Overview of VMware Tools

VMware Tools is a suite of utilities that enhances the performance of the virtual machines guest operating system and improves management of the virtual machine. Without VMware Tools installed in your guest operating system, guest performance lacks important functionality. Installing VMware Tools eliminates or improves these issues:

    Low video resolution
    Inadequate color depth
    Incorrect display of network speed
    Restricted movement of the mouse
    Inability to copy and paste and drag-and-drop files
    Missing sound
    Provides the ability to take quiesced snapshots of the guest OS
    Synchronizes the time in the guest operating system with the time on the host
    Provides support for guest-bound calls created with the VMware VIX API

VMware Tools includes these components:

    VMware Tools service
    VMware device drivers
    VMware user process
    VMware Tools control panel

VMware Tools is provided in these formats:

    ISOs (contain .tar files): These are packaged with the product and are installed in a number of ways, depending upon the VMware product and the guest operating system installed in the virtual machine. For more information, see the Installing VMware Tools section. VMware Tools provides a different ISO file for each type of supported guest operating system: Windows, Linux, NetWare, Solaris, and FreeBSD.
    Operating System Specific Packages (OSPs): These are downloaded and installed from the command line on an ESXi/ESX host. VMware Tools is available as separate downloadable, light-weight packages that are specific to each supported Linux operating system and VMware product. OSPs are an alternative to the existing mechanism for installing VMware Tools and only support Linux systems running on ESXi/ESX. To download OSPs and to find important information and instructions.

Installing VMware Tools

The steps to install VMware Tools vary depending on your VMware product and the guest operating system you have installed.

For specific instructions to install, upgrade, and configure VMware Tools, see one of these documents on the VMware Documentation

    VMware Workstation User's Manual
    VMware ESX Basic System Administration guide
    VMware Server User’s Guide
    VMware Player in-product help

    Note: Select Help > Help Topics from the VMware Player product interface to access the online help.