• VMRC console presentation
• Manage the virtual hard disks from the VMRC

Previously, we explained to you how to install and use VMware Remote Console (VMRC) on Windows.
In the tutorial below, we will show you how to install and use it on Linux.

For this tutorial, we used the latest version of Ubuntu (20.04.2 LTS x64) which is compatible with the current version of VMware Remote Console (VMRC) : VMware Remote Console 12.0 Release Notes

1. Download VMware Remote Console (VMRC) for Linux
2. Install VMware Remote Console (VMRC) on Linux
3. Access the console of a virtual machine remotely

1. Download VMware Remote Console (VMRC) for Linux

To download VMware Remote Console (VMRC), display the information of a virtual machine (your choice) and click on : Actions.

Then, click on : Console -> Download VMRC.

Download the version for Linux by clicking on the "Download now" button.

Please note : you must have an account on the VMware site and be connected to it to download this software.
If you don't have an account, you can create one for free.

The downloaded file will be : VMware-Remote-Console-xx.x.x-xxxxx.x86_x64.bundle.

2. Install VMware Remote Console (VMRC) on Linux

To install VMware Remote Console (VMRC) on Linux, open a terminal and obtain administrator rights.

To do this, on Ubuntu, use the command below and enter the password of the user you are logged in with.
Warning : your account must be one of the users listed in the "/etc/sudoers" file. This is the case by default for the user account created during the installation of Ubuntu.

Bash

sudo su

On Debian, use the "su" command and enter the password of the root account.

Bash

su

Go to the folder where you just downloaded the "VMware-Remote-Console-xx.x.x-xxxxx.x86_x64.bundle" file.
By default, Mozilla Firefox stores downloaded files in the "Downloads" folder of the logged in user.

Bash

cd Downloads

Allow the downloaded file to run.

Bash

chmod +x VMware-Remote-Console-12.0.0-17287072.x86_64.bundle

Launch the downloaded file.

Bash

./VMware-Remote-Console-12.0.0-17287072.x86_64.bundle

In the terminal, this will be displayed :

Plain Text

Extracting VMware Installer...done.
[AppLoader] Use all shipped libraries.
[AppLoader] Use all shipped libraries.

Then, the VMware Remote Console (VMRC) installer will appear.
Accept the VMware Remote Console license agreement and click : Next.

Choose whether you want to automatically check for updates on startup or not.

Choose whether you want to participate in the VMware Remote Console Improvement Program or not.

Click on Install.

Wait while the VMware Remote Console is installed.

VMware Remote Console has been installed.

VMware Remote Console is installed, however, be aware that it's not possible to launch this software without parameters.
You will need to use a "vmrc" link to access a virtual machine remotely through this software.

3. Access the console of a virtual machine remotely

To access the console of a virtual machine remotely through VMRC, navigate to the desired virtual machine through the VMware ESXi web interface and click : Actions.

Then, click on : Console -> Launch remote console.

Allow your web browser (in our case : Mozilla Firefox) to open the "vmrc" links.
To do this, check the "Always allow https://[IP address of the ESXi server] to open vmrc links" box and click on : Choose Application.

If VMware Remote Console (VMRC) is installed, this application will appear in the list.
Check the "Always use this application to open vmrc links" box and click on : Open Link.

If you have never replaced the SSL certificate of your VMware ESXi hypervisor, an "Invalid Security Certificate" warning will appear since the default certificate is self-signed.
In this case, ignore this warning by checking the "Always trust this host with this certificate" box, then clicking on : Connect Anyway.

Wait while VMware Remote Console connects to the virtual machine present on your VMware ESXi server.

In our case, the virtual machine is powered off.

To start it, click on : Virtual Machine -> Power On.

The virtual machine is started.
Note that the icons concerning the virtual hard disk, the virtual CD/DVD drive and the virtual network adapter are at the bottom right, unlike the Windows version of VMRC where the icons were at the top right.