Linux: VMWare tools problem: "host software version may not be compatible with the upgrader"

If you run vmware-tools-upgrader-64 to install/upgrade your VMWare tools on your VM and you get the error:


Starting Tools Upgrader
RpcIn: Registering callback 'reset'
RpcIn: Registering callback 'ping'
RpcIn: Registering callback 'Capabilities_Register'
RpcIn: Registering callback 'upgrader.run'
RpcIn: Registering callback 'upgrader.cancel'
HgfsChannelGuest_Init: app tools-upgrader rpc = 0 rpc cb = 0.
HgfsChannelInitServer: Initialize Hgfs server.
HgfsChannelInitChannel: Init channel return 1.
HgfsChannelGuestBdInit: guest initialized.
RpcIn: Registering callback 'f'
Upgrader: To VMX: tools.capability.hgfs_server tools-upgrader 1
Rpci: Sending request='tools.capability.hgfs_server tools-upgrader 1'
Rpci: Sent request='tools.capability.hgfs_server tools-upgrader 1', reply='', len=0, status=1
Upgrader: To VMX: upgrader.setGuestFileRoot /tmp/vmware-root/296113e0/
Rpci: Sending request='upgrader.setGuestFileRoot /tmp/vmware-root/296113e0/'
Rpci: Sent request='upgrader.setGuestFileRoot /tmp/vmware-root/296113e0/', reply='Failed', len=6, status=1
RPC greeting failed: Host software version may not be compatible with the Upgrader.
Setting temp directory root failed.
Upgrader failed initialization.
Upgrader: To VMX: tools.capability.hgfs_server tools-upgrader 0
Rpci: Sending request='tools.capability.hgfs_server tools-upgrader 0'
Rpci: Sent request='tools.capability.hgfs_server tools-upgrader 0', reply='', len=0, status=1
RpcIn: Unregistering callback 'f'
HgfsChannelGuest_Exit: app tools-upgrader rpc = 0 rpc cb = 0 chn = 7F42C8489060.
HgfsChannelExitServer: Teardown Hgfs server.
HgfsChannelExitChannel: Exit channel returns.


it means you need to do some extra work to install the VMWareTools ;)

The solution is to unpack manually the tar file and run the installer:


tar xvf VMwareTools-10.0.10-4301679.tar.gz # actual version could be different

cd  vmware-tools-distrib

run (as ROOT) the command

 ./vmware-install.pl


Done!