How to install VMware Tools - Tutorial

Hi all,

After quite a lot of people asked me how to achieve this, namely install vmware tools, especially for Linux hosts, I realized the task is not as trivial as it seems and decided to write this tutorial.

It demonstrates, step-by-step, how to install vmware tools, both on Windows and Linux guest. For Linux guests, the tutorial also shows how to work with archives, how to compile packages from the command line, the preliminary installation of compilation-necessary packages - make, gcc, kernel source, kernel headers, setting up vmware tools to run at startup, and more.

The linux demo is done on Linux Mint 4, which is very similar to Ubuntu, but the idea is the same for all distros, since we use archives and command line interface rather than rpm or deb packages.

The next article will show you how to install guest addons in VirtualBox, again both on windows and linux hosts - that's in 2 days.

These two articles are an introduction to: 3d acceleration in virtual machines, a three-article series showing how to do this for windows and linux hosts, windows and linux guests, which I'll post in the following days.

I hope this will help you, regardless of the 3d thingie ... plus, stay tuned for the entire series! The article will come up this week, so you won't have to wait too long.

Here we go:

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/vmware-tools.html


Comments and suggestions are most welcome.

Regards,
Mrk

 

Thank you,this was what I have been looking for.But I have vmware player.I think I have to install vmware server.

 

Hi Mrk,

A very valid tutorial (VMWare tools in Linux.) I've lost count the times I've helped someone out with this. What looks straight forward actually needs some work.

Now I have a nice tutorial that I can link to, thanks.

 

Ta Mrk for refloating this link,
Looking forwards to Part2&3.

SuSE
http://www.susegeek.com/general/how-to-install-vmware-tools-for-opensuse-guest-os/

A Useful page
http://www.thoughtpolice.co.uk/vmware/howto/

Some debian tricks?? Not sure how utd this??
http://www.visoracle.com/download/debian/installvmwaretools.html

From earlier this year re FreeBSD
http://blog.sourcehosting.net/2008/03/10/vmware-tools-installation-problem-under-freebsd-70/

Goddamnit that to do list gets lllllllooonnngggerrrrr...

Could i suggest any one keen add to this list for updates, t&t..I need them.

PS post this in the Unix forum?
Regards

 

Well, it has both windows and linux side ... so it's more general, although I admit the linux side definitely deserves its own page Then again, I don't want to obliterate the forum with double posts ...
Mrk

 

Thanks again