Install VMware Tools on Ubuntu 22.04/20.04

With VMware Tools installed, Ubuntu users can make the most of their virtual machines. Enjoy a seamless experience with enhanced features like a shared clipboard between VM and host system, lightning-fast drag-and-drop file transfer capabilities, and automated window resizing for added convenience.

In the following small tutorial, you will learn how to install VMware or Open VM tools on Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu, Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish, or Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa using cli commands. The installation will require a reboot, remember to do this, or else the installation will not become effective until you do.

Recommended Steps Before Installation

First, update your system to ensure all existing packages are up to date.

sudo apt update

Optionally, you can list the updates for users who require review or are curious to see what is available to update. This can be good if you have a specific one you forgot to place. Use the apt-hold command.

sudo apt --list upgradable

Proceed to upgrade any outdated packages using the following command.

sudo apt upgrade

Install Open VM Tools Package on Ubuntu Linux

Depending on the Ubuntu environment you are working in, such as Ubuntu desktop or Ubuntu server, which is a headless system using cli commands only, you can install various packages of OpenVMware tools to suit your needs.

For users that are in a desktop environment, run the following command.

sudo apt install open-vm-tools-desktop

Users in a headless Ubuntu server environment do not need the packages from the desktop environment, as servers want to run as lean as possible the command below would be better preferred.

sudo apt install open-vm-tools

Alternatively, you can install the dev version if needed; however, this would only be required by a small user base.

sudo apt install open-vm-tools-dev

Once complete, you need to reboot your PC for the changes to take effect, and this can be done quickly while in your terminal.

reboot

Verify Open VM Tools Package on Ubuntu Linux

Once back inside, verify that everything is in working order using the following command.

apt-cache policy open-vm-tools*

As mentioned above, depending on your installed version, it should be visible as the highlighted example.

Comments and Conclusion

So there you go! You now know how to install Open VM Tools on Ubuntu Linux for VMware users. You don’t need these tools unless you’re using a VM Machine. But it’s always good to be prepared just in case.