Install official VMWare-Tools via yum repository for RedHat and CentOS

Edit: RHEL 7 and CentOS 7 now officially recommends open-vm-tools via their own repository -- i.e. sudo yum -y open-vm-tools , then reboot -- that is all!  If you are still using RHEL/CentOS 5 or 6, then continue below:
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(Sources: http://packages.vmware.com/tools/docs/manuals/index.html)

All instructions assuming root or sudo.

Special Note: May have to remove old versions prior to upgrades:
vmware-uninstall-tools.pl  or
rpm -e VmwareTools or
yum remove vmware-tools[-esx] or ..?..

First, add gpg keys for repositories:
wget http://packages.vmware.com/tools/keys/VMWARE-PACKAGING-GPG-DSA-KEY.pub
wget http://packages.vmware.com/tools/keys/VMWARE-PACKAGING-GPG-RSA-KEY.pub
rpm --import ./VMWARE-PACKAGING-GPG-RSA-KEY.pub
rpm --import ./VMWARE-PACKAGING-GPG-DSA-KEY.pub

Adding the appropriate sources depend on Release-Version and Architecture:
(Tools version can be 4.0latest, 4.1latest, 5.0latest, or 5.1latest)
(Release can be rhel5 or rhel6)
(Architecture can be i386 or x86_64)

***** edit: Thanks to Anonymous (Nov 1 2013), please do not use "*latest" as VMWare now recommends the static url/folder.  Ex: "5.1u3". Find yours by traversing http://packages.vmware.com/tools/esx/ 
***** edit: As of Early 2014, I find "*.latest" is still working with ESXi 5.1 and CentoOS 6.5 -- proceed at your own discretion.

Confirm your distro with cat /etc/redhat-release

Confirm your architecture with uname -m (or -a) (if i686, use i386)

Create the repository file /etc/yum.repos.d/vmware-tools.repo and edit it to contain the following, based on the above confirmations and desired vmware version:
(your baseurl will be http://packages.vmware.com/tools/esx/<version>/<release>/<architecture>)
(note various examples are commented with #)
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[vmware-tools]
name=VMware Tools
baseurl=http://packages.vmware.com/tools/esx/5.1latest/rhel6/x86_64
#baseurl=http://packages.vmware.com/tools/esx/5.1latest/rhel6/i386

#baseurl=http://packages.vmware.com/tools/esx/5.1latest/rhel5/i386

#baseurl=http://packages.vmware.com/tools/esx/5.1latest/rhel5/x86_64
#baseurl=http://packages.vmware.com/tools/esx/4.0latest/rhel6/x86_64
#baseurl=http://packages.vmware.com/tools/esx/4.0latest/rhel5/i686
#baseurl=http://packages.vmware.com/tools/esx/4.0latest/rhel6/i686
enabled=1
gpgcheck=1
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Installation for VMWare 4.x tools (option 1 or 2 exclusively):
option 1) 4.x including X11 dependencies:
yum install vmware-tools
option 2) 4.x excluding X11 dependencies (headless):
yum install vmware-tools-nox

Installation for VMWare 5.x tools:
Step 1) Confirm PAE or not (if not PAE, will not see it):
uname -a

Step 2) Install kmods: (option 1 or 2 exclusively)
Option 1) non-pae:
yum install vmware-tools-esx-kmods
Option 2) pae:
yum install vmware-tools-esx-kmods-PAE

Step3) Install tools: (option 1 or 2 exclusively)
Option 1) including X11 dependencies:
yum install vmware-tools-esx
Option 2) excluding X11 dependencies (headless):
yum install vmware-tools-esx-nox

Note, This can be done in one line, but "kmods" must be FIRST
yum install vmware-tools-esx-kmods[-kerneltype] vmware-tools-esx[-nox]
where [-kerneltype] is "-PAE" or nothing and "-nox" or not.

Therefore, this is the no pae, no X (headless) install command:

yum install vmware-tools-esx-kmods vmware-tools-esx-nox

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As always, good luck!


Please consider crypto tipping:
  
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