Solution for VMware tools not running after Linux kernel upgrade in guest VM
In this article, we will discuss solutions when VMware tools are not running after the Linux kernel upgrade.
Cause :
After kernel upgrade in the Guest VM Linux machine, you may see VMware tools are not running. This is because there are VMware tools modules that runs using kernel library files. After a kernel upgrade, they point to different library files than the one currently used by the kernel and hence failed to start.
Solution :
The issue can be resolved by reconfiguring VMware tools after the kernel upgrade. This process is on the fly and does not require downtime.
Login to Guest Linux operating system using root account and run reconfiguration script /usr/bin/vmware-config-tools.pl
You will be asked a few choices to make. If you know about those modules you choose your answers according to your requirement and just hit enter to accept defaults. See below sample output –
root@kerneltalks # /usr/bin/vmware-config-tools.pl
Initializing...
Making sure services for VMware Tools are stopped.
Found a compatible pre-built module for vmci. Installing it...
Found a compatible pre-built module for vsock. Installing it...
The module vmxnet3 has already been installed on this system by another
installer or package and will not be modified by this installer.
The module pvscsi has already been installed on this system by another
installer or package and will not be modified by this installer.
The module vmmemctl has already been installed on this system by another
installer or package and will not be modified by this installer.
The VMware Host-Guest Filesystem allows for shared folders between the host OS
and the guest OS in a Fusion or Workstation virtual environment. Do you wish
to enable this feature? [no]
Found a compatible pre-built module for vmxnet. Installing it...
The vmblock enables dragging or copying files between host and guest in a
Fusion or Workstation virtual environment. Do you wish to enable this feature?
[no]
VMware automatic kernel modules enables automatic building and installation of
VMware kernel modules at boot that are not already present. This feature can
be enabled/disabled by re-running vmware-config-tools.pl.
Would you like to enable VMware automatic kernel modules?
[no]
Do you want to enable Guest Authentication (vgauth)? Enabling vgauth is needed
if you want to enable Common Agent (caf). [yes]
Do you want to enable Common Agent (caf)? [yes]
No X install found.
Creating a new initrd boot image for the kernel.
NOTE: both /etc/vmware-tools/GuestProxyData/server/key.pem and
/etc/vmware-tools/GuestProxyData/server/cert.pem already exist.
They are not generated again. To regenerate them by force,
use the "vmware-guestproxycerttool -g -f" command.
vmware-tools start/running
The configuration of VMware Tools 10.0.6 build-3560309 for Linux for this
running kernel completed successfully.
You must restart your X session before any mouse or graphics changes take
effect.
You can now run VMware Tools by invoking "/usr/bin/vmware-toolbox-cmd" from the
command line.
To enable advanced X features (e.g., guest resolution fit, drag and drop, and
file and text copy/paste), you will need to do one (or more) of the following:
1. Manually start /usr/bin/vmware-user
2. Log out and log back into your desktop session; and,
3. Restart your X session.
Enjoy,
--the VMware team
If you are ok to accept the default and want the script to run non-interactive, run it with -d default switch.
root@kerneltalks # /usr/bin/vmware-config-tools.pl -d default
Once, the script finishes execution you can see in VMware console that it shows VMware tools are running on guest VM!