VMware GSX Server 2.5.2Features | Documentation | Knowledge Base | Discussion Forums VMware Tools is a suite of utilities that enhances the performance of the virtual machine's guest operating system and improves management of the virtual machine by VMware GSX Server. It is very important that you install VMware Tools in the guest operating system. Although GSX Server can run a guest operating system without VMware Tools, you lose out on important functionality and convenience. When you install VMware Tools, you install
With the VMware SVGA driver installed, GSX Server supports up to 32-bit displays and high display resolution, with significantly faster overall graphics performance. If you run a guest operating system without VMware Tools, the graphics environment within the virtual machine is limited to VGA mode graphics (640x480, 16 color) and display performance may be unsatisfactory. The VMware guest operating system service performs various duties within the guest operating system, such as passing messages from the host operating system to the guest operating system, sending a heartbeat to GSX Server and synchronizing the time in the guest operating system with the time in the host operating system. The guest service starts automatically when the guest operating system boots. See About the VMware Guest Operating System Service. In a Windows guest, you can access the VMware Tools control panel through the Windows Control Panel (choose Start > Settings > Control Panel > VMware Tools) or via the VMware Tools icon, which appears by default in the system tray.
In a Linux or FreeBSD guest operating system, the VMware Tools control panel is called vmware-toolbox. It can be launched manually as a background process from a terminal using vmware-toolbox & In a NetWare 5.1 or 6.0 guest operating system, you can access the VMware Tools control panel by choosing Novell > Settings > VMware Tools for NetWare. In a NetWare 4.2 guest operating system, you can use VMware Tools commands in the system console. The VMware Tools program is called vmwtool. For information about using this command, see Configuring VMware Tools for NetWare Guests in the System Console. With some window managers, you can place the command to start VMware Tools in a startup configuration so VMware Tools starts automatically when you start your graphical environment. Consult your window manager's documentation for details. Installation files for VMware Tools for all supported Windows, Linux, NetWare and FreeBSD guest operating systems are built into GSX Server. |
