Packer: How to build vmware-iso on linux with workstation ?

[rgarrigue]

Hello

I'm trying to build template for VMWare on my Ubuntu 16.10, with VMWare Workstation installed.
I'm missing some bin, vmrun, vmware. I guess they disappeared between VMWare Workstation <12 and my current VMWare 12.
I found some info about this googling, tried stuff without success, but I miss a clear fuunctionnal documentation. If anyone got one, of if the official doc could include a prerequisite documentation ? Or maybe a patch for packer to use VMWare Workstation 12 out of the box

Here are my info

remy@computer: ~/work/bento master ⚡ $ packer -v
0.12.1


remy@computer: ~/work/bento master ⚡ $ packer build -only=vmware-iso centos-7.3-x86_64.json
vmware-iso output will be in this color.

Build 'vmware-iso' errored: Failed creating VMware driver: Unable to initialize any driver for this platform. The errors
from each driver are shown below. Please fix at least one driver
to continue:
* exec: "vmware": executable file not found in $PATH
* exec: "vmware": executable file not found in $PATH
* exec: "vmrun": executable file not found in $PATH
* exec: "vmrun": executable file not found in $PATH


==> Some builds didn't complete successfully and had errors:
--> vmware-iso: Failed creating VMware driver: Unable to initialize any driver for this platform. The errors
from each driver are shown below. Please fix at least one driver
to continue:
* exec: "vmware": executable file not found in $PATH
* exec: "vmware": executable file not found in $PATH
* exec: "vmrun": executable file not found in $PATH
* exec: "vmrun": executable file not found in $PATH


==> Builds finished but no artifacts were created.
FAIL: 1



remy@computer: ~/work/bento master ⚡ $ vmware-installer -l 2>/dev/null
Product Name         Product Version
==================== ====================
vmware-player        12.5.2.4638234
vmware-cip-55        5.5.0.2893191



remy@computer: ~/work/bento master ⚡ $ vmware-installer -t 2>/dev/null
Component Name        Component Long Name                      Component Version
===================== ======================================== ====================
vmware-installer      VMware Installer                         2.1.0.4298805
vmware-player-setup   VMware Player Setup                      12.5.2.4638234
vmware-vmx            VMware VMX                               12.5.2.4638234
vmware-network-editor VMware Network Editor                    12.5.2.4638234
vmware-usbarbitrator  VMware USB Arbitrator                    15.2.0.4638234
vmware-player-app     VMware Player Application                12.5.2.4638234
vmware-ovftool        VMware OVF Tool component for Linux      4.1.0.3634792
vmware-player         VMware Player                            12.5.2.4638234
vmware-vmrc-5.5       VMware VMRC                              5.5.0.2867619
vmware-cip-55         VMware Client Integration Plug-in        5.5.0.2893191

[rickard-von-essen]

Looks like you have WMware Player not Workstation?

[rickard-von-essen]

Please only use _GitHub Issues_ for reporting bugs and feature requests. Do not ask for general help here. Use _IRC #packer-tool on Freenode_ or the mailing list for that.

See https://www.packer.io/community/

_If you are describing a bug or a feature request please reopen and try to add some more details to make it clearer._

[rgarrigue]

I've what you get when you google & download Workstation nowadays, this :
https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/info?slug=desktop_end_user_computing/vmware_workstation_pro/12_0

2017-02-03 17:31 GMT+01:00 Rickard von Essen [e-mail]:

Looks like you have WMware Player not Workstation?

—
You are receiving this because you authored the thread.
Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub
https://github.com/mitchellh/packer/issues/4503#issuecomment-277294450,
or mute the thread
https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AByQnxruc-pWB7cB7bR9bOtTTzNlVX18ks5rY1ZSgaJpZM4L2gpw
.

[TheNotary]

So, just to keep things well documented here on a resource available to google, unless I'm mistaken, you can't build with this builder without a license from VMWare.

[mwhooker]

I believe packer works with vmware workstation player on windows and linux https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/free#desktop_end_user_computing/vmware_workstation_player/12_0

[benfairless]

@mwhooker At least on the VMware Workstation Player 12 available on Linux, it does not bundle the necessary binaries used by packer.

I believe you need to download the VMware VIX API in order to get these binaries.

$ vmware-installer -t 2>/dev/null
Component Name                 Component Long Name                      Component Version   
============================== ======================================== ====================
vmware-installer               VMware Installer                         2.1.0.5087745       
vmware-player-setup            VMware Player Setup                      12.5.7.5813279      
vmware-vmx                     VMware VMX                               12.5.7.5813279      
vmware-network-editor          VMware Network Editor                    12.5.7.5813279      
vmware-usbarbitrator           VMware USB Arbitrator                    15.2.0.5813279      
vmware-player-app              VMware Player Application                12.5.7.5813279      
vmware-ovftool                 VMware OVF Tool component for Linux      4.1.0.3634792       
vmware-player                  VMware Player                            12.5.7.5813279      
vmware-vix-core                VMware VIX Core Library                  1.15.7.5115892      
vmware-vix-lib-Workstation1200 VMware VIX Workstation-12.0.0 Library    1.15.7.5115892      
vmware-vix                     VMware VIX API                           1.15.7.5115892 

[hashibot[bot]]

I'm going to lock this issue because it has been closed for _30 days_ ⏳. This helps our maintainers find and focus on the active issues.

If you have found a problem that seems similar to this, please open a new issue and complete the issue template so we can capture all the details necessary to investigate further.