Linux – Install VMware Tools

KB ID 0001330 

Problem

Note: This is to install the VMware Tools NOT the OPEN-VM-TOOLS.

I’ve had to do this a few times now, and every time I Goolge how to do it, I get pages of instructions on how to install the open vm tools. When what I really want is to install the VMware Tools.

Solution

I’m using vSphere ESX, but even if you are using VMware Workstation or VMware Fusion, you can still select ‘Install/Upgrade VMware tools’, this presents a DVD image to the virtual machine.

Present VMware Tools DVD

The install for VMware tools uses Perl, so you will need to have that installed.

yum install perl

Install Perl

Now we are going to mount the virtual CDROM/DVD drive into a folder, (called/mnt). Then when we have a look inside this folder, you will see the VMwareTools-{version}.tar.gz (take a note of this).

mount /dev/cdrom /mnt
cd /mnt
ls
TAKE NOTE OF THE VERSION!

Linux Install VMware Tools

Unzip those files into the /tmp directory, then run the installer.

cd /tmp
tar zxf /mnt/VMwareTools-9.10.0-2476743.tar.gz
cd vmware-tools-distrib
./vmware-install.pl

Linux Install ESX VMware Tools

Keep pressing {Enter} to accept the defaults, when complete the mounted VMware tools DVD will be ejected.

VMware Tools On Linux

 

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Author: PeteLong

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1 Comment

  1. Its actually recommended to use open VM tools. This can be done by using yum, apt, or whatever flavor of linux your using. Love the tutorials and they have saved my ass multiple times

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