systemd-udevd[15087]: Process '/bin/sh -c 'echo 180 >/sys$DEVPATH/device/timeout'' failed with exit code 2.

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

This issue seems to be caused by an incorrect udev rule. (/lib/udev/rules.d/60-open-vm-tools.rules)
To reproduce, simply start "parted", which immediately logs the error message described in the original bug report to /var/log/syslog .

See also Fedora Bug 1431376 (https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1431376).
The new udev rule suggested in comment 15 fixes the occurrence on our Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS (4.4.0-116).

I've attached a diff of the change between the original and the version adjusted as suggested.

The attachment "1668244_udev_rule_60-open-vm-tools.rules.patch" seems to be a patch. If it isn't, please remove the "patch" flag from the attachment, remove the "patch" tag, and if you are a member of the ~ubuntu-reviewers, unsubscribe the team.

[This is an automated message performed by a Launchpad user owned by ~brian-murray, for any issues please contact him.]

There is an upcoming xenial SRU for open-vm-tools where packages are being bumped to version 10.2.0-3. Candidate builds are here: https://launchpad.net/~ci-train-ppa-service/+archive/ubuntu/3226

The bug driving the SRU is https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/open-vm-tools/+bug/1741390

The udev rules in that package are:

ACTION=="add", SUBSYSTEMS=="scsi", ATTRS{vendor}=="VMware*", ATTRS{timeout}=="?*", ATTRS{model}=="Virtual disk*", RUN+="/bin/sh -c 'echo 180 >/sys$DEVPATH/timeout'"
ACTION=="add", SUBSYSTEMS=="scsi", ATTRS{vendor}=="VMware*", ATTRS{timeout}=="?*", ATTRS{model}=="VMware Virtual S", RUN+="/bin/sh -c 'echo 180 >/sys$DEVPATH/timeout'"

Thanks Andreas for the ping, yes the update will include the upstream fix [2] to this bug as well.
If it fixes the issue of the reporter I'm not 100% sure. The reason for that uncertainty is [1] which mentions the rule changed but not working for some on the Fedora bug.

I'd want to keep this separate to the ongoing SRU.

There is a related discussion in [5] and a yet contained related fix [4] which might be what we want here eventually.

So @Patrick - you can either wait for the SRU to complete to retest or you can test from the ppa [3] so that we know and can go on thinking about this already.

[1]: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1431376#c21
[2]: https://github.com/vmware/open-vm-tools/commit/94028b39e929b162ebc320f455fb2f5b3af53f04
[3]: https://launchpad.net/~ci-train-ppa-service/+archive/ubuntu/3226
[4]: https://github.com/vmware/open-vm-tools/commit/3011466e0f59471292a58ba5124238898d18945a
[5]: https://github.com/vmware/open-vm-tools/issues/183

@Christian I've tested version 2:10.2.0-3~ubuntu0.16.04.1ppa1 of your ppa successfully:
Ubuntu 16.04.4 (4.4.0-124-generic), rebooted and started parted again - no log message anymore.

Interesting - thanks for the check, in that case I'll mark this bug as a dup as your issue will then be solved by the backport we are working on.