ISO Installation

Rather than booting from a physical CD‐ROM, you can create an ISO image file from the installation CD‐ROM. You can store the ISO file on the host machine or on a network drive accessible from the host machine. Use the configuration tool for your VMware product to connect the virtual machine CD drive to the ISO image file, and turn on the virtual machine.

Using an ISO image file is convenient to install the same operating system in multiple virtual machines. It can also help you avoid a problem in host configurations, in which the virtual machine cannot boot from the installation CD‐ROM.

PXE Installation

If you plan to use a PXE server to install the guest operating system over the network, you do not need the operating system installation media. When you turn on the virtual machine, the virtual machine detects the PXE server.

PXE booting is supported for guest operating systems that are listed in the VMware Guest Operating System Compatibility list and whose operating system vendor supports PXE booting of the operating system.

Typical Installation

The basic steps to install a typical operating system:

1. Start your VMware product and connect to the virtual machine.

2. Insert the installation CD‐ROM or disc of the guest operating system in to the CD‐ROM or disc drive
connected to the virtual machine.

 ESX Server 2.x. You must insert the installation CD‐ROM or disc in the drive on the server where the virtual machine is running. You cannot use the drives on the management workstation.

 GSX Server. If your guest operating system requires a disc, you must insert it in the drive on the
server where the virtual machine is running. You cannot use the disc drive on the management
workstation.

3. Turn on your virtual machine by clicking Power On.

4. Follow the instructions provided by the operating system vendor.

As with physical computers, operating systems require separate licenses for each virtual machine that you run.

Some Microsoft Windows OEM discs included with new computers are customized for those computers and include device drivers and other utilities specific to the hardware system. Even if you can install that Windows operating system on your physical computer, you might not be able to install it in a virtual machine. You might need to purchase a new copy of Windows to install in a virtual machine.

5. Install VMware Tools.

64-Bit Linux Guests and Execute Disable Functionality

When running a 64‐bit Linux guest operating system on EM64T hardware, make sure that you have Execute Disable functionality enabled in the host BIOS. This functionality helps to ensure that the Linux guest operating system runs without interruption.

VMware Tools

VMware Tools must be installed in most guest operating systems. For an overview of VMware Tools and for a list of the manuals that contain installation instructions for VMware Tools, see knowledge base article 340 at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/340.