Download the ovftool from vmware, Ill be doing this on Ubuntu server using VMware-ovftool-4.2.0-5965791-lin.x86_64.bundle.
I assume you will already have a downloads or working folder to place the aforementioned file.
I copied the file from my local MacPro to my jump vm running Ubuntu Server, to a folder under my user name, entitled “downloads”
Use chmod command and system call on the bundle file once you are in the directory
cd /home/plasebikan/downloads
chmod 755 VMware-ovftool-4.2.0-5965791-lin.x86_64.bundle
Execute the file
sudo ./VMware-ovftool-4.2.0-5965791-lin.x86_64.bundle
Go to the bottom of the end user license agreement and type yes and hit enter, then enter once again to start the installation.
You can type which ovftool to show the path
As a test you can connect to an ESXi host as such: ovftool vi://root@HOST_IP_ADDRESS which will list vms on host.