          • A
            asterix last edited by

            v8.8.1 package is broken since last year.

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            • valnar
              valnar last edited by

              @asterix:

              v8.8.1 package is broken since last year.

              Sigh…thanks.

              This kind of stuff in inexcusable.

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              • jimp
                jimp Rebel Alliance Developer Netgate last edited by

                The 8.8 pkg was being done by a community member but never finished as far as I can tell. The 8.7 version is the only one that works properly from the GUI. You can install the actual VMware tools from the console if you wish to use vmxnet3 NICs and such. I just added a doc on installing them here: https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/VMware_Tools

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                • J
                  joeshmoe last edited by

                  Worked perfectly. Thanks Jimp.

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                  • T
                    Tubs last edited by

                    @jimp:

                    You can install the actual VMware tools from the console if you wish to use vmxnet3 NICs and such.

                    Acc. your instruction I have installed the vm tools under pfsense 2.1 64bit running on ESXi 5.5. The vmxnet3 driver also is working. But somehow the ESXi client is telling me "not installed" and does not provide the option for shutdown the guest.

                    Did I forgot something?

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                    • jimp
                      jimp Rebel Alliance Developer Netgate last edited by

                      @Tubs:

                      @jimp:

                      You can install the actual VMware tools from the console if you wish to use vmxnet3 NICs and such.

                      Acc. your instruction I have installed the vm tools under pfsense 2.1 64bit running on ESXi 5.5. The vmxnet3 driver also is working. But somehow the ESXi client is telling me "not installed" and does not provide the option for shutdown the guest.

                      Did I forgot something?

                      Make sure to do the script part of the instructions, and ensure that the vmtools daemon is running. If you didn't do the ldconfig script then the kernel modules would work but the daemon that reports the status to ESX wouldn't work.

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                      • valnar
                        valnar last edited by

                        It sounds like the 8.7 is perfectly fine to use then. I prefer the E1000 NIC, so is anything gained by the 8.8?

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                        • B
                          biggsy last edited by

                          @valnar:

                          It sounds like the 8.7 is perfectly fine to use then. I prefer the E1000 NIC, so is anything gained by the 8.8?

                          No.  As asterix noted earlier, 8.8.1 has been broken for a long time.

                          8.7.0.3046 (build-425873) seems to be a long way behind the current stable release (open-vm-tools-9.4.0-1280544) but it works.

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                          • T
                            Tubs last edited by

                            @jimp:

                            Make sure to do the script part of the instructions, and ensure that the vmtools daemon is running. If you didn't do the ldconfig script then the kernel modules would work but the daemon that reports the status to ESX wouldn't work.

                            I did.
                            000-ldconfig.sh script and vmware-tools.sh script are running at startup. But ESXi 5.5 still is telling me that vmware tools are not installed.

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                            • jimp
                              jimp Rebel Alliance Developer Netgate last edited by

                              Is vmtoolsd actually running though?

                              Check the output of:

                              ps uxawww | grep vmtoolsd
                              

                              You should see something like:

                              root   69759  0.0  1.9 32976  9516  ??  I     2Oct13   7:30.60 /usr/local/lib/vmware-tools/sbin/vmtoolsd
                              

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                              • T
                                Tubs last edited by

                                @jimp:

                                Is vmtoolsd actually running though?

                                Seems to be is running. But ESXi 5.5 does not detect it.

                                root   79537  0.0  0.2 26168  6236  ??  SN   Tue09PM   0:16.56 /usr/local/lib/vmware-tools/sbin/vmtoolsd
                                root   94328  0.0  0.0  9068  1468   0  S+    8:27PM   0:00.00 grep vmtoolsd
                                
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                                • jimp
                                  jimp Rebel Alliance Developer Netgate last edited by

                                  Not sure then, might be a 5.5 thing. The hosts I can hit to try it on are all 5.0 or 5.1.

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                                  • johnpoz
                                    johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator last edited by

                                    Im running 5.5 – will try the doc instructions when I get home.  Don't want to reboot my pfsense remotely since using it to access my network ;)

                                    edit: ok very odd.. Tools is currently running as you can see from screenshots.. And I can send the command to restart the vm via the guest options and seems to reboot clean.. Just both esxi client and vserver not installed.  Even though the client shows running as well??

                                    vcenter shows running with version number even, but then says not installed?  Odd..

                                    edit:  Ok I updated the tools on my ubuntu vm as well - and its showing the same thing running (not installed) so something not quite right with the 5.5 tools I think.




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                                    • B
                                      biggsy last edited by

                                      I just built a new ESXi 5.5 server and installed pfSense 2.1-RELEASE (amd64).

                                      Installed  Open-VM-Tools 8.7.0.3046 (build-425873) and it seems fine.

                                      ![2013-10-11 19-45-23.png](/public/imported_attachments/1/2013-10-11 19-45-23.png)
                                      ![2013-10-11 19-45-23.png_thumb](/public/imported_attachments/1/2013-10-11 19-45-23.png_thumb)

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                                      • johnpoz
                                        johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator last edited by

                                        ^ dude read the freaking thread!! before you post and make yourself look - too late ;)

                                        An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                                        If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                                        Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                                        2440 2.4.5p1 | 2x 3100 2.4.4p3 | 2x 3100 22.01 | 4860 22.01

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