Plugins Not Working

Hello, I am new to Omeka. I thought I would try installing some of the plugins on the site. I put them in the plugins folder and go to the admin console, where I hit the install button. The screen then turns white, with some causing a javascript error as long as the plugin is still in the plugin folder.

I am currently using the Omeka VM using VMware. Am I doing something wrong?

Perhaps someone who is running Omeka with VMware might be able to share their experiences. We (CHNM) don't specifically support VMware but know that some folks in the community are running Omeka on it successfully.