Install VMware Tools on AlmaLinux 8: Easy Setup – OrcaCore

In this guide, we will walk you through the process of how to Install VMware Tools on AlmaLinux 8. VMware Tools is a suite of utilities designed to boost the performance and streamline the management of your virtual machine’s guest operating system. It’s important to note that VMware Tools isn’t installed by default, and while the guest OS can function without it, it provides numerous valuable features, including:

• Optimized graphics performance
• Improved mouse synchronization
• Seamless file sharing between host and guest operating systems
• Enhanced network performance
• Time synchronization between host and guest
• Automated guest operating system customization

You can follow the guide below on the Orcacore website to Install VMware Tools AlmaLinux 8.

To Install VMware Tools on AlmaLinux 8, you must have AlmaLinux installed on a Virtual Machine. Then, follow the steps below to complete this guide.

1. Check VMware Tools Status on AlmaLinux

The initial step is to determine if VMware Tools is already installed on your server. You can achieve this by using the following command:

vmware-toolbox-cmd -v

If you encounter the following error message, it signifies that VMware Tools is not currently installed.

At this point, you can proceed with the commands below to Install VMware Tools on AlmaLinux 8.

2. Install VMware Tools AlmaLinux Via GUI

If you are running a GUI on AlmaLinux, you need to install open-vm-tools-desktop by using the following command:

dnf install open-vm-tools-desktop

3. Install VMware Tools Via Command Line

If you aren’t running a GUI, you only need to install the open-vm-tools package with the following command:

dnf install open-vm-tools

Note: If any of the VMware Tools packages are already installed, these same commands will also update them.

Finally, reboot the system to apply the changes:

reboot

Once you load back into AlmaLinux, you can enjoy the benefits of VMware Tools, such as the ability to copy and paste between the host system and virtual machine.

4. Components of VMware Tools

The following components are installed when you Install VMware Tools on AlmaLinux 8:

• VMware Tools service: This service is responsible for communicating with the VMware host operating system.
• VMware device drivers: These drivers optimize the performance of virtual devices, such as the virtual network adapter and virtual disk controller.
• VMware user process: This process provides user-level features, such as the ability to copy and paste between the host and guest operating systems.
• VMware Tools control panel: This control panel allows you to configure VMware Tools settings.

For more information, you can visit the VMware Tools Docs

Conclusion

At this point, you have learned to Install VMware Tools on AlmaLinux 8. It will help you to increase the performance and improve the management of the virtual machine’s guest operating system. You can easily use the GUI or CLI interface to get your VMware tools.

Hope you enjoy it. You may also like these articles:

Install FreeOffice on AlmaLinux 8

Install PostgreSQL 15 on AlmaLinux 8

How To Install Tor Browser on AlmaLinux 8

FAQs

Alternative Methods for Installing VMware Tools on AlmaLinux 8

While the dnf package manager offers a straightforward method for installing VMware Tools on AlmaLinux 8, there are alternative approaches that can be useful in specific situations. These methods involve using the VMware virtual machine interface to mount an ISO image containing the VMware Tools installation files, or utilizing VMware’s shared folders feature.

Method 1: Installing VMware Tools from an ISO Image

This method is particularly useful when you have limited or no network connectivity within your AlmaLinux 8 virtual machine, preventing the use of dnf. It involves mounting an ISO image provided by VMware, which contains the necessary installation files.

Steps:

1. Mount the VMware Tools ISO: From within the VMware virtual machine interface (vSphere Client, Workstation, Fusion, etc.), navigate to the VM settings. Look for an option like "VM" -> "Install VMware Tools" or "VM" -> "Guest" -> "Install VMware Tools". This action mounts a virtual CD-ROM drive containing the VMware Tools ISO image to your AlmaLinux 8 VM.
2. Identify the Mount Point: Once mounted, you need to identify where the ISO image is mounted within the AlmaLinux 8 file system. Typically, it’s mounted under /media or /mnt. Use the lsblk command to list block devices and their mount points:

lsblk

Look for a device that resembles /dev/sr0 or /dev/cdrom and its corresponding mount point.

3. Mount the ISO Manually (If Not Already Mounted): If the ISO is not automatically mounted, you can mount it manually. Create a mount point directory (if it doesn’t exist) and then mount the ISO:

sudo mkdir /mnt/cdrom
sudo mount /dev/sr0 /mnt/cdrom

Replace /dev/sr0 with the correct device name if it’s different in your system.

4. Extract the VMware Tools Package: Navigate to the mount point and extract the VMware Tools package. The package will usually be a .tar.gz file.

cd /mnt/cdrom
ls # List files to find the VMware Tools package name
sudo tar -xzvf VMwareTools-*.tar.gz -C /tmp

Replace VMwareTools-*.tar.gz with the actual name of the package. The -C /tmp option extracts the contents to the /tmp directory.

5. Run the Installer: Navigate to the extracted directory and run the vmware-install.pl script:

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

The installer is interactive and will prompt you for various configuration options. Accept the defaults unless you have specific requirements.

6. Unmount the ISO: After the installation is complete, unmount the ISO image:

sudo umount /mnt/cdrom

7. Clean up temporary files:

   rm -rf /tmp/vmware-tools-distrib

8. Reboot: Reboot your AlmaLinux 8 virtual machine to activate the installed VMware Tools.

Method 2: Using VMware Shared Folders (If Enabled)

This method relies on VMware’s shared folders feature, which allows you to share folders between the host and guest operating systems. You can copy the VMware Tools installation files from the host to the shared folder and then install them from within the AlmaLinux 8 VM.

Prerequisites:

• VMware Shared Folders must be enabled and configured in the virtual machine settings.
• The host operating system must have the VMware Tools installation files available (usually found in the VMware installation directory).

Steps:

1. Locate VMware Tools Installation Files on Host: On your host operating system, find the directory where VMware is installed. Within this directory, there should be a subdirectory containing the VMware Tools ISO image (e.g., C:Program FilesVMwareVMware Workstation on Windows).
2. Copy the ISO to Shared Folder: Copy the VMware Tools ISO image to the shared folder that you have configured between the host and guest operating systems.
3. Mount Shared Folder in AlmaLinux: The shared folder should automatically be mounted within your AlmaLinux 8 VM. The typical mount point is /mnt/hgfs/<shared_folder_name>. If it is not mounted, you can mount it using the vmhgfs-fuse command. Replace <shared_folder_name> with the actual name of your shared folder:

sudo vmhgfs-fuse .host:/<shared_folder_name> /mnt/<shared_folder_name>

Note: You may need to install open-vm-tools-fuse using dnf install open-vm-tools-fuse if vmhgfs-fuse command is not found.

4. Mount the ISO (as in Method 1): Follow steps 3-8 from method 1.

5. Install VMware Tools: From here you can use the previously mentioned instructions to mount the ISO and install VMware Tools as outlined in the first alternative solution.

These alternative methods provide flexibility in installing VMware Tools on AlmaLinux 8, especially when network connectivity or direct package management is not feasible. Remember to always consult the official VMware documentation for the most up-to-date instructions and best practices.