VMware Tools Download 12: What You Need to Know
Introduction
If you are using VMware products to run virtual machines, you may have heard of VMware Tools. But what is it exactly and why do you need it? In this article, we will explain what VMware Tools is, what are its benefits, what are the different types of it, and how to download and install it. We will also show you how to check its compatibility with various guest operating systems and VMware products.
What is VMware Tools and why do you need it?
VMware Tools is a set of services and modules that enable several features in VMware products for better management of, and seamless user interactions with, guests operating systems. For example, VMware Tools has the ability to:
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Pass messages from the host operating system to the guest operating system.
Customize guest operating systems as a part of the vCenter Server and other VMware products.
Run scripts that help automate guest operating system operations. The scripts run when the power state of the virtual machine changes.
Synchronize the time in the guest operating system with the time on the host operating system.
Improve sound, graphics, networking, and storage performance with device drivers.
Enable certain features (such as copy, paste, drag, drop and so on) with Vmware product supporting them.
Without VMware Tools installed in your guest operating system, guest performance lacks important functionality. Installing VMware Tools eliminates or improves these issues and enhances your virtual machine experience.
What are the benefits of VMware Tools?
Installing VMware Tools provides a number of benefits for your virtual machines, such as:
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how to install vmware tools on windows server core edition version: vSphere ESXi/ESX Host version: VMware ESXi,6.7.0,17167734,VMvisor Installer,6.7.0.update03,2023/06/13 Build:17167734 Download VMware Tools packages for Windows File size:108.58 MB File type:zip Read More Download Now VMware Tools packages for Windows File size:108.57 MB File type:gz Read More Download Now VMware Tools for Windows,32-bit in-guest installer File size:34.94 MB File type:zip Read More Download Now VMware Tools for Windows,64-bit in-guest installer File size:70.3 MB File type:zip Read More Download Now VMware Tools packages for GuestStore File size:105.24 MB File type:zip Read More Download Now VMware Tools packages for GuestStore File size:105.24 MB File type:gz Read More Download Now VMware Tools Offline VIB Bundle File size:321.84 MB File type:zip Read More
Better video resolution and color depth.
Correct display of network speed.
Unrestricted movement of the mouse.
Ability to copy and paste and drag-and-drop files between host and guest.
Sound support.
Ability to take quiesced snapshots of the guest OS.
Bug fixes, security updates, and new features.
What are the different types of VMware Tools?
VMware Tools is provided in different formats for different operating systems and deployment scenarios. The main types of VMware Tools are:
ISOs (containing installers): These are packaged with the product and are installed in a number of ways, depending upon the VMware product and the guest operating system installed in the virtual machine. There is a different ISO file for each type of supported guest operating system: Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, NetWare, Solaris, and FreeBSD.
Operating System Specific Packages (OSPs): These are downloadable binary packages that are built and provided by VMware for particular versions of Linux distributions. OSPs are typically available for older releases, such as RHEL 6. Most current versions of Linux include Open VM Tools, eliminating the need to separately install OSPs.
Open VM Tools (OVT): This is the open source implementation of VMware Tools intended for Linux distribution maintainers and virtual appliance vendors. OVTs are generally included in the current versions of popular Linux distributions, allowing administrators to effortlessly install and update VMware Tools alongside other Linux packages.
How to download VMware Tools 12How to download VMware Tools 12
There are different ways to download VMware Tools 12, depending on the source and the format of the package. You can download VMware Tools from:
Download VMware Tools from VMware Customer Connect
VMware Customer Connect is the official website where you can find and download VMware products, including VMware Tools. To download VMware Tools from VMware Customer Connect, you need to have a valid account and login credentials. You can also access the site through My VMware portal.
To download VMware Tools from VMware Customer Connect:
Go to [VMware Customer Connect](^1^) and log in with your credentials.
Select the Downloads tab and choose the product category that matches your VMware platform product (such as vSphere, Workstation, or Fusion).
Find and select the VMware Tools product from the list of products.
Select the version of VMware Tools that you want to download (such as 12.1.0 or 12.2.5).
Select the file type and format that matches your guest operating system (such as ISO, ZIP, or GZ).
Click Download Now and save the file to your local drive.
Download VMware Tools from VMware Packages Repository
VMware Packages Repository is an online repository where you can find and download Operating System Specific Packages (OSPs) for Linux distributions that are supported by VMware. OSPs are binary packages that are built and provided by VMware for particular versions of Linux distributions. OSPs are typically available for older releases, such as RHEL 6. Most current versions of Linux include Open VM Tools, eliminating the need to separately install OSPs.
To download OSPs from VMware Packages Repository:
Go to [VMware Packages Repository](^2^) and select the Linux distribution that matches your guest operating system.
Select the version of the Linux distribution that matches your guest operating system.
Select the architecture of your guest operating system (such as x86_64 or i386).
Select the package name that starts with vmware-tools (such as vmware-tools-esx-nox or vmware-tools-esx-kmods).
Select the version of the package that matches your VMware platform product (such as 10.3.10-1.el7 for vSphere 6.7).
Click Download and save the file to your local drive.
Download VMware Tools from VMware Hosted Web Services
VMware Hosted Web Services is a web service that allows you to access and download VMware Tools ISO image files directly from a URL. You can use this method if you do not have access to VMware Customer Connect or if you want to automate the download process using scripts or commands.
To download VMware Tools ISO image files from VMware Hosted Web Services:
Determine the URL of the ISO image file that matches your guest operating system and your VMware platform product. The URL format is: For example,
Copy and paste the URL in your web browser or use a command-line tool such as wget or curl to download the ISO image file.
Save the file to your local drive.
How to install VMware Tools 12
There are different ways to install VMware Tools 12, depending on the source and the format of the package. You can install VMware Tools using:
Install VMware Tools using an ISO image file
This method is suitable for Windows, Mac OS X, and other operating systems that support installing software from an ISO image file. You need to mount the ISO image file to the virtual CD-ROM drive of your virtual machine and run the installer from there.
To install VMware Tools using an ISO image file:
Power on your virtual machine and log in as an administrator or a user with root privileges.
In your VMware platform product, select your virtual machine and choose Install or Upgrade VMware Tools from the menu or toolbar.
This mounts the ISO image file to the virtual CD-ROM drive of your virtual machine.
In your guest operating system, open the CD-ROM drive and double-click the setup.exe file (for Windows) or install.vmwaretools.app (for Mac OS X) to launch the installer.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.
You may need to reboot your virtual machine for the changes to take effect.
Install VMware Tools using a package manager
This method is suitable for Linux distributions that support installing software from a package manager, such as yum, apt, or zypper. You need to add the VMware Packages Repository to your package manager and install the OSPs from there.
To install VMware Tools using a package manager:
Power on your virtual machine and log in as an administrator or a user with root privileges.
Add the VMware Packages Repository to your package manager by following the instructions on [this page].
Update your package manager to refresh the list of available packages.
Install the OSPs that match your guest operating system and your VMware platform product by using the appropriate command for your package manager. For example, for RHEL 6 and vSphere 6.7, you can use: yum install vmware-tools-esx-nox vmware-tools-esx-kmods
You may need to reboot your virtual machine for the changes to take effect.
Install VMware Tools using an installer assistant
This method is suitable for Linux distributions that do not support installing software from a package manager, such as Solaris, FreeBSD, or NetWare. You need to mount the ISO image file to the virtual CD-ROM drive of your virtual machine and run the installer assistant from there.
To install VMware Tools using an installer assistant:
Power on your virtual machine and log in as an administrator or a user with root privileges.
In your VMware platform product, select your virtual machine and choose Install or Upgrade VMware Tools from the menu or toolbar.
This mounts the ISO image file to the virtual CD-ROM drive of your virtual machine.
In your guest operating system, open a terminal window and switch to the root user.
Mount the CD-ROM drive to a mount point, such as /mnt/cdrom. For example, for Solaris, you can use: mount -r /dev/dsk/c0t0d0s2 /mnt/cdrom
Change directory to the mount point and run the installer assistant by using: ./vmware-install.pl
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.
You may need to reboot your virtual machine for the changes to take effect.
How to check VMware Tools compatibility
Before installing or upgrading VMware Tools, you should check its compatibility with your guest operating system and your VMware platform product. You should also check its compatibility with any optional VMware features that you want to use, such as vMotion, DRS, or HA.
Check VMware Tools compatibility with guest operating systems
To check VMware Tools compatibility with guest operating systems, you can refer to [this page], which lists the supported guest operating systems for each version of VMware Tools. You can also use [this tool], which allows you to select your guest operating system and your VMware platform product and shows you the compatible versions of VMware Tools.
Check VMware Tools compatibility with VMware products
To check VMware Tools compatibility with VMware products, you can refer to [this page], which lists the supported VMware products for each version of VMware Tools. You can also use [this tool], which allows you to select your VMware product and shows you the compatible versions of VMware Tools.
Check VMware Tools compatibility with optional VMware features
To check VMware Tools compatibility with optional VMware features, such as vMotion, DRS, or HA, you can refer to [this page], which lists the requirements and recommendations for each feature. You can also use [this tool], which allows you to select your optional feature and shows you the compatible versions of VMware Tools.
Conclusion
In this article, we have explained what VMware Tools is, what are its benefits, what are the different types of it, and how to download and install it. We have also shown you how to check its compatibility with various guest operating systems and VMware products. We hope that this article has helped you understand and use VMware Tools better.
FAQs
What is the latest version of VMware Tools?The latest version of VMware Tools as of June 2023 is 12.2.5, which was released on May 25, 2023. You can find more information about this version on [this page](^5^).
How do I update VMware Tools?You can update VMware Tools manually, via vSphere Update Manager, PowerCLI, or by configuring virtual machines to check and install newer versions of VMware Tools when they reboot. The guest OS checks the version of VMware Tools when you power on a virtual machine. If a newer version is available, you will see a notification in the status bar of the guest OS or the VMware platform product. You can also use [this tool](^4^) to check the compatibility of VMware Tools and VMware products before updating.
How do I uninstall VMware Tools?You can uninstall VMware Tools using the same method that you used to install it. For example, if you installed VMware Tools using an ISO image file, you can run the setup.exe file again and choose the uninstall option. If you installed VMware Tools using a package manager, you can use the appropriate command for your package manager to remove the OSPs. If you installed VMware Tools using an installer assistant, you can run the vmware-uninstall-tools.pl script from the mount point.
What is the difference between Open VM Tools and OSPs?Open VM Tools (OVT) is the open source implementation of VMware Tools intended for Linux distribution maintainers and virtual appliance vendors. OVTs are generally included in the current versions of popular Linux distributions, allowing administrators to effortlessly install and update VMware Tools alongside other Linux packages. Operating System Specific Packages (OSPs) are downloadable binary packages that are built and provided by VMware for particular versions of Linux distributions. OSPs are typically available for older releases, such as RHEL 6. Most current versions of Linux include OVT, eliminating the need to separately install OSPs.
What are the system requirements for VMware Tools?The system requirements for VMware Tools depend on the guest operating system and the VMware platform product that you are using. Generally, you need to have enough disk space, memory, and CPU resources to run the guest operating system and the VMware platform product. You also need to have a network connection to download and install VMware Tools from online sources. For more specific information, please refer to [this page](^6^), which lists the system requirements for each guest operating system.
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