How to install VMWare Tools on Debian 7

Installing VMWare Tool on Debian 7 is not that different than, for example, installing VirtualBox’s Guest Additions. In essence you have to have the system’s compiling tools, its kernel’s headers, then mount a virtual CD to run the script which will compile the kernel’s modules and reboot the machine. If you want to have more information about it, here I leave the procedure:

1. Install the compiling tolls for building the moodules (GCC and stuff):

aptitude install build-essential

1. Install the current kernel’s headers:

   aptitude install linux-headers-$(uname -r)
   

2. Mount the CD that content the VMWare utility  (From vSphere Client  you have to choose the Install VMWare Tools option  to have the CD available from the VM)

mount /dev/sr0  /mnt/

1. Copy a the utility in a local folder of the system, and extract it:

cp /mnt/VMwareTools-8.6.10-913593.tar.gz /opt/
cd /opt/
tar xfzv VMwareTools-8.6.10-913593.tar.gz

1. Finally run the utility script to build the needed kernel’s modules:

cd vmware-tools-distrib/
./vmware-install.pl

The script will ask some questions to build the needed modules, which a show next. I put here just some questions and part of the output. For your particular case, answer accordingly:

Creating a new VMware Tools installer database using the tar4 format.
Installing VMware Tools.
In which directory do you want to install the binary files?
 [/usr/bin]
What is the directory that contains the init directories (rc0.d/ to rc6.d/)?
 [/etc]
What is the directory that contains the init scripts?
 [/etc/init.d]
In which directory do you want to install the daemon files?
 [/usr/sbin]
In which directory do you want to install the library files?
 [/usr/lib/vmware-tools]
The path "/usr/lib/vmware-tools" does not exist currently. This program is
 going to create it, including needed parent directories. Is this what you want?
 [yes]
In which directory do you want to install the documentation files?
 [/usr/share/doc/vmware-tools]
The path "/usr/share/doc/vmware-tools" does not exist currently. This program
 is going to create it, including needed parent directories. Is this what you
 want? [yes]
The installation of VMware Tools 8.6.10 build-913593 for Linux completed
 successfully. You can decide to remove this software from your system at any
 time by invoking the following command: "/usr/bin/vmware-uninstall-tools.pl".
Before running VMware Tools for the first time, you need to configure it by
 invoking the following command: "/usr/bin/vmware-config-tools.pl". Do you want
 this program to invoke the command for you now? [yes]
Initializing...
 Making sure services for VMware Tools are stopped.
Stopping VMware Tools services in the virtual machine:
 Guest operating system daemon: done
 Unmounting HGFS shares: done
 Guest filesystem driver: done
 [EXPERIMENTAL] The VMware FileSystem Sync Driver (vmsync) is a new feature that
 creates backups of virtual machines. Please refer to the VMware Knowledge Base
 for more details on this capability. Do you wish to enable this feature?
 [no]
 Before you can compile modules, you need to have the following installed...
make
 gcc
 kernel headers of the running kernel
 Searching for GCC...
 Detected GCC binary at "/usr/bin/gcc-4.6".
 The path "/usr/bin/gcc-4.6" appears to be a valid path to the gcc binary.
 Would you like to change it? [no]
Searching for a valid kernel header path...
Detected the kernel headers at "/lib/modules/3.2.0-4-amd64/build/include".
The path "/lib/modules/3.2.0-4-amd64/build/include" appears to be a valid path
to the 3.2.0-4-amd64 kernel headers.
Would you like to change it? [no]
The vmblock enables dragging or copying files between host and guest in a
Fusion or Workstation virtual environment. Do you wish to enable this feature?
[no] yes
make: Leaving directory `/tmp/vmware-root/modules/vmblock-only'

No X install found.
Creating a new initrd boot image for the kernel.
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-4-amd64
Checking acpi hot plug done
Starting VMware Tools services in the virtual machine:
Switching to guest configuration: done
VM communication interface: done
VM communication interface socket family: done
File system sync driver: done
Guest operating system daemon: done
The configuration of VMware Tools 8.6.10 build-913593 for Linux for this
running kernel completed successfully.
You must restart your X session before any mouse or graphics changes take
effect.
You can now run VMware Tools by invoking "/usr/bin/vmware-toolbox-cmd" from the
command line or by invoking "/usr/bin/vmware-toolbox" from the command line
during an X server session.
To enable advanced X features (e.g., guest resolution fit, drag and drop, and
file and text copy/paste), you will need to do one (or more) of the following:
1. Manually start /usr/bin/vmware-user
2. Log out and log back into your desktop session; and,
3. Restart your X session.
Enjoy,
--the VMware team
Found VMware Tools CDROM mounted at /mnt. Ejecting device /dev/sr0 ...

Then reboot the virtual machine and check the VMWare Tools running, checking the VSphere Client status as shown on the upper image or by checking the status in the virtual machine:

service vmware-tools status
vmtoolsd is running