How to Install VMware Tools on CentOS 6.5

VMware Tools is a crucial component for running a virtual machine (VM) with optimal performance. It is a suite of utilities that enhances the overall performance of the VM’s guest operating system (OS) and improves VM management. Without VMware Tools, the guest OS will lack some important functionalities.

This guide will walk you through the process of installing VMware Tools on CentOS 6.5. It is particularly useful for webmasters and website administrators who are using web servers like Apache, Nginx, or LiteSpeed on a dedicated server, VPS server, cloud hosting environment.

Step 1: Install the Prerequisites

Before you can install VMware Tools, you need to install some prerequisite software on your CentOS 6.5 system. Run the following command to install these packages:

yum install perl gcc make kernel-headers kernel-devel -y

This command installs Perl, GCC, Make, kernel headers, and kernel development packages, which are necessary for the installation of VMware Tools.

Example:

[root@centos6 ~]# yum install perl gcc make kernel-headers kernel-devel -y
Loaded plugins: fastestmirror
base                                                                         | 3.7 kB     00:00
http://ossm.utm.my/centos/6.5/os/x86_64/repodata/617a880b84a87969e04bfeebb1b96d5f441da42ee931d374fa6b6d57decd821e-primary.sqlite.bz2: [Errno 12] Timeout on http://ossm.utm.my/centos/6.5/os/x86_64/repodata/617a880b84a87969e04bfeebb1b96d5f441da42ee931d374fa6b6d57decd821e-primary.sqlite.bz2: (28, 'Operation too slow. Less than 1 bytes/sec transfered the last 30 seconds')
Trying other mirror.
base/primary_db                                                              | 4.4 MB     00:49
extras                                                                       | 3.4 kB     00:00
extras/primary_db                                                            |  18 kB     00:00
updates                                                                      | 3.4 kB     00:00
updates/primary_db                                                           |  65 kB     00:00
Setting up Install Process
Package 1:make-3.81-20.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package gcc.x86_64 0:4.4.7-4.el6 will be installed
--> Processing Dependency: libgomp = 4.4.7-4.el6 for package: gcc-4.4.7-4.el6.x86_64
--> Processing Dependency: cpp = 4.4.7-4.el6 for package: gcc-4.4.7-4.el6.x86_64
--> Processing Dependency: glibc-devel >= 2.2.90-12 for package: gcc-4.4.7-4.el6.x86_64
--> Processing Dependency: cloog-ppl >= 0.15 for package: gcc-4.4.7-4.el6.x86_64
--> Processing Dependency: libgomp.so.1()(64bit) for package: gcc-4.4.7-4.el6.x86_64
---> Package kernel-devel.x86_64 0:2.6.32-431.el6 will be installed
---> Package kernel-headers.x86_64 0:2.6.32-431.el6 will be installed
---> Package perl.x86_64 4:5.10.1-136.el6 will be installed
--> Processing Dependency: perl-libs = 4:5.10.1-136.el6 for package: 4:perl-5.10.1-136.el6.x86_64
--> Processing Dependency: perl-libs for package: 4:perl-5.10.1-136.el6.x86_64
--> Processing Dependency: perl(version) for package: 4:perl-5.10.1-136.el6.x86_64
--> Processing Dependency: perl(Pod::Simple) for package: 4:perl-5.10.1-136.el6.x86_64
--> Processing Dependency: perl(Module::Pluggable) for package: 4:perl-5.10.1-136.el6.x86_64
--> Processing Dependency: libperl.so()(64bit) for package: 4:perl-5.10.1-136.el6.x86_64
--> Running transaction check
---> Package cloog-ppl.x86_64 0:0.15.7-1.2.el6 will be installed
--> Processing Dependency: libppl_c.so.2()(64bit) for package: cloog-ppl-0.15.7-1.2.el6.x86_64
--> Processing Dependency: libppl.so.7()(64bit) for package: cloog-ppl-0.15.7-1.2.el6.x86_64
---> Package cpp.x86_64 0:4.4.7-4.el6 will be installed
--> Processing Dependency: libmpfr.so.1()(64bit) for package: cpp-4.4.7-4.el6.x86_64
---> Package glibc-devel.x86_64 0:2.12-1.132.el6 will be installed
--> Processing Dependency: glibc-headers = 2.12-1.132.el6 for package: glibc-devel-2.12-1.132.el6.x86_64
--> Processing Dependency: glibc-headers for package: glibc-devel-2.12-1.132.el6.x86_64
---> Package libgomp.x86_64 0:4.4.7-4.el6 will be installed
---> Package perl-Module-Pluggable.x86_64 1:3.90-136.el6 will be installed
---> Package perl-Pod-Simple.x86_64 1:3.13-136.el6 will be installed
--> Processing Dependency: perl(Pod::Escapes) >= 1.04 for package: 1:perl-Pod-Simple-3.13-136.el6.x86_64
---> Package perl-libs.x86_64 4:5.10.1-136.el6 will be installed
---> Package perl-version.x86_64 3:0.77-136.el6 will be installed
--> Running transaction check
---> Package glibc-headers.x86_64 0:2.12-1.132.el6 will be installed
---> Package mpfr.x86_64 0:2.4.1-6.el6 will be installed
---> Package perl-Pod-Escapes.x86_64 1:1.04-136.el6 will be installed
---> Package ppl.x86_64 0:0.10.2-11.el6 will be installed
--> Finished Dependency Resolution

Dependencies Resolved

====================================================================================================
 Package                         Arch             Version                      Repository      Size
====================================================================================================
Installing:
 gcc                             x86_64           4.4.7-4.el6                  base            10 M
 kernel-devel                    x86_64           2.6.32-431.el6               base           8.7 M
 kernel-headers                  x86_64           2.6.32-431.el6               base           2.8 M
 perl                            x86_64           4:5.10.1-136.el6             base            10 M
Installing for dependencies:
 cloog-ppl                       x86_64           0.15.7-1.2.el6               base            93 k
 cpp                             x86_64           4.4.7-4.el6                  base           3.7 M
 glibc-devel                     x86_64           2.12-1.132.el6               base           978 k
 glibc-headers                   x86_64           2.12-1.132.el6               base           608 k
 libgomp                         x86_64           4.4.7-4.el6                  base           118 k
 mpfr                            x86_64           2.4.1-6.el6                  base           157 k
 perl-Module-Pluggable           x86_64           1:3.90-136.el6               base            40 k
 perl-Pod-Escapes                x86_64           1:1.04-136.el6               base            32 k
 perl-Pod-Simple                 x86_64           1:3.13-136.el6               base           212 k
 perl-libs                       x86_64           4:5.10.1-136.el6             base           578 k
 perl-version                    x86_64           3:0.77-136.el6               base            51 k
 ppl                             x86_64           0.10.2-11.el6                base           1.3 M

Transaction Summary
====================================================================================================
Install      16 Package(s)

Total download size: 40 M
Installed size: 98 M
Downloading Packages:
(1/16): cloog-ppl-0.15.7-1.2.el6.x86_64.rpm                                  |  93 kB     00:00
(2/16): cpp-4.4.7-4.el6.x86_64.rpm                                           | 3.7 MB     00:42
(3/16): gcc-4.4.7-4.el6.x86_64.rpm                                           |  10 MB     01:40
(4/16): glibc-devel-2.12-1.132.el6.x86_64.rpm                                | 978 kB     00:09
(5/16): glibc-headers-2.12-1.132.el6.x86_64.rpm                              | 608 kB     00:06
(6/16): kernel-devel-2.6.32-431.el6.x86_64.rpm                               | 8.7 MB     01:25
(7/16): kernel-headers-2.6.32-431.el6.x86_64.rpm                             | 2.8 MB     00:30
(8/16): libgomp-4.4.7-4.el6.x86_64.rpm                                       | 118 kB     00:01
(9/16): mpfr-2.4.1-6.el6.x86_64.rpm                                          | 157 kB     00:01
(10/16): perl-5.10.1-136.el6.x86_64.rpm                                      |  10 MB     01:35
(11/16): perl-Module-Pluggable-3.90-136.el6.x86_64.rpm                       |  40 kB     00:00
(12/16): perl-Pod-Escapes-1.04-136.el6.x86_64.rpm                            |  32 kB     00:00
(13/16): perl-Pod-Simple-3.13-136.el6.x86_64.rpm                             | 212 kB     00:01
(14/16): perl-libs-5.10.1-136.el6.x86_64.rpm                                 | 578 kB     00:05
(15/16): perl-version-0.77-136.el6.x86_64.rpm                                |  51 kB     00:00
(16/16): ppl-0.10.2-11.el6.x86_64.rpm                                        | 1.3 MB     00:11
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total                                                               103 kB/s |  40 MB     06:35
warning: rpmts_HdrFromFdno: Header V3 RSA/SHA1 Signature, key ID c105b9de: NOKEY
Retrieving key from file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-CentOS-6
Importing GPG key 0xC105B9DE:
 Userid : CentOS-6 Key (CentOS 6 Official Signing Key) <centos-6-key@centos.org>
 Package: centos-release-6-5.el6.centos.11.1.x86_64 (@anaconda-CentOS-201311272149.x86_64/6.5)
 From   : /etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-CentOS-6
Running rpm_check_debug
Running Transaction Test
Transaction Test Succeeded
Running Transaction
  Installing : 1:perl-Pod-Escapes-1.04-136.el6.x86_64                                          1/16
  Installing : 4:perl-libs-5.10.1-136.el6.x86_64                                               2/16
  Installing : 1:perl-Pod-Simple-3.13-136.el6.x86_64                                           3/16
  Installing : 3:perl-version-0.77-136.el6.x86_64                                              4/16
  Installing : 1:perl-Module-Pluggable-3.90-136.el6.x86_64                                     5/16
  Installing : 4:perl-5.10.1-136.el6.x86_64                                                    6/16
  Installing : ppl-0.10.2-11.el6.x86_64                                                        7/16
  Installing : cloog-ppl-0.15.7-1.2.el6.x86_64                                                 8/16
  Installing : mpfr-2.4.1-6.el6.x86_64                                                         9/16
  Installing : cpp-4.4.7-4.el6.x86_64                                                         10/16
  Installing : libgomp-4.4.7-4.el6.x86_64                                                     11/16
  Installing : kernel-headers-2.6.32-431.el6.x86_64                                           12/16
  Installing : glibc-headers-2.12-1.132.el6.x86_64                                            13/16
  Installing : glibc-devel-2.12-1.132.el6.x86_64                                              14/16
  Installing : gcc-4.4.7-4.el6.x86_64                                                         15/16
  Installing : kernel-devel-2.6.32-431.el6.x86_64                                             16/16
  Verifying  : 1:perl-Module-Pluggable-3.90-136.el6.x86_64                                     1/16
  Verifying  : kernel-headers-2.6.32-431.el6.x86_64                                            2/16
  Verifying  : cpp-4.4.7-4.el6.x86_64                                                          3/16
  Verifying  : glibc-devel-2.12-1.132.el6.x86_64                                               4/16
  Verifying  : 1:perl-Pod-Escapes-1.04-136.el6.x86_64                                          5/16
  Verifying  : libgomp-4.4.7-4.el6.x86_64                                                      6/16
  Verifying  : 4:perl-5.10.1-136.el6.x86_64                                                    7/16
  Verifying  : mpfr-2.4.1-6.el6.x86_64                                                         8/16
  Verifying  : 4:perl-libs-5.10.1-136.el6.x86_64                                               9/16
  Verifying  : 1:perl-Pod-Simple-3.13-136.el6.x86_64                                          10/16
  Verifying  : kernel-devel-2.6.32-431.el6.x86_64                                             11/16
  Verifying  : gcc-4.4.7-4.el6.x86_64                                                         12/16
  Verifying  : 3:perl-version-0.77-136.el6.x86_64                                             13/16
  Verifying  : ppl-0.10.2-11.el6.x86_64                                                       14/16
  Verifying  : cloog-ppl-0.15.7-1.2.el6.x86_64                                                15/16
  Verifying  : glibc-headers-2.12-1.132.el6.x86_64                                            16/16

Installed:
  gcc.x86_64 0:4.4.7-4.el6                          kernel-devel.x86_64 0:2.6.32-431.el6
  kernel-headers.x86_64 0:2.6.32-431.el6            perl.x86_64 4:5.10.1-136.el6

Dependency Installed:
  cloog-ppl.x86_64 0:0.15.7-1.2.el6                   cpp.x86_64 0:4.4.7-4.el6
  glibc-devel.x86_64 0:2.12-1.132.el6                 glibc-headers.x86_64 0:2.12-1.132.el6
  libgomp.x86_64 0:4.4.7-4.el6                        mpfr.x86_64 0:2.4.1-6.el6
  perl-Module-Pluggable.x86_64 1:3.90-136.el6         perl-Pod-Escapes.x86_64 1:1.04-136.el6
  perl-Pod-Simple.x86_64 1:3.13-136.el6               perl-libs.x86_64 4:5.10.1-136.el6
  perl-version.x86_64 3:0.77-136.el6                  ppl.x86_64 0:0.10.2-11.el6

Complete!

Step 2: Attach the VMware Tools Software

The next step is to attach the VMware Tools software from the vSphere client. This guide assumes that the host is ESXi 4.1.

See also  Prerequisites Checking Before Install Zimbra Collaboration Suite 8 on CentOS 6.3

Step 3: Mount the Attached VMware Tools Software

After attaching the VMware Tools software, you need to mount it. Run the following commands to do this:

mount /dev/cdrom /mnt
cd /mnt
ls

These commands mount the CD-ROM drive, change the working directory to the mount point, and list the contents of the directory.

Step 4: Extract the VMware Tools

The VMware Tools software is distributed as a compressed tarball. To install it, you need to extract it first. Run the following command to do this:

tar xzvf VMwareTools-8.3.7-341836.tar.gz

This command extracts the contents of the VMware Tools tarball.

See also  How to Configure Static Routes on CentOS 6.2

Step 5: Install VMware Tools

After extracting the VMware Tools, you can start the installation process. Run the following commands to do this:

cd vmware-tools-distrib
./vmware-install.pl

These commands change the working directory to the extracted VMware Tools directory and run the installation script.

During the installation process, you will be asked several questions about the installation directories. You can press Enter to accept the default values.

After the installation process completes, you will be asked if you want to run the VMware Tools configuration script. Press Enter to accept the default value, which is yes.

The configuration script initializes the VMware Tools services, installs the VMware Tools kernel modules, and configures the VMware Tools updatemanager. After the configuration process completes, you will be asked to restart your X session for the changes to take effect.

Example:

[root@centos6 vmware-tools-distrib]# ./vmware-install.pl
Creating a new VMware Tools installer database using the tar4 format.

Installing VMware Tools.

In which directory do you want to install the binary files?
[/usr/bin]

What is the directory that contains the init directories (rc0.d/ to rc6.d/)?
[/etc/rc.d]

What is the directory that contains the init scripts?
[/etc/rc.d/init.d]

In which directory do you want to install the daemon files?
[/usr/sbin]

In which directory do you want to install the library files?
[/usr/lib/vmware-tools]

The path "/usr/lib/vmware-tools" does not exist currently. This program is
going to create it, including needed parent directories. Is this what you want?
[yes]

In which directory do you want to install the documentation files?
[/usr/share/doc/vmware-tools]

The path "/usr/share/doc/vmware-tools" does not exist currently. This program
is going to create it, including needed parent directories. Is this what you
want? [yes]

The installation of VMware Tools 8.3.7 build-341836 for Linux completed
successfully. You can decide to remove this software from your system at any
time by invoking the following command: "/usr/bin/vmware-uninstall-tools.pl".

Before running VMware Tools for the first time, you need to configure it by
invoking the following command: "/usr/bin/vmware-config-tools.pl". Do you want
this program to invoke the command for you now? [yes]

Initializing...

Stopping VMware Tools services in the virtual machine:
   Guest operating system daemon:                          [  OK  ]
   Virtual Printing daemon:                                [  OK  ]
   Unmounting HGFS shares:                                 [  OK  ]
   Guest filesystem driver:                                [  OK  ]

The module vmmemctl has already been installed on this system by another
installer or package and will not be modified by this installer.  Use the flag
--clobber-kernel-modules=vmmemctl to override.

Found a compatible pre-built module for vmhgfs.  Installing it...

Found a compatible pre-built module for vmxnet.  Installing it...

Found a compatible pre-built module for vmblock.  Installing it...

Found a compatible pre-built module for vmci.  Installing it...

Found a compatible pre-built module for vsock.  Installing it...

The module vmxnet3 has already been installed on this system by another
installer or package and will not be modified by this installer.  Use the flag
--clobber-kernel-modules=vmxnet3 to override.

The module pvscsi has already been installed on this system by another
installer or package and will not be modified by this installer.  Use the flag
--clobber-kernel-modules=pvscsi to override.

No X install found.

Creating a new initrd boot image for the kernel.
   Checking acpi hot plug                                  [  OK  ]
Starting VMware Tools services in the virtual machine:
   Switching to guest configuration:                       [  OK  ]
   VM communication interface:                             [  OK  ]
   VM communication interface socket family:               [  OK  ]
   Guest operating system daemon:                          [  OK  ]
   Virtual Printing daemon:                                [  OK  ]

The configuration of VMware Tools 8.3.7 build-341836 for Linux for this running
kernel completed successfully.

You must restart your X session before any mouse or graphics changes take
effect.

You can now run VMware Tools by invoking the following command:
"/usr/bin/vmware-toolbox" during an X server session.

To enable advanced X features (e.g., guest resolution fit, drag and drop, and
file and text copy/paste), you will need to do one (or more) of the following:
1. Manually start /usr/bin/vmware-user
2. Log out and log back into your desktop session; and,
3. Restart your X session.

Enjoy,

--the VMware team

/sbin/restorecon:  Warning no default label for /tmp/vmware-block-restore0/tmp_file

Commands Mentioned

  • yum install perl gcc make kernel-headers kernel-devel -y – Installs the prerequisite software for VMware Tools.
  • mount /dev/cdrom /mnt – Mounts the CD-ROM drive.
  • cd /mnt – Changes the working directory to the mount point.
  • ls – Lists the contents of the current directory.
  • tar xzvf VMwareTools-8.3.7-341836.tar.gz – Extracts the VMware Tools tarball.
  • cd vmware-tools-distrib – Changes the working directory to the extracted VMware Tools directory.
  • ./vmware-install.pl – Runs the VMware Tools installation script.
See also  How to Install VMware Tools on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.2 (RHEL 6.2)

Conclusion

Installing VMware Tools on CentOS 6.5 is a straightforward process that involves installing some prerequisite software, attaching the VMware Tools software, mounting it, extracting it, and running the installation script. After the installation process completes, you need to run the VMware Tools configuration script and restart your X session for the changes to take effect. By following this guide, you can enhance the performance of your virtual machine’s guest operating system and improve virtual machine management.

FAQ

  1. What is VMware Tools?

    VMware Tools is a suite of utilities that enhances the performance of the virtual machine’s guest operating system and improves virtual machine management.

  2. Why do I need to install VMware Tools?

    Installing VMware Tools is necessary for running a virtual machine with optimal performance. Without VMware Tools, the guest operating system will lack some important functionalities.

  3. What are the prerequisites for installing VMware Tools?

    The prerequisites for installing VMware Tools are Perl, GCC, Make, kernel headers, and kernel development packages. You can install these packages using the yum package manager.

  4. How do I install VMware Tools?

    You can install VMware Tools by attaching the VMware Tools software from the vSphere client, mounting it, extracting it, and running the installation script.

  5. What happens after installing VMware Tools?

    After installing VMware Tools, you need to run the VMware Tools configuration script. After the configuration process completes, you need to restart your X session for the changes to takeeffect.

Comments

1 Comment

  • Avatar Eduardo Mozart de Oliveira says:

    Thanks!

    There is another note too: By default, CentOS do not enable eth0. You need to enable it first to download dependences from yum. Please remember to set network to Bridge.
    Open ifconfig-eth0 with NANO:
    vi /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0
    Set PEERDNS=yes and change ONBOOT=yes.
    Use the command:
    service network restart
    to start the eth0 interface.
    Now yum should work fine.

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