The VMware Tools Control Panel
This chapter assumes that VMware Tools have been successfully installed and configured on one or more VMware Server 2.0 guest operating systems. If this is not yet the case, a review of the previous chapter is recommended before proceeding with this chapter.
Assuming VMware Tools are installed and running, this chapter will cover the subject of using these tools to gain the maximum functionality from VMware Server 2.0 guest operating systems. Topics covered in this chapter include the VMware Tools control panel, power state change scripts and the use of VMware Tools from the command-line.
Accessing The VMware Tools Control Panel
The VMware Tools control panel provides a graphical environment in which a variety of VMware Tools settings may be configured and virtual disks reduced in size (although this feature is not available for pre-allocated virtual disks).
The default configuration for VMware Tools on Windows should have placed a VMware Tools icon in the Windows notification area in the bottom right hand corner of the Windows task bar (where the date and time are typically displayed) and also as an icon in the Windows Control Panel (accessed via Start->Control Panel).
The following figure illustrates a taskbar from a Windows server 2008 desktop containing the VMware Tools icon (the second icon from the left in the notification area):
Once the taskbar icon has been located, double click on it to invoke the VMware Tools control panel interface. In the event that the icon is not present in the notification area, it may be configured to appear by first launching the VMware Tools control panel from the Windows Control Panel, (choose Start->Control Panel and double click on the VMware Tools icon) and selecting the Show VMware Tools in the taskbar option. Once selected, click on Apply and the icon will subsequently appear in the taskbar notification area. Dismiss the VMware Tool control panel by clicking on the OK button.
To invoke the VMware Tools control panel on Linux and Solaris systems, simply execute the following at a command-line prompt (note that since the control panel will appear in its own window on the desktop the trailing '&' character is used to run the process in the background, thereby freeing up the command line shell for running other commands):
/usr/bin/vmware-toolbox&
Once loaded, the control panel will appear as follows:
Control Panel Configuration Options
The VMware Tools control panel consists of a number of tabs which serve to display different groups of configuration options. The first tab, labeled Options contains a number of miscellaneous configuration settings relating to both the control panel and the behavior of the guest operating system.