VMware User Process

With the VMware user process, you can use such features as copy and paste, drag and drop with VMware products that support these features.

In Linux, Solaris, Windows and FreeBSD guest operating systems, VMware Tools uses the VMware User process executable file that implements fit-guest-to-window feature.

The user process starts automatically when you log in to a Windows guest operating system. On Linux, the user process starts when you start a Desktop Environment session. The user process can also be started manually.

The program file for this process is called vmtoolsd.exe on Windows guest operating systems and vmtoolsd on Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD guest operating systems. In POSIX, it is vmtoolsd with -n vmusr on command line interface. The user process supports the following tasks:

• Enables copy and paste of text between guest operating system and the vSphere Web Client or the Workstation, Fusion, or Player host operating system. For virtual machines that are used with Workstation or Fusion, you can copy and paste files between the host operating system and Windows, Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD guest operating systems.
• On Linux, Solaris, Windows, and FreeBSD guest operating systems, grabs and releases the pointer if the SVGA driver is not installed.
• On Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD guest operating systems, fits the screen display resolution of the guest to the screen resolution of the vSphere Web Client or the Workstation, Fusion, or Player host operating system, if running in full screen mode. If running in normal (windowed) mode, fits the screen resolution of the guest to the size of the window on the client or host.
• On Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD guest operating systems, fits the screen display resolution of the guest to the screen resolution of the vSphere Web Client, if running in full screen mode. If running in windowed mode, fits the screen resolution of the guest to the size of the window on the client or host.
• For virtual machines used with Workstation or Fusion, allows you to drag files between the host operating system and Windows, Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD guest operating systems.