This post describes how you can download and install the latest version of VMware Tools to a linux guest from a ESXi 5.0 host. You need SSH access rights to a VMware host to follow this guide.

1. Allow SSH access to the VMware host you are about to access.
   • This can be done in the vSphere Client: Choose the VMware host you would like to access.
   • Go to the Configuration tab and select Security Profile under Software. Edit Services Properties and start the SSH daemon.
   • Verify that the firewall allows SSH traffic
2. All the VMware Tools are located in the /vmimages/tools-isoimages/ folder on the host. Download the ISO-image with the tools you need
   • Issue this command from a machine that has access to the VMware host.

      sftp username@vmhost.tld:/vmimages/tools-isoimages/linux.iso

     Type in your password and the download will start

3. Mount the ISO-file and copy the VMware Tools installer file to the desired VMware linux guest using SSH

   • # mount linux.iso /media/cdrom/ -t iso9660 -o loop
     # scp /media/cdrom/VMwareTools-8.6.5-652272.tar.gz username@vmguest.tld:

4. Manual install of VMware Tools on a vmguest as a privileged user

   • # tar xfz VMwareTools-8.6.5-652272.tar.gz
     # cd vmware-tools-distrib
     # ./vmware-install.pl

     Follow the instructions and finish the installer. A reboot may be required to load the necessary kernel modules.

Your VMware Tools are now installed and should work as it would on a normal VMware Tools installation.

This procedure can also be used on other operating systems. This is a list of all the VMware Tools ISO-images available in the /vmimages/tools-isoimages/ folder on a ESXi 5.0 host

sftp> ls -l
-rwx------    1 root     root     12576768 Apr 13 09:17 darwin.iso
-rwx------    1 root     root          256 Apr 13 09:17 darwin.iso.sig
-rwx------    1 root     root     16021504 Apr 13 09:16 freebsd.iso
-rwx------    1 root     root          256 Apr 13 09:18 freebsd.iso.sig
-rwx------    1 root     root     65200128 Apr 13 09:15 linux.iso
-rwx------    1 root     root          256 Apr 13 09:17 linux.iso.sig
-rwx------    1 root     root         1738 Apr 13 09:17 linux_avr_manifest.txt
-rwx------    1 root     root       540672 Apr 13 09:17 netware.iso
-rwx------    1 root     root          256 Apr 13 09:16 netware.iso.sig
-rwx------    1 root     root     13006848 Apr 13 09:17 solaris.iso
-rwx------    1 root     root          256 Apr 13 09:16 solaris.iso.sig
-rwx------    1 root     root          451 Apr 13 09:17 tools-key.pub
-rwx------    1 root     root     13664256 Apr 13 09:18 winPre2k.iso
-rwx------    1 root     root          256 Apr 13 09:17 winPre2k.iso.sig
-rwx------    1 root     root           49 Apr 13 09:18 winPre2k_avr_manifest.txt
-rwx------    1 root     root     62128128 Apr 13 09:17 windows.iso
-rwx------    1 root     root          256 Apr 13 09:18 windows.iso.sig
-rwx------    1 root     root         1069 Apr 13 09:17 windows_avr_manifest.txt