How do I install VMware Tools in a Linux virtual machine on ESX Server 3.x?

Unlike the installer for Windows guests, the Linux installation of VMware Tools requires manual steps. The Linux virtual machine must be powered on to install VMware Tools. Use the following steps to install the tools using the Linux command line while logged in to the virtual machine.

1. Use the VI Client (VIC) to select the virtual machine from the Inventory.
   This can be done using the VIC either directly to the ESX Server host or through a log in to a VirtualCenter Server managing the host and virtual machine.
   
   
2. Right click the VM name in the Inventory and select Install VMware Tools
   This will connect the VMware Tools Linux ISO image file from the ESX 3.x Server host to the VM’s virtual CD ROM device. This can also be done manually using Edit Settings for the virtual machine. When using Install VMware Tools from the Inventory, if this is an upgrade of the tools there is a check box to automatically install without interacting with the guest OS.
   
   
3. Login to the Linux VM as root or switch user to root. If the ISO image is not mounted see the man pages for the Linux Guest OS for information on mounting the CD device as a Linux file system. 
   
   
4. Open a terminal window then change directory to the mount point for the ISO image and copy the gzip tar file to a temporary local directory, e.g., /tmp:
   
   [root@localhost ~]# cd /media/cdrom
   [root@localhost ~]# cp VMwareTools-3.0.x-nnnnn.tar.gz /tmp
   
   
5. Change directory to the directory where you copied the tar file and extract the contents of the tar file into a new directory called vmware-tools-distrib:
   
   [root@localhost ~]# cd /tmp
   [root@localhost ~]# tar zxvf VMwareTools-3.0.x-nnnnn.tar.gz
   
   
6. Change directory into vmware-tools-distrib and run the PERL script vmware-install.pl to install the tools. Note: Some warnings or errors are normal, such as if files do not exist. Follow the on screen prompts to install the tools. Options in square brackets are default choices and can be selected by typing the Enter key, e.g., [/usr/bin]
   
   [root@localhost ~]# ./vmware-install.pl
   
   It is normal for the console screen to go blank for a short time during the installation when the display size changes.
   
   
7. After the installation completes restart your X session for any mouse or graphics changes to take effect. To start the tools running in the background during an X server session issue the following command:
   
   [root@localhost ~]# /usr/bin/vmware-toolbox &
   
   
8. When you have finished installing VMware Tools you can delete the tar file copied in step 4 and the extracted directory.
   
   [root@localhost ~]# rm /tmp/VMwareTools-3.0.x-nnnnn.tar.gz
   [root@localhost ~]# rm -rf /tmp/vmware-tools-distrib