Mounting hgfs fails

[Chetan]

Binary package hint: open-vm-tools

Host OS: Ubuntu 9.04
Guest OS: Ubuntu 9.04

After a clean install of guest OS, installed open-vm-tools and tried to manually mount the shared folder on guest and got error "Error: cannot mount filesystem: No such device"

Commands to replicate:
--Guest--
chetan@Jaunty:~$ cat /etc/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=9.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=jaunty
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 9.04"

chetan@Jaunty:~$ vmware-hgfsclient
share
chetan@Jaunty:~$ sudo vmware-hgfsmounter .host:/share /mnt
Error: cannot mount filesystem: No such device
chetan@Jaunty:~$

[Chetan (asalinux)]

Open-vm-tools version is: 2008.11.18-130226-1lenny1
-Chetan

[cab938 (cab938)]

Same issue on 9.10 ubuntu, after install open-vm-tools.

cab938@ubuntu:~$ cat /etc/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=9.10
DISTRIB_CODENAME=karmic
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 9.10"
cab938@ubuntu:~$ vmware-hgfsclient
Temp
cab938@ubuntu:~$ sudo vmware-hgfsmounter .host:/Temp /mnt
Error: cannot mount filesystem: No such device
cab938@ubuntu:~$

[Htbaa (c-kras)]

Had the same problem with 9.10. After installing open-vm-tools I had to run m-a to compile the open-vm modules. After using modprobe vmhgfs mounting works again.

[Evan Broder (broder)]

It sounds like the problem here is not having the open-vm-tools modules built. Do you still experience this problem if you either install the open-vm-dkms package or follow the instructions in /usr/share/doc/open-vm-source/README.Debian in the open-vm-source package?

[Htbaa (c-kras)]

As far as I know I don't install open-vm-dkms, I just execute a apt-get install open-vm-tools. Why shouldn't this package get the module loaded?

I also just did a websearch and couldn't find open-vm-dkms, nor does apt-cache find it...

[Evan Broder (broder)]

Right. open-vm-tools doesn't get you the kernel modules necessary to run the tools. open-vm-dkms is only available on Lucid. If you're running an older release, you need to install open-vm-source and follow the instructions in /usr/share/doc/open-vm-source/README.Debian

[Htbaa (c-kras)]

open-vm-source is not required as far as I know. I wrote down my steps here: http://blog.htbaa.com/linux/ubuntu-9-10-and-vmhgfs-with-open-vm-tools

[Evan Broder (broder)]

Following the steps in your blog post will cause module-assistant to install the open-vm-source package itself. The README in the open-vm-source package is a slight variant on the directions you describe, but is totally equivalent.

If you want to install the tools non-interactively, you can do so by running:
aptitude install module-assistant open-vm-source
m-a a-i open-vm

In any case, it sounds like the problem here was just not having the modules installed, so I'm going to close this bug.

[Htbaa (c-kras)]

How does this make the bug report invalid? Why shouldn't the module be compiled and loaded when installing open-vm-tools? Or is it because it's more than just hgfs?

[Chetan (asalinux)]

Htbaa is correct, why doesn't the dpkg take care to ins tall the modules so that it is transparent to the user? Will this be fixed in future releases?

[Evan Broder (broder)]

No, this is not something that will be fixed in future releases, because module-assistant and dkms are how non-default kernel modules are handled, and this behavior is shared across all packages that provide non-default modules like this. Please do not keep a bug against this package open because you disagree with a larger Debian/Ubuntu practice.

[Chetan (asalinux)]

If this bug report is invalid, what is the correct procedure to make it work? What packages need to be installed along with open-vm-tools?

[Evan Broder (broder)]

Chetan: You should install open-vm-dkms.

The next time I upload a new version of the open-vm-tools package, I plan to change it to recommend the open-vm-dkms package. This will cause aptitude and apt-get to automatically attempt to install open-vm-dkms when you install open-vm-tools, and I think it would be a much more user-friendly experience.

I've filed bug #598933 to remind me (or whomever uploads open-vm-tools next)

[Htbaa (c-kras)]

I can confirm that vmhgfs can be loaded after installing open-vm-dkms.

But as you said this should really be a recommended module for the open-vm-tools packages.

[AdlerHorst (adlerhorst)]

On 17.10 hgfs mounting also not working.
open-vm-dkms is also not automagically installed and in the package description ther is an information about deprecated pakage.
Open VMware Tools vmxnet kernel module (deprecated)

Which package do I need for shared folder in 17.10?