Install VMWare-Tools Linux VM

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How to Install VMWare Tools on a Freshly Installed Linux VM

Prerequisits

  • All development libraries need to be installed.
  • Development tools such as g++, gcc, make, cmake, etc. must be installed.
  • Current version of perl is required.
  • Kernel headers for your running version of Linux must be installed.
  • Familiarity of the usage of the command prompt, as all commands will be enter from the command line.
  • Root, aka "Super User" access to the virtual machine, either from VMWare or via SSH (Secure Shell)



Get the VMware Tools Files

  1. Start the process:
    1. Within your VM (Virtual Machine)
      move your mouse to the very top of your screen. If it's not already there, a toolbar will pull down.
      Click "Virtual Machine", and then click "Install VMware Tools".
      If you are in an Xwindows GUI (Graphical User Interface), a window usually pops up showing the contents of the device VMware is providing with the VMware tools archive.

  2. Mount the VMWare Tools partition so you can copy to your hard drive:
    1. This MUST be done as the "root" super user!
      Use the first command if you haven't setup sudoers.
      Use the second command if you have already set yourself up in sudoers.
      su - root OR sudo su - root
      Your command prompt should now have a # in it instead of a $, indicating you are now the root super user.

    2. If you are running a terminal in within an Xwindows GUI,
      a window usually pops up after you tell VMWare to install the tools, which means the system automatically mounted the partition containing the VMware Tools archive.

      If not, and you are in a command prompt only, you will need to find out what to mount and decide where to mount it.
      There are two methods of I know if to determine what device VMware is providing to mount which has the vmware-tools archive:

      Typing "dmesg" from the command line might give you a clue.
      OR
      Type "cat /proc/diskstats"

      and look for sr0, sdb, etc. It's usually sr0.