This archive contains answers to questions sent to Unidata support through mid-2025. Note that the archive is no longer being updated. We provide the archive for reference; many of the answers presented here remain technically correct, even if somewhat outdated. For the most up-to-date information on the use of NSF Unidata software and data services, please consult the Software Documentation first.
Hi there, Thank you for reporting an issue using our Beta reporting form. > I can't find a way to share a folder or files between the guest Linux VM in > the Vmware Workstation 17 > and the Windows 10 host. My objective is to import and try some GIS > shapefiles. Reviewed all the Vmware > documentation on sharing files. Noted by "googling around" that lots of > people are having trouble with > that. There are three ways we can suggest to share files: 1. Drag and drop between the virtual machine and your machine. You should be able to drag a file to or from one desktop to another, or one file explorer to another. 2. Use an online drive such as Google Drive or Dropbox. Open a browser in the VM, log into your online drive, upload the file, and then do the inverse on the machine you want to have the file on. 3. Set up a shared drive between the VM and your native machine: In the VMWare Player, you can go to Player --> Manage --> Virtual Machine Settings. Then click on the "Options" tab. Select "Shared Folders", select "Always enabled". Then Add - Browse for the directory where your files are on your laptop. Click next and make sure "Enable this share" and finish. This should mount it to /mnt/hgfs or something similar (you can do a df -h to see what's mounted and it should be the "vmhgfs-fuse"). Note: You may need to power off the VM in order to make this change Please let us know if this is helpful. Thanks. --Shay Carter She/Her/Hers AWIPS Software Engineer UCAR - Unidata If you're interested, please feel free to fill out a survey about the support you receive: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeDIkdk8qUMgq8ZdM4jhP-ubJPUOr-mJMQgxInwoAWoV5QcOw/viewform