You can customize and use the following sample script to upload the configuration files config and viewagent-custom.conf to multiple Linux virtual machines (VMs). This script uses SSH to run commands on the Linux VMs.

To copy and paste the script content without page breaks, use the HTML version of this topic, available from the Horizon 7 documentation page at https://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/view_pubs.html.

Script Input

This script reads one input file, which is described in Input File for the Sample PowerCLI Scripts to Deploy Linux Desktops. This script also interactively asks for the following information:

  • IP address of the vCenter Server
  • Administrator login name for the vCenter Server
  • Administrator password for the vCenter Server
  • User login name for the Linux VM
  • User password for the Linux VM

Script Content

<#
Upload the configuration files config and viewagent-custom.conf to Linux VMs using SSH
#>
#------------------------- Functions -------------------------
function GetInput
{
    Param($prompt, $IsPassword = $false)
    $prompt = $prompt + ": "
    Write-Host $prompt -NoNewLine
    [Console]::ForegroundColor = "Blue"
    if ($IsPassword)
    {
        $input = Read-Host -AsSecureString
        $input = [Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::PtrToStringAuto([Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::SecureStringToBSTR($input))
    }
    else
    {
        $input = Read-Host
    }
    
    [Console]::ResetColor()
    return $input
}
function Check_SSH_Client
{
    Param($IsPlink, $IsPSCP)
    if ($IsPlink)
    {
        if (Test-Path ".\plink.exe")
        {
          write-host  -ForeGroundColor Yellow 'SSH client "plink.exe" found'
        }   
        else
        {
          write-host  -ForeGroundColor Red 'SSH client "plink.exe" not found, please download from its official web site'
          exit
        }
    }    
    if ($IsPSCP)
    {
        if (Test-Path ".\pscp.exe")
        {
          write-host  -ForeGroundColor Yellow 'SSH client "pscp.exe" found'
        }   
        else
        {
          write-host  -ForeGroundColor Red 'SSH client "pscp.exe" not found, please download from its official web site'
          exit
        }
    } 
}

function RunCmdViaSSH
{
    Param($VM_Name, $User, $Password, $Cmd, $returnOutput = $false)
    
    $VM= Get-VM $VM_Name
    $IP = $VM.guest.IPAddress[0]
    write-host "Run cmd on $VM_Name ($IP)"
    if($returnOutput)
    {
        $command = "echo yes | .\plink.exe -ssh -l $user -pw $password $IP " + '"' + $cmd +'"'
        $output = Invoke-Expression $command
        return $output    
    }
    else
    {
        echo yes | .\plink.exe -ssh -l $user -pw $password $IP "$cmd"
    }
    
}

function UploadFileViaSSH
{
    Param($VM_Name, $User, $Password, $LocalPath, $DestPath)
    
    $VM= Get-VM $VM_Name
    $IP = $VM.guest.IPAddress[0]
    $command = "echo yes | .\pscp.exe -l $User -pw $Password $LocalPath $IP" + ":" + "$DestPath"
    write-host "Upload file: $command"
    Invoke-Expression $command
}

#------------------------- Handle Input -------------------------
"-----------------------------------------------------"
Check_SSH_Client -IsPlink $true -IsPSCP $true
"-----------------------------------------------------"
write-host  -ForeGroundColor Blue 'Please ensure your config file and viewagent-custom.conf file are in current working directory'
$vcAddress = GetInput -prompt "Your vCenter address" -IsPassword $false
$vcAdmin = GetInput -prompt "Your vCenter admin user name" -IsPassword $false
$vcPassword = GetInput -prompt "Your vCenter admin user password" -IsPassword $true
"-----------------------------------------------------"
$guestUser = GetInput -prompt 'Your VM guest OS user name' -IsPassword $false
$guestPassword = GetInput -prompt 'Your VM guest OS user password' -IsPassword $true
"-----------------------------------------------------"

$csvFile = '.\CloneVMs.csv'
$setConfig = $false
$setCustomConf = $false 
$config_File = "config"
$customConf_File = "viewagent-custom.conf"

#check if config file exists
if(Test-Path $config_File)
{
    $setConfig = $true
    write-host  -ForeGroundColor Yellow '"config" file found'
}
else
{
    write-host  -ForeGroundColor Yellow '"config" file not found, skip it'
}      

if(Test-Path $customConf_File)
{
    $setCustomConf = $true
    write-host  -ForeGroundColor Yellow '"viewagent-custom.conf" file found'
}
else
{
    write-host  -ForeGroundColor Yellow '"viewagent-custom.conf" file not found, skip it'
} 

if (($setConfig -eq $false)-AND ($setCustomConf -eq $false))
{
    write-host  -ForeGroundColor Red 'Both file not found, exit'
    exit
}

#Connect to vCenter
$VC_Conn_State = Connect-VIServer $vcAddress -user $vcAdmin -password $vcPassword
if([string]::IsNullOrEmpty($VC_Conn_State))
{
   Write-Host 'Exit since failed to login vCenter'
   exit
}
else
{
  Write-Host 'vCenter is connected'
}

#Read input CSV file
$csvData = Import-CSV $csvFile

$destFolder = "/home/$guestUser/"

#Handle VMs one by one
foreach ($line in $csvData)
{
    "`n-----------------------------------------------------"
    $VMName = $line.VMName
    write-host -ForeGroundColor Yellow "VM: $VMName`n"
    
    #Try to delete the configuration file from home folder on destination VM
    $cmd = "rm -rf config viewagent-custom.conf"
    Write-Host "Run cmd '$cmd' in VM '$VMName' with user '$guestUser'"
    RunCmdViaSSH -VM_Name $VMName -User $guestUser -Password $guestPassword -Cmd $cmd  
    
    if ($setConfig)
    {
    Write-Host "Upload File '$config_File' to '$destFolder' of VM '$VMName' with user '$guestUser'"
    UploadFileViaSSH -VM_Name $VMName -User $guestUser -Password $guestPassword -LocalPath $config_File -DestPath $destFolder

    $cmd = "sudo mv ./$config_File /etc/vmware/";
    Write-Host "Move configuraton file: $cmd"
    RunCmdViaSSH -VM_Name $VMName -User $guestUser -Password $guestPassword -Cmd $cmd
    }
    
    if ($setCustomConf)
    {
    Write-Host "Upload File '$customConf_File' to '$destFolder' of VM '$VMName' with user '$guestUser'"
    UploadFileViaSSH -VM_Name $VMName -User $guestUser -Password $guestPassword -LocalPath $customConf_File -DestPath $destFolder
    
    $cmd = "sudo mv ./$customConf_File /etc/vmware/";
    Write-Host "Move configuraton file: $cmd"
    RunCmdViaSSH -VM_Name $VMName -User $guestUser -Password $guestPassword -Cmd $cmd
    }  
}
Disconnect-VIServer $vcAddress -Confirm:$false
exit

Script Execution

The following messages are from an execution of the script: 

PowerCLI C:\scripts> .\UpdateOptionFile.ps1
--------------------------------------------------
Please ensure your config file and view-agent.conf file are in current working directory.
Your vCenter address: 10.117.44.17
Your vCenter admin user name: administrator
Your vCenter admin user password: *******
--------------------------------------------------
Your VM guest OS user name: ViewUser
Your VM guest OS user password: *******