I’m running CentOS 5 (CLI) server though VMWARE server.
How do you get vmware tools to install? I don’t seem to have much sucess?
Thank you.
I’m not sure exactly what the vmware tools are - they may be GUI tools, which aren’t available if your OS install is done with command line only, but that’s a best guess.
VMware Tools…
Hi Gareth.
First off, which version of VMware are you running? Server? ESX?
If you’re using the free VMware Server (which I quite like btw…), what platform and host OS are you using? I’ve got a server we built for a client with CentOS5 as host OS and running a CentOS5 Guest as well, with the tools loaded just fine.
If you can give some more details as to the hardware, host OS and guest OS setup, I’ll certainly try to help.
Phil Malmstrom
philm@diamondcomputer.com
The free VMWARE server with Windows server 2003 running as the Host, Cent OS5 as the guest.
Yes, I know windows 
but it’s there for a reason because we need some software that only runs in Windows.
VMware is picky…
Hi Gareth.
There’s nothing wrong with Windows as the host (other than slightly decreased performance in some guests), but I do have some concerns as to what else you’re running on the host OS. What we’ve found with VMware Server is that the host OS should be VERY stripped down, with all of your applications and services running inside the guest OSs. Either way, I don’t think that’s your issue with the Tools.
In the CentOS5 guest, are you having a problem when you try to install the tools RPM, or is it when you run the vmware-tools-config.pl script? Also, what error is it giving you?
Phil Malmstrom
philm@diamondcomputer.com
The Windows host is cut down, runs nothing but a small tool that is windows only.
I cannot install them because I cannot find where it is mounting the virtual CDROM?
Hi Gareth.
If you have the standard CentOS Gnome desktop up, it will mount it on the VM Guest’s desktop after you choose Install VMware Tools from the VMware GUI Console Menu. If you’re looking for the mount point, by default it goes to /media/cdrom for CentOS5. In that, you’ll find the .tar.gz and the RPM for installing the tools.
Phil Malmstrom
philm@diamondcomputer.com
/media/cdrom: No such file or directory
Ugh??? :-o
Fixed
I used magicISO, extract to a webserver, wget it and load the rpm 
Hi Gareth.
That was on the next question list…how your CD was set up in th e Guest OS configuration. You can set the VM to connect the virtual CD drive to either an ISO or a physical device. You might want to check those settings as well.
Glad you seem to have gotten around the issue, but it’d be nice to know why you had it in the first place as I’ve never seen that symptom before.
Take care.
Phil Malmstrom
philm@diamondcomputer.com
I was using a virtual CD drive.
I am not sure why it didnt appear to mount in Linux? Very strange.
However I am now having performance issues after disabling APIC for the clock to work properly.