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I am trying to install VMWare tools on a Fedora 10 guest (Windows Vista host) and running into problems. I am logged in as root. Upon attempting to install, I get a message saying "Guest operating system has locked CD-ROM...). Various forums recommend overriding this message so I did so but the system simply hangs. Anyhow, went to VMWare help (http://www.vmware.com/support/ws55/doc/ws_newguest_tools_linux.html) on this subject. In attempting to understand/resolve this mounting problem, I tried mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom upon which I get a message saying "block device /dev/sr0 is write protected mounting read only". Not sure if this is the cause of the problem. But now I am stuck and confused. Can anyone enlighten me on what all this means and how I can resolve this installation problem? Thanks much.

Just adding new details: I have to be in text mode to install the tools. So, I did so. Logged in as root, did the umount. STILL get the cd locked message, override, and start getting a slew of SQUASHFS errors upon which things hang. If I try and quit the install do an ls (for example), I get input/output errors reported.

As suggested by someone, I downloaded open-vm-tools but when I do a ./configure, there is a whole slew of missing libraries I have been patiently trying to install (yum update hangs). yum install gcc glib2-devel pam-* xorg-x11-* libX* uriparser* libpng* gtk+-devel. Now when I get to install gtk2-devel, I get a rpmdb bus error and all is shot. So, I install gcc-c++ (yes I am pulling threads now) and re-try. Now it does a successful transaction test, starts transaction and hangs. I am so far in that I don't want to give up, but I am at a loss as to what I need to be doing here because I cannot believe this install could be this convoluted (or is it?)

user10510
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4 Answers4

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May I suggest trying open-vm-tools? I've actually found them to be better than VMwares proprietary tools in most cases.

churnd
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The message "block device /dev/sr0 is write protected mounting read only" is normal, it means that you can't write files on your CD-ROM with the current media.

pauska
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  • pauska, So this is not related to the CD-ROM locked message then? I suppose mounting the image to the virtual cdrom is not exactly the same as writing. However, it would appear that the umount should at least prevent that message. The input/output errors upon continuing I'm just not sure of. Am trying to figure out if I can load this image manually to some location. Just not sure how to do this from within the vmware guest. – user10510 Jun 29 '09 at 12:20
  • No, it's not related. I get the same message every time I mount a ISO-image/media/VMware tools on my VMware esx servers. Sorry if it's not helping you, but I thought you should know that the read-only message is normal. – pauska Jun 29 '09 at 13:54
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It sounds like your Fedora 10 guest already has the CD-ROM mounted when you're trying to install the tools. Try this:

  • Boot the guest normally.
  • Logon as root and run the command "umount /dev/cdrom".
  • In the VMware menu, attempt the guest installation.

Step 2 insures tht the CD-ROM isn't mounted and, as such, VMware should have no problem "inserting" the VMware tools ISO into the virtual CD-ROM.

Evan Anderson
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  • Hi tried this but no luck. I still get the "guest has locked.." message when trying to install vmware tools. Moreover when I override and continue, I get input/output errors reported when trying to run various utilities. For example, if I do an ls from the terminal or try and display the system log. – user10510 Jun 29 '09 at 03:36
  • Not progress but some new information. I realized I have to be in text mode to install the tools. So, I did so. Logged in as root, did the umount. STILL get the cd locked message, override, and start getting a slew of SQUASHFS errors upon which things hang. – user10510 Jun 29 '09 at 04:06
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Cancel the vmtools install from vmware(if it didn't do it automatically), do a: umount /dev/cdrom, disconnect any cdroms you have attached to the guest OS, and then retry the vmtools install.

JakeRobinson
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