How to install VMtools from VMWorkstation 6.0.5 on Guest OS when it will not install from VM>install vmtools

1. Do you see any prompt window when you go VM > install VMtools
2..as root, run the following command
fdisk -l
mount
to see if there is an disk volume such as /dev/hdc shows up.
If yes, then
mkdir -p /mnt/VMware
mount /dev/hdc /mnt/VMware  (/dev/hdc may vary base on your VMware setting).

Wesly_Chan is on the right track, just a suggestion that will help you use his comment:
Something that has driven me nuts in the past is to make sure that the CDrom device is 'connected at startup' as it seems hit or miss as to wether it is.

1. In the Vmware Workstation administration panel, click on of the newly created mandriva2008 machine
2. In the command section, (right hand side pane), choose 'Edit Virtual machine settings'
3. Log into the Mandriva2008 guest machine via ssh or 'Open console
4. Su to root and do a df -ha
6. Copy and paste the output to a text editor for comparison later
7. Go back to the Vmware workstation Select the CD-ROM device, and make sure that 'Connect at Power on' is checked on if it is not select it and reboot the guest and try the Vmware tools install.
8. Once again do a df -ah and see if anything has changed. If it has, follower the mount point and run the vmware setup

Only in windows guests the vmware tools are installed automatically when you click "Install VMware Tools". For other guests you will need to mount the virtual cd containing the tools (that virtual cd is put in the virtual cd player when clicking Install VMware Tools) and run the installer.

Alternatively, you could also download the open-vm-tools for Mandriva 2008: https://www.msu.edu/~bryndind/open-vm-tools/

I thank you all for your assistance.  I'm off to work but will try this when I return.  Frashii, I booted or logged in to Mandriva2008 as I would to use it as a virtual machine.  Do I su to root and do the df -ha from the virtual machine or is the done from the Ubuntu host? Also, connect at power on was previously selected. Wesley, I never see a prompt after attemping to install the vmtools  Larstr, thanks for the tip about vmtools only loading automatically on windows guests.  I didn't know that.  Sorry, just not very adept but willing to learn at this.  Thank you again.

> Do I su to root and do the df -ha from the virtual machine or is the done from the Ubuntu host?
do them on your virtual machine,which is Mandriva2008
Same thing to "fdisk -l" and "mount" commands. Run them on guest machine.

> never see a prompt after attemping to install the vmtools  
I use VMware 6.0.5 on Windows XP hosts and CentOS 5.2 as guest.
When I go VM > install VMtools on CentOS guest, it pops up a window with the following message:
"Installing the VMwarre Tools package will greatly enhance graphics and mouse performance in your virtual machine.
WARNING: You cannot installthe VMware Tools package until the guest operating system is running. If your guest operating system is not running,choose Cancel and install the VMware Tools package later."

This message is telling you the VMware try to mount Vmware tools package image  to your CDROM on your select VM guest. It's behavior similar to put a CD on to your VM guest.

After you click "OK" on the message window, you will seem a line at the end of "dmesg" command output like
-------------
ISO 9660 Extensions: RRIP_1991A
------------

I think your CDROM setting is wrong for your Mandriva2008 guest.
1. do not boot up any VM guest. then put a CD into CDROM. do
df -hl
or
mount
on Ubuntu host to see what is your CDROM device path. i.e.
/dev/cdrom
or
/dev/hda (/dev/hdc)
This is very important. For Linux host, VMware usually uses /dev/cdrom for VM guest by default.
2. Start VMware workstation and before boot up VM guest. Go to "VM--> Removable Devices --> CD-ROM --> Edit
Then on the "Connection" section, make sure check "Use physical Drive" and the path is matched what show on your Ubuntu host (/dev/hdc or other)
3. It should be ok to check or not check "Connect at power on". You can try both.
4. Then boot up your guest VM to install VMware Tools.

Wesley et al.  Thanks again for your help.  I feel like we are so close but not quite there.  I believe you are right about the CDROM setting.  I did the df -hl and found that it is /dev/scd0.   If I start VMWare Workstation and attempt to go to VM--> Removable Devices --> CD-ROM --> Edit, etc. it is unavailable.  VM Removable Devices is only available when the virtual machine has been powered on.  I'm going to attach a picture of what I see for the Virtual Machine Settings Hardware.  Perhaps I'm loading the virtual machine incorrectly.  I say this because if I change information in the Connection section as you've indicated and try to boot the virtual machine it cannot find the boot file.  I've added a couple of images that I hope will help you understand how I've configured the vm hardware. Thanks again.
vm1.png
vm2.png

From your first picture attachment, it seems to me your boot up your Mandriva2008 LiveCD (or LiveImage) on guest.
So your CD-ROM is used by this mandriva2008.iso file and you can not use to install VMware tools.

For LiveCD, you can not install any package on it because it is fixed image.

Please install Mandriva2008 on your VM disk (8GB you allocated) from scratch, nont boot from the LiveCD image, so you can install VMware Tool to get better graphic.

Wesley, thanks again for your assistance.  Is there a particular way that I have to go about installing Mandriva2008 or any other linux distribution as a virtual machine?  I mean I see an icon for installing Mandriva2008 on Mandriva's desktop when I boot it as a virtual machine.  Can I install it from there and will it know to use the 8gb that has been allocated for it.  Would it make a difference if I had a copy of Mandriva2008 that wasn't a live image?  I understand what's happening with regard to the use of the CDROM drive in that I can't use it to point to an iso and also use it to load vmtools at the same time.  Thanks again.

> an icon for installing Mandriva2008 on Mandriva's desktop when I boot it as a virtual machine.Can I install it from there

Yes. LiveCD/image allow to install on machine by providing a easy installation method. Such as an icon on desktop.

After install on disk, then you can free up the CD-ROM and install any other software packages.
By the way, I would recommand you give more disk space such as 12GB so you have enough room to install software and play them. If you just want to get familiar with Mandriva2008, then 8GB is good enough because you have Ubuntu as host, another Linux.

Wesly, thanks again for your help.  This is what I've done with respect to Mandriva2008.  I did install it as you suggested.  Then I clicked on VM > install vmtools.  This time I was able to see one .rpm and one tar.gz file for vmtools.  I installed the rpm and was given an indication that it was done.  After that I opened up a terminal from Mandriva2008 and ran the following: cd/usr/bin  su vmware-config-tools.pl  Now I'm being asked where "make" resides. That's where the script ended and where I have ended;.

Wesly, thank very much for sticking with me on this.  Your assistance has been invaluable.   This has been a great learning that looks as though it can go on for a while.  I haven't used Mandriva myself for a while.  This was just an exercise to see how things have progressed with both VMWare and Mandriva.  You've been great.  I may continue with this but I need a break from it.  A lot of work for something I don't really need but I wanted to learn about.  Thank you.