To install Horizon 7 for Linux, your Linux system must meet certain requirements for the operating system, Horizon 7, and vSphere platform.
Supported Linux Versions for Horizon Agent
Supported Linux Operating Systems for View Agent lists the Linux operating systems that are supported on virtual machines in a desktop pool.
Linux Distribution |
Architecture |
---|---|
Ubuntu 14.04 and 16.04
Note:
You must apply one of the solutions described in VMWare KB article http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2151294. |
x64 |
Ubuntu 12.04 |
x64 |
RHEL 6.6, 6.7, 6.8, 6.9, 7.2, 7.3, and 7.4 |
x64 |
CentOS 6.6, 6.7, 6.8, 6.9, 7.2, 7.3, and 7.4 |
x64 |
NeoKylin 6 Update 1 |
x64 |
SLED 11 SP3/SP4 |
x64 |
SLED 12 SP1/SP2/SP3 |
x64 |
SLES 12 SP1/SP2/SP3 |
x64 |
Linux agent has dependency packages on some Linux distributions. See Install Dependency Packages for Horizon Agent for more information.
Required Platform and Horizon 7 Software Versions
To install and use Horizon 7 for Linux, your deployment must meet certain requirements for the vSphere platform, Horizon 7, and the Horizon Client software.
Platform and Software |
Supported Versions |
---|---|
vSphere platform version |
|
Horizon environment |
|
Horizon Client software |
|
TCP/UDP Ports Used by Linux Virtual Machines
Horizon Agent and Horizon Clients use TCP or UDP ports for network access between each other and various Horizon server components.
Source |
Port |
Target |
Port |
Protocol |
Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Horizon Client |
* |
Linux Agent |
22443 |
TCP/UDP |
Blast if Blast Security Gateway is not used |
Security Server, Horizon Connection Server, or Access Point appliance |
* |
Linux Agent |
22443 |
TCP/UDP |
Blast if Blast Security Gateway is used |
Horizon Agent |
* |
Horizon Connection Server |
4001, 4002 |
TCP |
JMS SSL traffic. |
For more information on TCP and UDP ports used by clients, see TCP and UDP Ports Used by Clients and Horizon Agent in the Horizon Client and Agent Security in document.
To allow users to connect to their Linux desktops, the desktops must be able to accept incoming TCP connections from Horizon Client devices, security server, and View Connection Server.
On Ubuntu and Kylin distributions, the iptables firewall is configured by default with an input policy of ACCEPT.
On RHEL and CentOS distributions, where possible, the Horizon Agent installer script configures the iptables firewall with an input policy of ACCEPT.
Make sure that iptables on an RHEL or CentOS guest operating system has an input policy of ACCEPT for new connections from the Blast port, 22443.
When the BSG is enabled, client connections are directed from a Horizon Client device through the BSG on a security server or View Connection Server to the Linux desktop. When the BSG is not enabled, connections are made directly from the Horizon Client device to the Linux desktop.
Verify the Linux Account Used by Linux Virtual Machines
Account Name and Account Type lists the account name and account type used by Linux virtual machines.
Account Name |
Account Type |
Used By |
---|---|---|
root |
Linux OS built-in |
Java Standalone Agent, mksvchanserver, shell scripts |
vmwblast |
Created by Linux Agent installer |
VMwareBlastServer |
<current login user> |
Linux OS built-in or AD user or LDAP user |
Python script |
Desktop Environment
Horizon 7 for Linux supports multiple desktop environments on different Linux distributions. Supported Desktop Environments lists the default desktop environments for each Linux distribution and the additional desktop environments supported by Horizon 7 for Linux.
Linux Distribution |
Default Desktop Environment |
Desktop Environments Supported by Horizon 7 for Linux Desktops |
---|---|---|
Ubuntu 16.04 |
Unity |
Gnome Flashback (Metacity), K Desktop Environment (KDE), MATE |
Ubuntu 14.04 |
Unity |
Gnome Fallback (Metacity), KDE, MATE |
Ubuntu 12.04 |
Unity |
Unity |
RHEL/CentOS 6.x |
Gnome |
Gnome, KDE |
RHEL/CentOS 7.x |
Gnome |
Gnome, KDE |
SLED 11 SP4 |
Gnome |
Gnome, KDE |
SLED 12 SP1/SP2/SP3 |
Gnome |
Gnome |
SLES 12 SP1/SP2/SP3 |
Gnome |
Gnome |
NeoKylin 6 Update 1 |
Mate |
Mate |
To change the default desktop environment used on one of the supported Linux distributions, you must use the following steps and commands appropriate for your Linux desktop.
Single sign-on (SSO) for KDE and the MATE Desktop Environment only works when your Linux desktop is using the default greeter (login screen). You must install KDE and MATE using the commands listed in Commands to Install Desktop Environments.
When using SLED 11 SP3/SP4, RHEL/CentOS 7, and Ubuntu 14.04/16.04 distributions, SSO fails to unlock a locked KDE session. You must manually enter your password to unlock the locked session.
Install the supported Linux distribution's operating system with the default desktop environment setting.
Run the appropriate commands in Commands to Install Desktop Environments for your specific Linux distribution.
Table 6. Commands to Install Desktop Environments Linux Distribution
New Default Desktop Environment
Commands to Change the Default Desktop Environment
RHEL/CentOS 6
KDE
# yum groupinstall "X Window System" "KDE Desktop"
RHEL/CentOS 7
KDE
# yum groupinstall "KDE Plasma Workspaces"
SLED 11 SP4
KDE
# zypper install -t pattern desktop-kde
Ubuntu 14.04/16.04
KDE
# apt install plasma-desktop
Ubuntu 16.04
MATE 1.16
# apt-add-repository ppa:ubuntu-mate-dev/xenial-mate # apt update # apt upgrade # apt install mate # apt install ubuntu-mate-themes
Ubuntu 14.04
MATE 1.8
# apt-add-repository ppa:ubuntu-mate-dev/ppa # apt-add-repository ppa:ubuntu-mate-dev/trusty-mate # apt-get update # apt-get upgrade # apt-get install mate
Ubuntu 16.04
Gnome Flashback (Metacity)
# apt install gnome-session-flashback
Ubuntu 14.04
Gnome Fallback (Metacity)
# apt-get install gnome-session-fallback
To begin using the new default desktop environment, restart the desktop.
If you enabled SSO on a Linux desktop that has multiple desktop environments installed, use the following information to select the desktop environment to use in an SSO session.
For Ubuntu 14.04/16.04 and RHEL/CentOS 7.x, use the information in SSODesktopType Option to set the SSODesktopType option in the /etc/vmware/viewagent-custom.conf file to specify the desktop environment to use with SSO.
Table 7. SSODesktopType Option Desktop Type
SSODesktopType Option Setting
MATE
SSODesktopType=UseMATE
GnomeFlashback
SSODesktopType=UseGnomeFlashback
KDE
SSODesktopType=UseKdePlasma
GnomeClassic
SSODEsktopType=UseGnomeClassic
For RHEL/CentOS 6.x and SLED 11 SP3/SP4, for the SSO login session to use KDE, remove all the desktop startup files, except for the KDE startup file, from the /usr/share/xsession directory. Use the following set of commands as an example.
# cd /usr/share/xsessions # mkdir backup # mv *.desktop backup # mv backup/kde*.desktop ./
After the initial setup, the end user must log out or reboot their Linux desktop to make KDE as the default desktop in their next SSO session.
If you disabled SSO on a Linux desktop that has multiple desktop environments installed, you do not need to perform any of the previously described steps. The end users have to select their desired desktop environment when they log in to that Linux desktop.
Network Requirements
VMware Blast Extreme supports both User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). Network conditions affect the performances of UDP and TCP. To receive the best user experience, select UDP or TCP based on the network condition.
Select TCP if the network condition is good, such as in a local area network (LAN) environment.
Select UDP if the network condition is poor, such as in a wide area network (WAN) environment with packet loss and time delay.
Use a network analyzer tool, such as Wireshark, to determine whether VMware Blast Extreme is using TCP or UDP. Use the following set of steps, which use Wireshark, as a reference example.
Download and install Wireshark on your Linux VM.
For RHEL/CentOS 6:
sudo yum install wireshark
For Ubuntu 14.04/16.04:
sudo apt install tshark
For SLE 11/12:
sudo zypper install wireshark
Connect to the Linux desktop using VMware Horizon Client.
Open a terminal window and run the following command, which displays the TCP package or UDP package used by VMware Blast Extreme.
sudo tshark -i any | grep 22443
USB Redirection and Client Drive Redirection (CDR) features are sensitive to network conditions. If the network condition is bad, such as a limited bandwidth with time delay and packet loss, the user experience becomes poor. In such condition, the end user might experience one of the following.
Copying remote files can be slow. In this situation, transmit smaller sized files instead.
USB device does not appear in the remote Linux desktop.
USB data does not transfer completely. For example, if you copy a large file, you might get a file smaller in size than the original file.
VHCI Driver for USB Redirection
The USB redirection feature is supported beginning with Horizon 7 version 7.1 for Linux desktops. The feature has a dependency on the USB Virtual Host Controller Interface (VHCI) kernel driver. You must patch the VHCI driver to support USB 3.0.
The Horizon for Linux installer includes the VHCI driver binary for the default kernel of the supported Linux distributions. The installer installs the VHCI driver when the USB redirection feature is selected. Default Kernel Versions lists the default kernel versions that the Horizon for Linux installer installs.
Linux Distribution |
Default Kernel Version |
---|---|
RHEL/CentOS 6.9 |
2.6.32-696.el6.x86_64 |
SUSE 12 SP2 |
4.4.21-69-default |
RHEL/CentOS 7.3 |
3.10.0-514.el7.x86_64 |
Ubuntu 14.04 |
3.13.0-24-generic |
Ubuntu 16.04 |
4.4.0-21-generic |
If your Linux system uses a kernel version that is different from the default versions included with the Horizon for Linux installer, you must download the USB VHCI source code from https://sourceforge.net/projects/usb-vhci/files/linux%20kernel%20module/. You must then compile the VHCI driver source code and install the resulting binary on your Linux system.
The VHCI driver installation must be done before the installation of Horizon for Linux.
After you download the latest version of the USB VHCI driver source code, use the commands in Compile and Install USB VHCI Driver to compile and install it on your Linux system. For example, if you unpack the installation file, VMware-horizonagent-linux-x86_64-<version>-<build-number>.tar.gz, under the /install_tmp/ directory, the full-path_to_patch-file is /install_tmp/VMware-horizonagent-linux-x86_64-<version>-<buildnumber>/resources/vhci/patch/vhci.patch and the patch command to use is
# patch -p1 < /install_tmp/VMware-horizonagent-linux-x86_64-<version>-<build-number>/resources/vhci/patch/vhci.patch
Linux Distribution |
Steps to Compile and Install USB VHCI Driver |
---|---|
Ubuntu 14.04 Ubuntu 16.04 |
Compile and install the VHCI drivers. # tar -xzvf vhci-hcd-1.15.tar.gz # cd vhci-hcd-1.15 # patch -p1 < full-path_to_patch-file # make clean && make && make install |
RHEL/CentOS 6.9 RHEL/CentOS 7 |
|
SUSE 11 SP4 SUSE 12 SP2 |
|
If your Linux kernel version is changed, you must recompile and reinstall the VHCI driver, but you do not need to reinstall Horizon for Linux.
You can also add Dynamic Kernel Module Support (DKMS) to the VHCI driver using the steps similar to the following example for an Ubuntu 16.04 system.
Install the kernel headers.
# apt install linux-headers-`uname -r`
Install dkms using the following command.
# apt install dkms
Extract and patch the VHCI TAR file.
# tar xzvf vhci-hcd-1.15.tar.gz # cd vhci-hcd-1.15 # patch -p1 <full-path_to_patch-file> # cd ..
Copy the extracted VHCI source files to the /usr/src directory.
# cp -r vhci-hcd-1.15 /usr/src/usb-vhci-hcd-1.15
Create a file named dkms.conf and place it in the /usr/src/usb-vhci-hcd-1.15 directory.
# touch /usr/src/usb-vhci-hcd-1.15/dkms.conf
Add the following contents to the dkms.conf file.
PACKAGE_NAME="usb-vhci-hcd PACKAGE_VERSION=1.15 MAKE_CMD_TMPL="make KVERSION=$kernelver" CLEAN="$MAKE_CMD_TMPL clean" BUILT_MODULE_NAME[0]="usb-vhci-iocifc" DEST_MODULE_LOCATION[0]="/kernel/drivers/usb/host" MAKE[0]="$MAKE_CMD_TMPL" BUILT_MODULE_NAME[1]="usb-vhci-hcd" DEST_MODULE_LOCATION[1]="/kernel/drivers/usb/host" MAKE[1]="$MAKE_CMD_TMPL" AUTOINSTALL="YES"
Add this VHCI driver in dkms.
# dkms add usb-vhci-hcd/1.15
Build the VHCI driver.
# dkms build usb-vhci-hcd/1.15
Install the VHCI driver.
# dkms install usb-vhci-hcd/1.15