Tools

Tools: Build and deploy the latest open-vm-tools from source with Ansible and Docker (2026)

2026-05-02 0 views admin
Tools: Build and deploy the latest open-vm-tools from source with Ansible and Docker (2026)

Why not just use the distro package?

How it works

Deploy with Ansible

Smart deployment logic

Supported platforms

Example playbook

Requirements If you run Linux VMs on VMware, you've probably hit this: your distro ships an open-vm-tools version that's 1-2 years behind upstream. That matters when you need guest OS compatibility fixes for newer ESXi, VMCI socket support, or CVE patches your distro hasn't backported yet. I built an Ansible role that solves this: vmware-tools-builder — it compiles the latest open-vm-tools inside isolated Docker containers, produces clean .deb/.rpm packages, and deploys them across your entire fleet. The build runs inside Docker containers — one per distro — so your Ansible controller stays clean. No build dependencies polluting your system. Output: .deb and .rpm packages in output/, automatically copied to files/ where Ansible picks them up. Write your inventory: The role handles three scenarios automatically — no conditional vars needed: For each host the role runs: preflight → deploy → post-install → diagnose → verify. If vmtoolsd fails to start, it collects logs and attempts automatic recovery before reporting failure. That's it. No special build deps, no polluted environments. If you manage VMware infrastructure and are tired of outdated guest tools, give it a try. The role is on Ansible Galaxy and the source is on GitHub. → github.com/GiulioSavini/vmware-tools-builder

→ galaxy.ansible.com/giuliosavini/vmware_tools_builder Templates let you quickly answer FAQs or store snippets for re-use. Hide child comments as well For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse

Command

Copy

$ cd containers # Build for all supported distros ./build-all.sh # Single distro ./build-all.sh --target rocky9 # Pin a specific upstream version ./build-all.sh --version 12.5.0 cd containers # Build for all supported distros ./build-all.sh # Single distro ./build-all.sh --target rocky9 # Pin a specific upstream version ./build-all.sh --version 12.5.0 cd containers # Build for all supported distros ./build-all.sh # Single distro ./build-all.sh --target rocky9 # Pin a specific upstream version ./build-all.sh --version 12.5.0 ansible-galaxy -weight: 500;">install giuliosavini.vmware_tools_builder ansible-galaxy -weight: 500;">install giuliosavini.vmware_tools_builder ansible-galaxy -weight: 500;">install giuliosavini.vmware_tools_builder [debian] srv-web01 ansible_host=10.0.0.1 srv-web02 ansible_host=10.0.0.2 [rhel] srv-app01 ansible_host=10.0.0.10 [all:vars] ansible_user=root [debian] srv-web01 ansible_host=10.0.0.1 srv-web02 ansible_host=10.0.0.2 [rhel] srv-app01 ansible_host=10.0.0.10 [all:vars] ansible_user=root [debian] srv-web01 ansible_host=10.0.0.1 srv-web02 ansible_host=10.0.0.2 [rhel] srv-app01 ansible_host=10.0.0.10 [all:vars] ansible_user=root ansible-playbook -i inventory.ini playbook.yml ansible-playbook -i inventory.ini playbook.yml ansible-playbook -i inventory.ini playbook.yml - name: Deploy custom open-vm-tools hosts: all become: true gather_facts: true roles: - role: giuliosavini.vmware_tools_builder vmtools_remove_standard: true vmtools_diagnose_on_failure: true - name: Deploy custom open-vm-tools hosts: all become: true gather_facts: true roles: - role: giuliosavini.vmware_tools_builder vmtools_remove_standard: true vmtools_diagnose_on_failure: true - name: Deploy custom open-vm-tools hosts: all become: true gather_facts: true roles: - role: giuliosavini.vmware_tools_builder vmtools_remove_standard: true vmtools_diagnose_on_failure: true - Docker on the build host (just for compiling packages) - Ansible 2.12+ on the controller - SSH access to target machines

🏷️ Tags

toolsutilitiessecurity toolsbuilddeploylatestsourceansibledockercve

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