Install Latest Ubuntu 19.10 on VMware and Configure VMware Shared folders with Windows 10 Host

Ubuntu is one of the leading Linux distribution many people like to get hands-on experience. It has desktop and server versions. In this guide, I will show how to install the latest Ubuntu 19.10 on VMware workstation with working VMware tools and setting up a VMware shared folder between the guest OS and host Windows 10 OS.

Installing another OS such as Ubuntu Linux on a Windows 10 computer by using virtualization software like VMware is the best way to experiment with any kind of new OS. You do not need to install on the physical hard disk or modify the Windows 10 boot loader to have Linux OS with Windows.

Also, VMware’s ‘Easy Install’ feature makes this installation super easy. You can find more about ‘Easy Install’ from the official VMware site.

This guide is divided into 4 parts:

1. Install Ubuntu on VMware by using the ‘Easy Install’ method. This step will also install the VMware tools provided you have the working internet on the host computer.
2. Guide to install VMware tools manually.
3. Setup and test the VMware shared folders between host and guest computer.
4. The download link of the pre-installed Ubuntu 19.10 VMware image that I used in this guide.

Part 1: Installing Ubuntu 19.10 on VMware Workstation

1) Download the latest desktop version of Ubuntu from the official site. It is an ISO file.

2) Make sure you have the newest version of VMware workstation. If you have VMware player, you may not find some of the options, but it works well for this purpose.

3) Create a new virtual machine and browse the ISO file. VMware will detect the OS type from the ISO file and show that it can use ‘Easy Install’.

‘Easy Install’ is like an unattended method of installing a new OS. Once we provide the required details, it will do all steps during the installation process and finalize the OS installation without any user intervention.

4) Provide user account details that will be used in Ubuntu Linux VM.

5) I always prefer to store the virtual hard disk as a single file. Before completing the setup and powering on the VM, click the Customize Hardware button.

6) Set enough processor cores and memory for the VM. I configured 4 processor cores and 4GB of RAM.

7) Power on the VM now. Make sure you have working internet on the host computer. The installation will use the internet to download the latest packages for Ubuntu 19.10 OS and install VMware tools. It will create the partitions and do all the necessary steps to install the OS properly. Once everything installed automatically, you will get the login screen after a few minutes.

8) Typing the same password you set while configuring the virtual machine will let you log in.

9) To verify whether the VMware tools installed successfully during the ‘Easy Install’, check the full-screen mode, and change the VMware console screen to different sizes, the VM will adjust and work on fit-to-screen view. That confirms the proper working VM tools. Also, you will feel the smoothness inside the VM while working.

Part 2: How to Install VMware tools manually on Ubuntu 19.10

Let’s assume for some reason you need to install the VMware tools manually. Then, follow these steps:

10) After powering on the VM, click on ‘VM’ from the menu and select the ‘Install VMware Tools’ option. This will mount the installation ISO file inside the VM.

11) Access the CD drive from the Ubuntu Linux VM, and copy the VMware Tools file to the Desktop (or any location). It is a compressed file; we need to extract it. You can open this gzipped compressed file by double-clicking it. Then select the content and extract as shown below. In this example, I’m extracting to the same Desktop folder.

Now you will see the extracted folder on the desktop.

12) Open Terminal and browse the extracted folder.

13) Type sudo ./vmware-install.pl -d

You need to re-enter your password which has root access to allow the installation.

14) Reboot the VM once the installation completed. Now we have successfully installed the VMware tools manually on Ubuntu 19.10. These methods are applicable for any desktop or server version of Ubuntu.

Part 3: Setup VMware Shared folders between Ubuntu & Windows 10 (or any versions)

15) Setting up shared folders between Linux and Windows machines is super easy nowadays. Once the VMware tools installed successfully, go to the settings of the virtual machine and click the options tab.

Here you can add a folder or partition from the Windows 10 host computer. I’m adding a partition in this example.

16) Enable the share and select the ‘Read Only’ option if you do not need to write anything from the Linux guest OS to this Windows share/partition. Most of the time, we do not need to select the ‘Read Only’ option.

Press OK to save the settings.

17) Now inside the VM, go to Computer –> mnt -> hgfs folder. Here you will find the share which is coming from the Windows host computer.

If you haven’t selected the ‘Read-only’ option, now you should be able to write/modify folders/files on this share.

This method helps to transfer and share folders and partitions between guest and host computers without setting up a network.

Part 4: Download link of the pre-installed Ubuntu 19.10 VMware image

If you need to avoid the installation and update process, you can download the latest Ubuntu 19.10 pre-installed image for VMware below. It is in 7zipped format. You need to extract the file to get the VMDK file. Then create a new Linux Ubuntu virtual machine from a VMware workstation, player, or even on the vSphere and attach this VMDK file instead of creating the new virtual hard disk.