A manual vib installation on an ESX 9.x host fails with [VibDownloadError]

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• An installation of a .vib file is attempted on an ESX 9.x host via a command similar to the following:
  
  

  [root@######:/vmfs/volumes/########-6a6a754a] esxcli software vib install -v <file>.vib

 

• The following message is returned and the vib fails to install:
  
  

  [VibDownloadError]

• Messages similar to the following are present in the /var/run/log/hostd.log file on the ESX 9.x host:
  
  

  2025-11-21T16:45:09.912Z Db(167) Hostd[2098887]: --> (string) [
  2025-11-21T16:45:09.912Z Db(167) Hostd[2098887]: -->    "<file>.vib"
  2025-11-21T16:45:09.912Z Db(167) Hostd[2098887]: --> ]
  2025-11-21T16:45:09.912Z In(166) Hostd[2098902]: [Originator@6876 sub=Solo.Vmomi opID=esxcli-e8-2214 sid=520ea303 user=root] Throw vim.EsxCLI.CLIFault
  2025-11-21T16:45:09.912Z In(166) Hostd[2098902]: [Originator@6876 sub=Solo.Vmomi opID=esxcli-e8-2214 sid=520ea303 user=root] Result:
  2025-11-21T16:45:09.912Z In(166) Hostd[2098887]: --> (vim.EsxCLI.CLIFault) {
  2025-11-21T16:45:09.912Z In(166) Hostd[2098887]: -->    errMsg = (string) [
  2025-11-21T16:45:09.912Z In(166) Hostd[2098887]: -->       " [VibDownloadError]"
  2025-11-21T16:45:09.912Z In(166) Hostd[2098887]: -->    ],
  2025-11-21T16:45:09.912Z In(166) Hostd[2098887]: -->    msg = "",
  2025-11-21T16:45:09.912Z In(166) Hostd[2098887]: --> }

Environment

vSphere ESX 9.x

Cause

The esxcli software vib install command requires the full path the .vib file, not a relative path.

Resolution

Execute the esxcli software vib install command again using the full path to the .vib file.

[root@######:/vmfs/volumes/########-6a6a754a] esxcli software vib install -v /vmfs/volumes/########-6a6a754a/<file>.vib

Additional Information

Installing VIB fails with the error: Unknown command or namespace software vib install