You can download and run a bundle installer for Horizon Client from the VMware Downloads page. To upgrade Horizon Client, you first uninstall the existing version from the client system and then run the installer for the new version.
Prerequisites
- Verify that the client system runs a supported operating system. See System Requirements for Linux Client Systems.
- Become familiar with the installation options. See Installation Options.
- Verify that you have root access on the client system.
- Verify that VMware Workstation is not installed on the client system.
- If you plan to use the RDP display protocol to connect to a remote desktop, verify that you have the appropriate RDP client installed. See System Requirements for Linux Client Systems.
- Uninstall any earlier version of the Horizon Client software. See Uninstall Horizon Client for Linux.
- If you plan to use the command-line installer, become familiar with the Linux command-line installation options. See Command-Line Installation Parameters.
- Confirm that version 2.x or 3.x of Python is installed on the client system.
Note: To ensure that Horizon Client has access to all the required Python modules, use the Python package installed by default with your Linux distribution. Avoid installing Python manually, because a manual installation might not include all the required modules. If both Python 2.x and Python 3.x are installed on the system, Horizon Client uses the Python 3.x package.
- If you are using a thin client, confirm that libgtk 3.14 or later is installed on the system. If needed, obtain version 3.14 or later of the libgtk library and install it on the thin-client system.
As part of the installation process, the installer runs a scan of the system libraries to determine whether the system is compatible with Horizon Client, although you can select to skip the scan.
Installation Procedure
The bundle installer contains modules for features such as USB redirection, Real-Time Audio-Video, smart card, and client drive redirection.
- On the Linux client system, download the Horizon Client bundle installer file from the Horizon Client Product Downloads page at http://www.vmware.com/go/viewclients.
The name of the file is VMware-Horizon-Client-YYMM-x.x.x-yyyyyyy.arch.bundle.
In the installer filename, YYMM represents the marketing version number, x.x.x represents the internal version number, and yyyyyyy represents the build number. arch represents the CPU instruction set architecture.
- Open a Terminal window and change directories to the directory that contains the installer file.
- If you want to set executable permissions on the installer file, run the appropriate command. For example:
chmod +x VMware-Horizon-Client-YYMM-x.x.x-yyyyyyy.arch.bundle
- Run the installer using the appropriate command.
Option Command For the GUI wizard, if you have set executable permissions sudo ./VMware-Horizon-Client-YYMM-x.x.x-yyyyyyy.arch.bundle
For the GUI wizard, if you have not set executable permissions sudo sh ./VMware-Horizon-Client-YYMM-x.x.x-yyyyyyy.arch.bundle
For the command-line installer, if you have set executable permissions sudo ./VMware-Horizon-Client-YYMM-x.x.x-yyyyyyy.arch.bundle --console
For the command-line installer, if you have not set executable permissions sudo sh ./VMware-Horizon-Client-YYMM-x.x.x-yyyyyyy.arch.bundle --console
Note: In addition to--console, you can use other command-line parameters and environment variables to control installation settings such as the installation of optional components. See Command-Line Installation Parameters. - To proceed with the installation, follow the prompts to confirm the installation of optional components.
For more information about each optional component, see Installation Options.
- After installation is complete, specify the following options.
- Specify whether to allow the installer to register and start installed services after the installation.
Allowing the installer to complete these tasks means that you do not need to manually start USB redirection services every time you reboot.
- Specify whether to perform the compatibility scan for libraries that various feature components depend on.
The system scan displays a result value for each library compatibility.
Result Value Description Success All required libraries were found. Failed The specified library was not found. You must locate and install the required library version on the client system. For more details, refer to the documentation and support information for your Linux distribution.
- Specify whether to allow the installer to register and start installed services after the installation.
You can find log information about the installation in /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-installer-pid.log.
Start Horizon Client and verify that you can log in to the correct virtual desktop. See Connect to a Remote Desktop or Published Application.
Installation Options
During the Horizon Client installation process using the .bundle installer, you are prompted to confirm the installation of optional components. The default is to install all components.
The following table provides a brief summary of each optional component.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Client Drive Redirection | Lets users share folders and drives on the client computer with remote desktops and applications. Drives can include mounted drives and USB storage devices. The component files are installed in /usr/lib/vmware/view/vdpService/. |
| HTML5 Multimedia Redirection (HTML5MMR) and Browser Content Redirection (BCR) | Redirects HTML5 multimedia content and browser content from a Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browser on the desktop to the client machine, where the stream is processed. |
| Multimedia Redirection (MMR) | Redirects multimedia stream from the desktop to the client machine, where the stream is processed. The component file is installed in /usr/lib/vmware/view/vdpService/. |
| Real-Time Audio-Video | Redirects webcam and audio devices that are connected to the client system so that they can be used on the remote desktop. The component file is installed in /usr/lib/pcoip/vchan_plugins/. |
| Scanner Redirection | Lets users scan data into remote desktops with SANE-compliant scanners connected to their local client system. Users do not have to install scanner drivers on their remote desktops. If you allow the Horizon Client installer to register and start the installed services after the installation completes successfully, the scanner redirection daemon runs automatically. Otherwise, you can start the scanner redirection daemon manually by running the following command. # sudo /etc/init.d/ftscanhv start Scanner redirection requires remote desktops to have Horizon Agent installed with the Scanner Redirection setup option, on the parent or template virtual machines or RDS hosts. In addition, this feature requires the PCoIP or VMware Blast display protocol. After the installation, you can configure group policy settings for this feature by following the instructions in "Configure Scanner Redirection" in the Horizon Remote Desktop Features and GPOs document. |
| Seamless Window | With this feature, users can interact with an application that is running on a remote desktop as if it was a locally running application. |
| Serial Port Redirection | Lets end users redirect locally connected serial ports, such as built-in RS-232 ports (/dev/ttySxx) or USB-to-Serial adapters (/dev/ttyUSBxx), to their remote desktops. If you allow the Horizon Client installer to register and start the installed services after the installation completes successfully, the serial port daemon runs automatically. Otherwise, you can start the serial port daemon manually by running the following command. # sudo /etc/init.d/ftsprhv start To make a USB-to-Serial adapter device available for serial port redirection, deselect Connect USB Device > Automatically Connect at Startup & Automatically Connect when inserted and ensure that the USB-to-Serial adapter device is not selected under the Connect USB Device menu. |
| Smart Card Redirection | Lets users authenticate into remote desktops with smart cards attached to their client systems when they use the VMware Blast or PCoIP display protocol. Although this option is selected in the client installer by default, this option is not selected by default when you run the Horizon Agent installer in the remote desktop. Smart card redirection is supported on remote desktops that are deployed on single-user machines and RDS hosts. The component files are installed in /usr/lib/pcoip/vchan_plugins/. |
| USB Redirection | Gives users access to locally connected USB devices on their desktops and applications. USB redirection is supported on remote desktops and applications that are deployed on single-user machines.
The component files are installed in
/usr/lib/vmware/view/usb/. If you allow the installer to register and start installed services after the installation completes, the USB arbitrator daemon,
vmware-USBArbitrator, runs automatically. Otherwise, you can start the daemon manually by running the following command:
# sudo /etc/init.d/vmware-USBArbitrator start
Note: You can use group policy settings to deactivate USB redirection for specific users. For more information, see the
Horizon Remote Desktop Features and GPOs document.
|
| VMware Integrated Printing | Lets users print to local or network printers from a Windows remote desktop without having to install printer drivers in the remote desktop. In addition to installing this option on the client system, you must enable the VMware Integrated Printing option in the Horizon Agent installer and set policies that control VMware Integrated Printing behavior. For information about installing Horizon Agent, see the Windows Desktops and Applications in Horizon 8 document. For information about configuring policies, see the Horizon Remote Desktop Features and GPOs document. |
Command-Line Installation Parameters
You can use command-line installation parameters to install Horizon Client on a Linux system using the .bundle installer.
Install Horizon Client silently by using the --console parameter along with other command-line parameters and environment variable settings. With silent installation, you can efficiently deploy Horizon Client in a large enterprise.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| --help | Displays usage information. |
| --console | Enables you to use the command-line installer in a Terminal window. |
| --custom | Shows all installation questions, even if default answers have been scripted, such as, for example, by using the --set-setting options. For more information about installer modes, see the description for --regular in this table. |
| --gtk | Opens the GUI-based VMware installer, which is the default option. If the GUI cannot be displayed or loaded for any reason, console mode is used. |
| --ignore-errors or -I | Allows the installation to continue even if there is an error in one of the installer scripts. Because the section that has an error does not complete, the component might not be properly configured. |
| --regular | Shows only the installation questions that do not have a default answer. This option is the default installer mode.
Note: The three installer modes are
--custom,
--regular, and
--required. If no installer mode parameter is specified, the installer defaults to
--regular mode. If more than one mode is specified, the installer uses the mode determined by the following order of priority:
|
| --required | Runs the installer without showing any installation questions. For more information about installer modes, see the description for --regular in this table. |
| --set-setting vmware-horizon-html5mmr html5mmrEnable yes | Installs support for HTML5 multimedia redirection and browser redirection. |
| --set-setting vmware-horizon-integrated-printing vmipEnable yes | Installs the VMware Integrated Printing optional component. |
| --set-setting vmware-horizon-mmr mmrEnable yes | Installs the multimedia redirection (MMR) optional component. |
| --set-setting vmware-horizon-rtav rtavEnable yes | Installs the Real-Time Audio-Video optional component. |
| --set-setting vmware-horizon-scannerclient scannerEnable yes | Installs the scanner redirection optional component. |
| --set-setting vmware-horizon-serialportclient serialportEnable yes | Installs the serial port redirection optional component. |
| --set-setting vmware-horizon-smartcard smartcardEnable yes | Installs the smart card redirection optional component. |
| --set-setting vmware-horizon-tsdr tsdrEnable yes | Installs the client drive redirection optional component. |
| --set-setting vmware-horizon-usb usbEnable yes | Installs the USB redirection optional component. |
| --stop-services | Do not register and start installed services. |
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
| TERM=dumb | Displays a basic text UI. |
| VMIS_LOG_LEVEL=value | Use one of the following values for value:
Log information is recorded in /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-installer-pid.log. |
Example of Silent Installation Commands
Following is an example of how to install Horizon Client silently, and, for each component, the example specifies whether to install that component.
sudo env TERM=dumb \
./VMware-Horizon-Client-YYMM-x.x.x-yyyyyyy.arch.bundle --console \
--set-setting vmware-horizon-usb usbEnable no \
--set-setting vmware-horizon-smartcard smartcardEnable no \
--set-setting vmware-horizon-rtav rtavEnable yes \
--set-setting vmware-horizon-tsdr tsdrEnable yes \
--set-setting vmware-horizon-scannerclient scannerEnable yes \
--set-setting vmware-horizon-serialportclient serialportEnable yes \
--set-setting vmware-horizon-mmr mmrEnable yes \
--set-setting vmware-horizon-media-provider mediaproviderEnable yes
This next example shows how to perform a silent installation of Horizon Client using the default settings.
sudo env TERM=dumb \ ./VMware-Horizon-Client-YYMM-x.x.x-yyyyyyy.arch.bundle --console --required
