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Opening a command or shell prompt

Purpose

This article guides you through the process of opening a command prompt from Windows or a shell prompt from Linux and Mac OS. The article also describes how to get to a command or shell prompt by using a Secure Shell (SSH) utility. This process is a requirement of many of VMware's knowledge base articles.

Resolution

The method of opening a command or shell prompt differs between operating systems. Refer to the section that matches the operating system you are using.

Windows

To open a command prompt in Windows:
 
  1. Click Start>Run. The Run dialog appears.
  2. Type command.
  3. Click OK.

Note : To exit from the command prompt, type exit and press Enter.

Linux

The exact method of doing this varies with the distribution and version of Linux operating system in use. If you are looking at a graphical screen, the most common method of getting to a shell prompt is to press Ctrl + Alt + F2. You may have to login.

Note: To logout, type exit and press Enter. To return to the graphical interface, press Alt + F7.

Mac OS

  1. Press Command + Shift + U.
  2. Double-click Terminal.

    Note    : To exit, type exit,   press Enter, and press Command + Q.

Using Secure Shell (SSH)

A Secure Shell (SSH) utility allows a computer to open an encrypted command or shell prompt on a remote system.
 
Note: This is the recommended method of opening a shell prompt on a remote ESX Server host.
 
To start an SSH session from Linux and Mac OS:
  1. Open a shell prompt as described above.
  2. Type ssh <username>@<server> , and press Enter.

    Note:     Replace <username> with a valid user on the remote system that is allowed to login remotely, and replace <server> with either the hostname or IP address of the remote system.
To start an SSH session from Windows, you must download an SSH client. You need to refer to the documentation for this client in order to determine how to use it.
 
Launching an SSH session has the following in common to all operating systems:
  • The hostname or IP address of the remote system.
  • A valid user on the remote system that is allowed to login remotely.
  • The password for the user on the remote system.
  • If an SSH connection is being established for the first time to the remote host, permission must be given to establish a connection to the system.
 Note: If you are unable to establish an SSH connection to an ESX server, see Unable to connect to an ESX Server using SSH (1003807) .

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Actions
  • KB Article: 1003892
  • Updated: Aug 14, 2009
  • Products:
    VMware ACE
    VMware ESX
    VMware Fusion
    VMware GSX Server
    VMware Player
    VMware Server
    VMware VirtualCenter
    VMware Workstation
    VMware vCenter Lab Manager