Arch Linux

msh

Member

From: Latvia

Registered: 2009-01-16

Posts: 17

[SOLVED/FOLLOW-UP] VMware Tools w/o desktop enviroment - any benefits?

Are there any known or perceived benefits in having VMware Tools installed in a CLI-only environment?

I recently installed Archlinux as guest OS (using VMware Workstation 6.5) and I was wondering about benefits of installing VMware Tools if I'll be running it in CLI-only mode. Some googling suggests that the network drivers installed as part of Tools improve network performance but that's everything I could dig up.

Cheers.

Last edited by msh (2009-01-17 22:58:51)

Ranguvar

Member

Registered: 2008-08-12

Posts: 2,549

Re: [SOLVED/FOLLOW-UP] VMware Tools w/o desktop enviroment - any benefits?

With the VMware Tools SVGA driver installed, Workstation supports significantly faster graphics performance.

The VMware Tools package provides support required for shared folders and for drag and drop operations.

Other tools in the package support synchronization of time in the guest operating system with time on the host, automatic grabbing and releasing of the mouse cursor, copying and pasting between guest and host, and improved mouse performance in some guest operating systems.

dschrute

Member

From: NJ, USA

Registered: 2007-04-09

Posts: 183

Re: [SOLVED/FOLLOW-UP] VMware Tools w/o desktop enviroment - any benefits?

From the Workstation 6.x manual pg's 113-115 :
http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ws6_manual.pdf

- Passes messages from the host operating system to the guest operating system.
- Executes commands in the operating system to cleanly shut down or restart a Linux, FreeBSD, or Solaris system when you
select power operations in Workstation.
- Sends a heartbeat to a VMware Server, if you use the virtual machine with VMware Server.
[...]
- Synchronizes the time in the guest operating system with the time in the host operating system.
- Runs scripts that help automate guest operating system operations. The scripts run when the virtual machine's power state
changes
[...]
A set of VMware device drivers. These drivers include:
- The vmxnet networking driver for some guest operating systems.
- BusLogic SCSI driver for some guest operating systems.
- VMware mouse driver.
- A kernel module for handling shared folders, called hgfs.sys on Windows and vmhgfs on Linux and Solaris.
[...]
VMware user process. The program file is called VMwareUser.exe on Windows guests and vmware-user on Linux and
Solaris guests.
This service performs the following tasks within the guest operating system:
- Enables you to copy and paste text between the guest and host operating systems, and copy and paste files between
the host operating systems and Windows, Linux, and Solaris guest operating systems.
- Enables you to drag and drop files between the host operating systems and Windows, Linux, and Solaris guest
operating systems.
- On Linux and Solaris guests, grabs and releases the mouse cursor when the SVGA driver is not installed.

msh

Member

From: Latvia

Registered: 2009-01-16

Posts: 17

Re: [SOLVED/FOLLOW-UP] VMware Tools w/o desktop enviroment - any benefits?

I suppose the answer to my question is "not really", then.

Last edited by msh (2009-01-16 16:39:55)

Ranguvar

Member

Registered: 2008-08-12

Posts: 2,549

Re: [SOLVED/FOLLOW-UP] VMware Tools w/o desktop enviroment - any benefits?

I would say the biggest benefit for command line is easy moving of files between host and guest.

pizmooz

Member

Registered: 2009-01-11

Posts: 21

Re: [SOLVED/FOLLOW-UP] VMware Tools w/o desktop enviroment - any benefits?

I think it is beneficial for when you shutdown your host os and forget to shutdown the guest, it will cleanly shutdown the guest for you, preventing fs damage.

msh

Member

From: Latvia

Registered: 2009-01-16

Posts: 17

Re: [SOLVED/FOLLOW-UP] VMware Tools w/o desktop enviroment - any benefits?

I would say the biggest benefit for command line is easy moving of files between host and guest.

I agree. But I already have NFS share set up for that.

I think it is beneficial for when you shutdown your host os and forget to shutdown the guest, it will cleanly shutdown the guest for you, preventing fs damage.

I totally missed that! Thanks for pointing that out.

Thank you for your opinions!

Actuarybrad

Member

Registered: 2006-12-09

Posts: 1

Re: [SOLVED/FOLLOW-UP] VMware Tools w/o desktop enviroment - any benefits?

First post...I am entitled to a stupid question......I have the same setup and debating adding vmware tools. You do have to install xorg server first...right? No way around this step?

Regards,

Actuarybrad

Ranguvar

Member

Registered: 2008-08-12

Posts: 2,549

Re: [SOLVED/FOLLOW-UP] VMware Tools w/o desktop enviroment - any benefits?

Nah, there's a CLI option for the installer app to use the CLI. Check the Arch wiki.

msh

Member

From: Latvia

Registered: 2009-01-16

Posts: 17

Re: [SOLVED/FOLLOW-UP] VMware Tools w/o desktop enviroment - any benefits?

Follow-up.

I decided to install VMware Tools after all. VMware recommends this and I didn't see a reason to not do it.

I successfully installed VMware Tools on Archy running inside VMware 6.5 in an CLI-only enviroment by following the guide in ArchWiki here. It took a bit of jumping around the other sections of the guide to figure out some things that are not covered in detail in "VMware Workstation 6.5" section but in the end it was a smooth and painless process.

xorg or gnome packages are not necessery if you are going run in CLI-only. Installation script does output a warning to the tune of "X not installed" but otherwise does not complain.

Cheers.