6 VMware Toolbox Automatic Hidden Start

We'll create two scripts (I sometimes had problems when I put all in one script). These scripts will be executed everytime when an X-session starts - they will switch to the next workspace, start the VMware Tools minimized and switch back to the previous workspace. The switching will be done with xvkbd - a virtual keyboard for the X window system.

6.1 Install Xvkbd

Ubuntu 7.04:

sudo apt-get install xvkbd

Fedora 7:

su -
%yourrootpassword%
rpm -ivh http://dag.wieers.com/rpm/packages/xvkbd/xvkbd-2.8-1.el4.rf.i386.rpm
exit

PCLinuxOS 2007:

Download the rpm-package from http://rpmseek.com/rpm/xvkbd-2.7a-2mdk.i586.html?hl=de&cs=xvkbd:PN:0:0:0:0:2800686.

Afterwards switch to the directory where you downloaded the package and install it:

su -
%yourrootpassword
rpm -ivh xvkbd-2.7a-2mdk.i586.rpm
exit

Debian Etch:

su -
%yourrootpassword%
apt-get install xvkbd
exit

Now change to your homedir:

cd ~

6.2 Scripts For Gnome

vi switcher1.sh

#! /bin/sh
sleep 2
xvkbd -text "\C\A\[Right]"
sleep 2 
vmware-toolbox --minimize &> /dev/null

vi switcher2.sh

#! /bin/sh
sleep 10
xvkbd -text "\C\A\[Left]"

Make the scripts executeable:

chmod +x switcher*

Add the scripts to the session startup programs:

Repeat these steps for "switcher2.sh"

6.3 Scripts For KDE

Note: If the panel taskbar is configured to show windows from all desktops, the VMware Toolbox will still be visible in the taskbar.

vi .kde/Autostart/switcher1.sh

#! /bin/sh
sleep 2
xvkbd -text "\C\[F2]"
sleep 2
vmware-toolbox --minimize &> /dev/null

vi .kde/Autostart/switcher2.sh

#! /bin/sh
sleep 10
xvkbd -text "\C\[F1]"

Make the scripts executeable:

chmod +x .kde/Autostart/switcher*

7 Links

• VMware Server: http://www.vmware.com/download/server/
• Ubuntu: http://www.ubuntu.com/
• Fedora: http://fedoraproject.org/
• PCLinuxOS: http://www.pclinuxos.com/
• Debian: http://www.debian.org/
• Xvkbd: http://homepage3.nifty.com/tsato/xvkbd/