4.0
Table Of Contents
- Getting Started with VMware Player
- Contents
- Getting Started with VMware Player
- Introduction and System Requirements
- Installing and Using Player
- Creating Virtual Machines
- Understanding Virtual Machines
- Preparing to Create a Virtual Machine
- Create a Virtual Machine
- Use Easy Install to Install a Guest Operating System
- Install a Guest Operating System Manually
- Importing Virtual Machines
- Installing and Upgrading VMware Tools
- Installing VMware Tools
- Upgrading VMware Tools
- Configure Software Update Preferences
- Configure VMware Tools Updates for a Specific Virtual Machine
- Manually Installing and Upgrading VMware Tools
- Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a Windows Virtual Machine
- Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a Linux Virtual Machine
- Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a NetWare Virtual Machine
- Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a Solaris Virtual Machine
- Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a FreeBSD Virtual Machine
- Start the VMware User Process Manually If You Do Not Use a Session Manager
- Uninstall VMware Tools
- Virtual Machine Files
- Using Virtual Machines
- Starting Virtual Machines in Player
- Stopping Virtual Machines in Player
- Transferring Files and Text
- Using the Drag-and-Drop Feature
- Using the Copy and Paste Feature
- Using Shared Folders
- Mapping a Virtual Disk to the Host System
- Add a Host Printer to a Virtual Machine
- Using Removable Devices in Virtual Machines
- Install New Software in a Virtual Machine
- Changing the Virtual Machine Display
- Download a Virtual Appliance in Player
- Remove a Virtual Machine from the Library in Player
- Configuring and Managing Virtual Machines
- Change the Name of a Virtual Machine
- Change the Guest Operating System for a Virtual Machine
- Change the Working Directory for a Virtual Machine
- Change the Virtual Machine Directory for a Virtual Machine
- Change the Memory Allocation for a Virtual Machine
- Configuring Video and Sound
- Moving Virtual Machines
- Delete a Virtual Machine
- View the Message Log for a Virtual Machine
- Using the VIX API
- Configuring and Managing Devices
- Configuring DVD, CD-ROM, and Floppy Drives
- Configuring a USB Controller
- Configuring and Maintaining Virtual Hard Disks
- Configuring Virtual Ports
- Add a Virtual Parallel Port to a Virtual Machine
- Configure a Virtual Parallel Port on a Linux 2.6.x Kernel Host
- Configure Permissions for a Parallel Port Device on a Linux Host
- Troubleshoot ECR Errors for Parallel Ports
- Add a Virtual Serial Port to a Virtual Machine
- Change the Input Speed of a Serial Connection
- Configuring Generic SCSI Devices
- Configuring Eight-Way Virtual Symmetric Multiprocessing
- Configuring Keyboard Features
- Modify Hardware Settings for a Virtual Machine
- Configuring Network Connections
- Index
3 If the distribution does not automatically mount CD-ROMs, mount the VMware Tools virtual CD-ROM
image.
For example, type mount /cdrom.
4 Change to a working directory (for example, /tmp).
cd /tmp
5 Untar the VMware Tools tar file.
tar zxpf /cdrom/vmware-freebsd-tools.tar.gz
6 If the distribution does not use automounting, unmount the VMware Tools virtual CD-ROM image.
umount /cdrom
7 Run the installer and configure VMware Tools.
cd vmware-tools-distrib
./vmware-install.pl
Usually, the vmware-config-tools.pl configuration file runs after the installer file finishes running.
8 Respond to the prompts by pressing Enter to accept the default values, if appropriate for your
configuration.
9 Follow the instructions at the end of the script.
Depending on the features you use, these instructions can include restarting the X session, restarting
networking, logging in again, and starting the VMware User process. You can alternatively reboot the
guest operating system to accomplish all these tasks.
What to do next
If a new virtual hardware version is available for the virtual machine, upgrade the virtual hardware.
Start the VMware User Process Manually If You Do Not Use a Session Manager
One of the executables used by VMware Tools in Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD guest operating systems is the
VMware User process. This program implements the fit-guest-to-window feature and Unity mode, among
other features.
Normally, this process is started automatically after you configure VMware Tools and then log out of the
desktop environment and log back in. You must start the process manually in the following environments:
n
If you run an X session without a session manager (for example, by using startx and getting a desktop
and not using xdm, kdm, or gdm).
n
If you are using certain older versions of GNOME without gdm or xdm.
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If you are using any session manager or environment that does not support the Desktop Application
Autostart Specification, available from http://standards.freedesktop.org.
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If you upgrade VMware Tools.
Procedure
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To have the VMware User process start when you start an X session, add vmware-user to the appropriate
X startup script, such as the .xsession or .xinitrc file.
The vmware-user program is located in the directory where you selected to install binary programs, which
defaults to /usr/bin. The startup script that needs to be modified depends on your particular system.
n
To start the process after a VMware Tools software upgrade or if you notice certain features are not
working, open a terminal window and enter the vmware-user command.
Getting Started with VMware Player
32 VMware, Inc.










