Installing VMware Tools in a Linux virtual machine using Red Hat Package Manager (RPM)

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

This article provides steps to install VMware Tools in a Linux guest operating system using Red Hat Package Manager (RPM).

 

Note: For an overview of installing VMware Tools, see: Install VMware Tools (1014294)

Environment

VMware ESXi 4.0.x Installable
VMware ESX 4.0.x
VMware ESX Server 3.5.x
VMware ESXi 4.0.x Embedded
VMware ESXi 3.5.x Installable
VMware ESX Server 3.0.x
VMware ESXi 3.5.x Embedded

Resolution

 

Notes:

• If your Linux distribution is not RPM-based, has a custom kernel, or you are running ESX(i) 4.1/5.x in which RPM installer is no longer provided, see Installing VMware Tools in a Linux virtual machine using Compiler (1018414)
• The RPM installer for installing VMware Tools on Linux Virtual Machines on ESXi 4.1 and 5.x is no longer bundled with the hypervisor. For more information, see ESXi 4.x / 5.x does not include RPM format for VMware Tools (1024047).

To install VMware Tools in a Linux guest operating system using RPM:

1. Ensure that your Linux virtual machine is powered on.
2. If you are running a GUI interface, open a command shell.
3. Click VM in the virtual machine menu, then click Guest > Install/Upgrade VMware Tools and click OK.
4. To create a mount point, run this command:
   
   mkdir /mnt/cdrom
    
5. To mount the CDROM, run this command:
   
   mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom
    

To install VMware Tools using RPM, run this command:

rpm -ivh /mnt/cdrom/VMwareTools-version.rpm

Where version is the version of VMware Tools you want to install

To check the existing version of VMware Tools, use the cd command to go to the /mnt/cdrom/ directory and list the contents of the directory with the command # ls.

Note:   You can only perform the install as a root user or by using the sudo command.

Note:   If the contents are compressed,please extract the "VmwareTools-version.tgz".
 

1. To configure VMware Tools for your running kernel, run this command:
   
   /usr/bin/vmware-config-tools.pl
    
2. To unmount the CDROM, run this command:
   
   umount /mnt/cdrom
    
3. To end the VMware Tools install, click VM in the virtual machine menu, then click Guest > End VMware Tools Install.

Additional Information

Installing VMware Tools in a Linux virtual machine using a Compiler
ESXi 4.x / 5.x does not include RPM format for VMware Tools
Installing and upgrading VMware Tools in vSphere