Export VM as a OVF file from VMware Fusion

Question

I am currently running VMware Fusion 6 on 10.9. I know that in ESX, and I believe even VMware Workstation, you can export a VM to a OVF file and redeploy on VirtualBox, VMware Workstaion/Fusion, and ESX.

My question is, is there a way I can make a OVF file on Fusion for the VM I want to deploy or am I out of luck?

Levina

Answer 1

cd /Applications/VMware\ Fusion.app/Contents/Library/VMware\ OVF\ Tool/

./ovftool  <PATH TO SOURCE VM's .vmx file>   <PATH TO OUTPUT ova file>

# example

./ovftool --acceptAllEulas ~/Documents/Virtual\ Machines.localized/CentOS\ 6.5.vmwarevm/CentOS\ 6.5.vmx      /tmp/CentOS6.5.ova

Countertype

for Fusion 8. sudo ln -sf /Applications/VMware\ Fusion.app/Contents/Library/VMware\ OVF\ Tool/ovftool /usr/local/bin/ – Brieta

If your virtual machine has a .vmwarevm extension you need to reference the .vmx file inside when using ovf tool. Right click on the virtual machine and select 'Show Package Contents'. Inside you will find the .vmx file to reference with ovf tool. – Mccall

Answer 2

./ovftool --acceptAllEulas /Users/admin/Documents/Virtual Machines.localized/IDM.vmwarevm/IDM.vmx ~/Users/admin/Documents/IDM.ova

Phenica

--acceptAllEulas eq Accepts all end user license agreement's, Then you provide path of the .vmx /.ova file to create. This process will take some time. – Phenica

my files have extension -- .vmwarevm and it gives this error - Opening OVF source:xyz.vmwarevm.ovf Error: Failed to open OVF descriptor Completed with errors – Adenosine

You need to reference the .vmx file inside the .vmwarevm package. On Mac, right click on your virtual machine and select 'Show Package Contents'. Inside you will find the .vmx file that you need to reference with ovf tool. – Mccall

Answer 3

If you have upgraded VMware Fusion, you can export ova in GUI. As of VMware Fusion 7.1.3, you can do this in File->Export to OVF, like this.

Wicketkeeper

This does provide an answer. He has explained how to do it and provided a link for corroboration. – Aduwa

I believe you must be using VMware Fusion Pro. My just-upgraded version to 8.0 does not have a File -> Export to OVF option. – Conscionable

Thank you for pointing this out. To anyone else having troubles an immediate fix may be to download a trial of vmware fusion 10 pro, which does have export built into the file menu. Saved the day for me. – Jonellejones

Answer 4

Download the appropriate installer from VMware's site

For my OSX setup, rather than the convoluted white spaced pathing to the tool, I created a symlink so my $PATH could pick it up

sudo ln -s /Applications/VMware\ OVF\ Tool/ovftool /usr/local/bin/ovftool

And then ran ovftool like marathon

Trinee