Avoid One-Time Setup of VMWare Fusion

[maiksanftenberg]

Hi.

Due to the reason our users are non admin Users we want to avoid the One-Time Setup process of VMWare fusion after we have installed it.
We can not do the Mass deployment as suggested in http://www.jamfsoftware.com/libraries/pdf/white_papers/VMware_and_CasperSuite.pdf as we do not have a Site/Company license for it.

Is there any other way to avoid this?

Thanks,
Maik

[mistacabbage]

That PDF is from March 2009. What version of Fusion are you using?

Maybe this will help from VMware Fusion Professional Version 5.0.3 (1040386)
/Applications/VMware Fusion.app/Contents/Library/Deploy VMware Fusion.mpkg/Contents/00Fusion_Deployment_Items/Deploy.ini

#
# VMware Fusion Mass Deployment Configuration file
# Edit this file to configure your deployment.
# Do not use quotes in values; lines beginning with '#' are comments.
#
# This configuration file applies to the items located in the Fusion
# deployment "payload" folder; i.e., the folder where this .ini file is located.

# QuickStart:
# To have a functioning Fusion Deployment Installer, do one or more of the
# following steps, any of which is optional:
# -- Enter your license key in the [Volume License] section below;
# -- Place a copy of the VMware Fusion.app in this payload folder;
# -- Place a copy of the virtual machines you want to deploy to each client
# in this payload folder.

# Section: Volume License
#
# The Volume License key can be entered in this configuration file,
# otherwise the application will prompt the user for it at first launch.
#
# In the line below the section name, uncomment (remove the '#')
# and enter the 25-character key separated by 4 dashes.
#
[Volume License]
# key = XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

# Section: UI Defaults
#
# By default, this configuration suppresses Fusion's usual first-time
# dialogs presented to the user, such as the End-User License Agreement,
# Registration, Software Updates, etc.
#
# It also suppresses the License and Registration menu items, whose
# views would expose the license key, as this is not typically desirable
# for volume licensing deployments. Note that to avoid showing the license
# key in the support view, you must also set a value for the getSupportURL
# key in the [Locations] section.
#
# If you wish to re-enable any of these, uncomment (remove the '#' from) any
# of the lines below.
#
[UI Defaults]
# promptEULA = true
# promptAntivirusCheck = true
# promptRegistration = true
# promptDataCollection = true
# showLicenseKeyViews = true
#
# Manage software update behavior, one of: deny, allow (the default), or ask
# softwareUpdates = deny

# Important notes regarding pathnames in this configuration file
#
# [1] Be sure to carefully check the spelling of any path names you
# enter in this configuration file.
# The installer script that reads this file will be running on the
# Mac client machine with super-user ("root") privileges.
# Normal file and folder protections do not apply.
#
# [2] Pathnames that with begin with '~/' are NOT guaranteed to work
# as expected; relative path names or shell expansions NEVER work.
# Installer deployment tools such as Apple Remote Desktop can execute
# the installer script on the Mac client machine without having a
# "currently-logged-in" user or home directory.
# Unless you are certain of the behavior of your deployment tool,
# always use absolute path names.

# Section: Locations
#
# This section allows you to change default directories for deployment
# and the URLs that Fusion uses for support and software update.
#
# Examples are given in the commented-out entries below:
#
[Locations]
# The default application install directory is /Applications
# You can set it to another directory like this:
# appdir = /Users/Shared/Applications

# The default virtual machine install directory is /Users/Shared/Virtual Machines
# You can set it to another directory like this:
# vmdir = /Users/Shared/AcmeInc/Virtual Machines
#
# These URLs are set to locations at vmware.com, but you can change them to
# point to your own servers; see the commented-out examples below:
# getSupportURL = https://www.acme.com/doc/fusionhelp.htm
# updateServerURL = https://updates.acme.com/fusion

# Section: Applications
#
# The install script will automatically locate any applications in this payload
# folder and copy them to the application destination location, which by default
# is /Applications. You can change the default destination location of
# applications by setting the value of 'appdir' in the [Locations] section.
#
# The only reason to have an explicit entry in this section is to
# change the name or location of any specific application by
# entering its name as it is in this folder (including its '.app'
# extension) as a key and the absolute path to the destination app as its value.
# See the commented-out example below:
#
[Applications]
# VMware Fusion.app = /Users/Shared/Applications/VMware Fusion-x.y.z.app

# Section: Virtual Machines
#
# The install script will automatically locate any virtual machines in this
# payload folder and copy them to the virtual machine destination location,
# which by default is /Users/Shared/Virtual Machines. You can change the
# default destination location of virtual machines by setting the value of
# 'vmdir' in the [Locations] section.
#
# The only reason to have an explicit entry in this section is to
# change the name or location of any specific virtual machine by
# entering its name as it is in this folder (including its '.vmwarevm'
# extension if present) as a key, and the absolute path to the destination VM
# as its value. See the commented-out example below.
#
# Note that when deploying virtual machines from other VMware products,
# it is recommended to add a '.vmwarevm' extension to the directory
# containing the '.vmx' file so that it is handled like Fusion VMs,
# unless there are multiple .vmx files sharing virtual disks, etc.
#
[Virtual Machines]
# Office2003-XPsp3.vmwarevm = /Users/Shared/AcmeInc/Office2003-XPsp3.vmwarevm

[maiksanftenberg · Accepted solution]

Craig,

thanks but the problem we have is due the fact that we don't have a Volume License.
If you enter a License number in the Deploy.ini file it is working fine without the one time setup.

[spalmer]

Marko Jung discussed this at the "Extension Attributes" and "The College Challenge - Macs at Oxford" sessions from JNUC 2012.

Basically he created an Extension Attribute that you manually typed the VMWare Fusion serial number into, then you create a policy that installs VMWare Fusion that runs some sort of post install script that uses the JSS API to look up the serial number from the Extension Attribute for the computer that you are currently on. Links to his slides and a video of the College Challenge presentation are posted at https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=5678. If you download the slides you can see the example of the Extension Attribute for the Fusion serial number on page 47 and the script he uses to pull the serial number from the JSS is on page 52.

Here are some other URL's I came across while researching this with lots of good info:
Deploying vmware fusion 5 custom package
http://www.adminsys.ch/2012/10/19/deploying-vmware-fusion-5-custom-package/
Setting the license key from the command line
http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=100924...
Disabling dialogs from the command line
http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=200864...
Changing or keeping a UUID for a moved virtual machine
http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1541
The UUID and moving virtual machines
http://www.vmware.com/support/ws5/doc/ws_move_uuid_moving_virtual_machines.html