Installing VMware Tools in Debian

Having read both the VMware Tools for Linux installation instructions from VMware and the Debian community, there are a few things scattered or missing. Below are accurate and tested instructions for installing the VMware Tools for Linux in Debian 6.0.6.

1) To install the VMware Tools you must first install a few Linux components that are not installed by default. Ensure your Debian install DVD/ISO is mounted, open a root terminal by going to Applications > Accessories > Root Terminal, run the command apt-get install build-essential. Next run the command apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r).

2) As you would with any VMware Tools installation right click the VM, go to Guest, and select Install/Upgrade VMware tools. Then gain console access to the VM console and  go to Places > Computer > CD/DVD Drive: VMware Tools and open the disk. Right click the VMwareTools tar.gz and copy and paste it to the desktop. Now right click the tar.gz and select open with Archive Manager and extract it to the same directory.

3)  Go back to the root terminal and change directory to the desktop, then the vmware-tools-distrib folder. If you have troubles use the ls command to list the contents of the folder. You may need to go up to go down depending on the Linux distro using the cd .. command. Once the the appropriate folder list the contents of the folder by using the ls command and you should see vmware-install.pl. Type the command ./vmware-install.pl and hit enter. The tools should now start installing via command prompt.

4) During the install hit enter and select the defaults for every question asked.

5) Reboot, and done! 

Is byod all it's cracked up to be?

For those who aren't already hip to the term, byod is “bring your own device”. This is the latest fad in computing where people bring their own devices for use in corporate and business networks. This includes smart phones, computers, tablets, etc. While this can give most freedom to install what they want and to do as they please with their devices, it can be counterproductive to the business and your personal wallet. If user devices are damaged or fail the business is not responsible to replace them.

 

Traditionally businesses provide their employees with computer equipment. The cost of these devices has shifted from the employer to employee, along with it the risk to some degree. Business systems, while are not always set up securely, they can be. Compare a laptop with an encrypted hard drive to a MacBook which data can be harvested from with very little trouble. An educated user can encrypt their own hard drive, although, it is not too farfetched to consider if a mistake is made no one can help them undo that.

A business can protect itself if a device is compromised or fails rather quickly and easily. If you're using your own devices while they can protect themselves you may not be able to. If you have financial information, or even saved passwords on the system you will let whoever finds your computer into your entire life! Take the cost of the device into consideration as well and it doesn't always make sense in all environments too bring your own device.

Thankfully, with the dawn of cloud computing it is easy, quick, and affordable to grow, scale, and protect computers from such issues. If your organization hasn't deployed cloud computing yet, in the next few years they probably will. Most Mac users know all too well about running Windows virtually on their Mac to run Windows apps. Cloud computing is a lot like that. Instead it's on a server on a corporate network or in the cloud. Apps are changing too. More and more applications are becoming web based, or virtualized so that they can be delivered easily to computers and mobile devices.

Until some of these new industry standards take root in your company, be careful. In the meantime, using your own devices could put you more at risk. Be cautious of cloud drives like DropBox and SkyDrive. They are no more than external storage, not a backup. If you're using a weak password on any of your email accounts or cloud drives it could lead to one allowing the other to be compromised. Consider typing your password to login each time rather than saving your credentials. Speak to your IT department and have a plan for backup and recovery if you store data on these devices as well.