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Install VMware Tools on Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic Beaver Linux

VMware Tools is a suite of utilities designed to enhance the performance and usability of virtual machines (VMs) running on VMware hypervisors (e.g., VMware Workstation, VMware Fusion, vSphere). It addresses critical limitations of unoptimized VMs, such as poor video resolution, lack of mouse integration, slow disk I/O, and limited guest-host interaction. For Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (Bionic Beaver) users, installing VMware Tools is essential to unlock features like shared folders, drag-and-drop file transfer, automatic screen resizing, and improved network performance.

This guide will walk you through two reliable methods to install VMware Tools on Ubuntu 18.04:

  1. Open-VM-Tools (Recommended): A lightweight, open-source alternative maintained by VMware and Ubuntu, pre-integrated with Ubuntu’s package repositories.
  2. Traditional VMware Tools ISO: The legacy method using the VMware Tools installation ISO provided by the hypervisor.
2026-02

Table of Contents#

  1. Prerequisites
  2. Method 1: Install Open-VM-Tools (Recommended)
  3. Method 2: Install via VMware Tools ISO (Legacy)
  4. Verify VMware Tools Installation
  5. Troubleshooting Common Issues
  6. Conclusion
  7. References

Prerequisites#

Before proceeding, ensure you have:

  • A VMware hypervisor (e.g., VMware Workstation Pro/Player, VMware Fusion, or vSphere ESXi).
  • An Ubuntu 18.04 LTS VM installed and running on the hypervisor.
  • Administrative privileges on the Ubuntu VM (access to sudo).
  • An active internet connection (required for Method 1 to download packages).

Open-VM-Tools is the official open-source implementation of VMware Tools, optimized for Linux distributions like Ubuntu. It is maintained by VMware and Ubuntu, ensuring compatibility and frequent updates. This method is faster, easier, and preferred for most users.

Step 1: Update Package Repositories#

First, update Ubuntu’s package list to ensure you install the latest version of Open-VM-Tools:

sudo apt update

Step 2: Install Open-VM-Tools#

Ubuntu 18.04 provides two Open-VM-Tools packages:

  • open-vm-tools: Core utilities for server environments (no GUI).
  • open-vm-tools-desktop: Additional tools for desktop environments (e.g., GNOME, KDE), including features like drag-and-drop, screen resizing, and shared folders.

For desktop users (most common), install both packages:

sudo apt install open-vm-tools open-vm-tools-desktop -y

For server users (no GUI), install only the core package:

sudo apt install open-vm-tools -y

Step 3: Restart the VM#

To apply changes, restart your Ubuntu VM:

sudo reboot

Open-VM-Tools will start automatically after reboot.

Method 2: Install via VMware Tools ISO (Legacy)#

If Open-VM-Tools fails to work (e.g., due to custom hypervisor configurations), use the traditional VMware Tools ISO. This method involves mounting an ISO file provided by the VMware hypervisor and running a graphical or command-line installer.

Step 1: Mount the VMware Tools ISO#

  1. Power on your Ubuntu 18.04 VM.

  2. In the VMware hypervisor menu:

    • VMware Workstation/Fusion: Go to VM > Install VMware Tools (or Update VMware Tools if already installed).
    • vSphere ESXi: Right-click the VM > Guest OS > Install VMware Tools.

    If the option is grayed out, ensure the VM is powered on and not suspended.

Step 2: Extract the Installer#

Ubuntu will automatically mount the ISO (look for a "VMware Tools" drive in the file manager). If not, manually mount it:

sudo mount /dev/cdrom /mnt

Copy the installer archive (filename starts with VMwareTools-) to a temporary directory (e.g., /tmp):

cp /mnt/VMwareTools-*.tar.gz /tmp/

Unmount the ISO:

sudo umount /mnt

Step 3: Extract and Run the Installer#

Navigate to /tmp and extract the archive:

cd /tmp  
tar -zxvf VMwareTools-*.tar.gz

This creates a directory named vmware-tools-distrib. Navigate into it and run the installer script:

cd vmware-tools-distrib  
sudo ./vmware-install.pl

Step 4: Follow the Installer Prompts#

The installer will guide you through setup. Press Enter to accept default values for most prompts. Key prompts include:

  • Install directory: Accept the default (/usr/bin).
  • Kernel modules: The installer will compile modules for your kernel (ensure linux-headers are installed; if missing, it will prompt you to install them via apt).

Step 5: Restart the VM#

After installation completes, restart the VM:

sudo reboot

Verify VMware Tools Installation#

To confirm VMware Tools is running correctly, use one of these methods:

1. Check Service Status (Open-VM-Tools)#

For Open-VM-Tools, verify the open-vm-tools service is active:

sudo systemctl status open-vm-tools

You should see output like:

● open-vm-tools.service - Service for virtual machines hosted on VMware  
   Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/open-vm-tools.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)  
   Active: active (running) since Wed 2024-03-20 12:34:56 UTC; 5min ago

2. Check Process (Traditional Method)#

For the legacy ISO method, check if the vmtoolsd process is running:

ps aux | grep vmtoolsd

You should see a line like:

root      1234  0.0  0.1 123456 7890 ?        S    12:34   0:00 /usr/bin/vmtoolsd

3. Test Features#

Verify key features work:

  • Screen Resizing: Drag the VM window to resize it; the Ubuntu desktop should auto-adjust.
  • Shared Folders: Enable shared folders in the VMware hypervisor (VM > Settings > Options > Shared Folders). Access them in Ubuntu at /mnt/hgfs/[folder-name].
  • Drag-and-Drop: Drag files between the host and VM (requires open-vm-tools-desktop).

Troubleshooting Common Issues#

1. Open-VM-Tools Fails to Start#

If systemctl status open-vm-tools shows "failed," reinstall the package:

sudo apt purge open-vm-tools open-vm-tools-desktop -y  
sudo apt install open-vm-tools open-vm-tools-desktop -y  
sudo reboot

2. Shared Folders Not Mounting#

  • Ensure shared folders are enabled in the VM settings (VM > Settings > Shared Folders).
  • Verify the open-vm-tools-desktop package is installed (required for shared folders).
  • Manually mount shared folders: 
    sudo vmhgfs-fuse .host:/ /mnt/hgfs -o allow_other

3. Poor Video Performance or Screen Resizing Issues#

  • Install open-vm-tools-desktop (critical for GUI features): 
    sudo apt install open-vm-tools-desktop -y
  • Restart the display manager (e.g., for GNOME): 
    sudo systemctl restart gdm3

4. Legacy Installer Fails to Compile Kernel Modules#

The ISO method may fail if kernel headers are missing. Install them first:

sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname -r) build-essential -y

Then re-run the installer:

cd /tmp/vmware-tools-distrib  
sudo ./vmware-install.pl

Conclusion#

Installing VMware Tools on Ubuntu 18.04 is critical for optimizing VM performance and usability. Open-VM-Tools is the recommended method due to its simplicity, maintenance by Ubuntu/VMware, and seamless integration. For edge cases, the legacy ISO method remains a fallback.

By following this guide, you’ll unlock features like shared folders, automatic screen resizing, and improved I/O performance, making your Ubuntu VM feel nearly as responsive as a physical machine.

References#