VMware Horizon View - 6.2 User Manual

Setting Up Horizon 6 for Linux Desktops

Horizon 6

Version 6.2

This document supports the version of each product listed and supports all subsequent versions until the document is replaced by a new edition. To check for more recent editions of this document, see http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.

EN-001908-00

Setting Up Horizon 6 for Linux Desktops

You can find the most up-to-date technical documentation on the VMware Web site at:

http://www.vmware.com/support/

The VMware Web site also provides the latest product updates.

If you have comments about this documentation, submit your feedback to:

docfeedback@vmware.com

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Setting Up Horizon 6 for Linux Desktops 5

Installing and Configuring Horizon 6 for Linux Desktops 7

Features of a Horizon 6 for Linux Desktop 7

Overview of Configuration Steps for Horizon 6 for Linux Desktops 8

System Requirements for Horizon 6 for Linux 9

Create a Virtual Machine and Install Linux 12

Prepare a Linux Guest Operating System for Remote Desktop Deployment 13

Install View Agent on a Linux Virtual Machine 15

Create a Desktop Pool That Contains Linux Virtual Machines 17

Upgrade View Agent on a Linux Virtual Machine 18

Configuring Linux Machines for 3D Graphics 19

Configure RHEL 6.6 for NVIDIA GRID vGPU 19

Configure RHEL 6.6 for vDGA 25

Configure RHEL 7.1 for vSGA 29

Bulk Deployment of Horizon 6 for Linux Desktops 33

Overview of Bulk Deployment of Linux Desktops 33

Create a Virtual Machine Template for Cloning Linux Desktop Machines 34

Input File for the Sample PowerCLI Scripts to Deploy Linux Desktops 35

Sample PowerCLI Script to Clone Linux Desktop Machines 36

Sample PowerCLI Script to Install View Agent on Linux Desktops 39

Sample PowerCLI Script to Upgrade View Agent on Linux Desktop Machines 43

Sample PowerCLI Script to Perform Operations on Linux Desktop Machines 47

Sample PowerShell Script to Delete Machines from the Connection Server LDAP Database 50

Administering Horizon 6 for Linux Desktops 53

Uninstalling and Reinstalling Horizon 6 for Linux Machines 53

Configure Lossless PNG Images on Linux Desktops 56

Suppress the vSphere Console Display of a Linux Desktop 56

Configure a Left-handed Mouse on Ubuntu Desktops 56

How to Perform Power Operations on Linux Desktops from vSphere 56

Gather Information About Horizon 6 for Linux Software 57

Troubleshooting Horizon 6 for Linux 57

Index 63

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Setting Up Horizon 6 for Linux Desktops

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Setting Up Horizon 6 for Linux Desktops

The Setting Up Horizon 6 for Linux Desktops document provides information about setting up a Linux virtual machine for use as a VMware Horizon 6™ desktop, including preparing the Linux guest operating system, installing View Agent on the virtual machine, and configuring the machine in View Administrator for use in a Horizon 6 deployment.

Intended Audience

This information is intended for anyone who wants to configure and use remote desktops that run on Linux guest operating systems. The information is written for experienced Linux system administrators who are familiar with virtual machine technology and datacenter operations.

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Setting Up Horizon 6 for Linux Desktops

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Installing and Configuring Horizon 6

for Linux Desktops 1

To set up a Linux virtual machine as a remote desktop in a Horizon 6 environment, you must prepare the Linux guest operating system, install View Agent on the virtual machine, and configure the machine in View Administrator.

This chapter includes the following topics:

“Features of a Horizon 6 for Linux Desktop,” on page 7

“Overview of Configuration Steps for Horizon 6 for Linux Desktops,” on page 8

“System Requirements for Horizon 6 for Linux,” on page 9

“Create a Virtual Machine and Install Linux,” on page 12

“Prepare a Linux Guest Operating System for Remote Desktop Deployment,” on page 13

“Install View Agent on a Linux Virtual Machine,” on page 15

“Create a Desktop Pool That Contains Linux Virtual Machines,” on page 17

“Upgrade View Agent on a Linux Virtual Machine,” on page 18

Features of a Horizon 6 for Linux Desktop

After you set up a Linux guest operating system for use as a remote desktop, entitled users can launch VDI desktop sessions on the single-user Linux machine just as they do on a Windows machine.

Linux desktops provide features such as audio out, multiple monitors, and autofit.

3D graphics, including NVIDIA GRID vGPU, vDGA, and vSGA, can be configured on Linux virtual machines.

Certain limitations apply to this release of View Agent for Linux:

Single Sign-on (SSO) is not supported. After logging in to Horizon 6 and launching the remote desktop,

the user must log in to the Linux guest operating system.

Automated provisioning and other features that are provided only with automated desktop pools are

not supported. For example, the refresh on logoff operation is not available.

Local devices cannot be used on the remote desktop. For example, USB redirection, virtual printing,

location-based printing, clipboard redirection, Real-Time Audio-Video, and smart cards are not supported.

HTML Access is not supported.

NOTE When a security server is used, port 22443 must be open in the internal firewall to allow traffic between the security server and the Linux desktop.

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Overview of Configuration Steps for Horizon 6 for Linux Desktops

When you install and configure Horizon 6 for Linux desktops, you must follow a different sequence of steps depending on whether you install 2D graphics or 3D graphics on the virtual machines.

2D Graphics - Overview of Configuration Steps

For 2D graphics, take the following steps:

1 Review the system requirements for setting up a Horizon 6 for Linux deployment. See “System

Requirements for Horizon 6 for Linux,” on page 9.

2 Create a virtual machine in vSphere and install the Linux operating system. See “Create a Virtual

Machine and Install Linux,” on page 12.

3 Prepare the guest operating system for deployment as a desktop in a Horizon 6 environment. See

“Prepare a Linux Guest Operating System for Remote Desktop Deployment,” on page 13.

4 Configure the Linux guest operating system to authenticate with Active Directory. This step is

implemented with 3rd-party software, based on the requirements in your environment, and is not described in this guide.

5 Install View Agent on the Linux virtual machine. See “Install View Agent on a Linux Virtual Machine,”

on page 15.

6 Create a desktop pool that contains the configured Linux virtual machines. See “Create a Desktop Pool

That Contains Linux Virtual Machines,” on page 17.

3D Graphics - Overview of Configuration Steps

You must complete the NVIDIA GRID vGPU, vDGA, or vSGA configuration on the Linux virtual machines before you install View Agent on the machines and deploy a desktop pool in View Administrator.

1 Review the system requirements for setting up a Horizon 6 for Linux deployment. See “System

Requirements for Horizon 6 for Linux,” on page 9.

2 Create a virtual machine in vSphere and install the Linux operating system. See “Create a Virtual

Machine and Install Linux,” on page 12.

3 Prepare the guest operating system for deployment as a desktop in a Horizon 6 environment. See

“Prepare a Linux Guest Operating System for Remote Desktop Deployment,” on page 13.

4 Configure the Linux guest operating system to authenticate with Active Directory. This step is

implemented with 3rd-party software, based on the requirements in your environment, and is not described in this guide.

5 Configure 3D capabilities on your ESXi hosts and the Linux virtual machine. Follow the procedures for

the 3D feature you intend to install.

See “Configure RHEL 6.6 for NVIDIA GRID vGPU,” on page 19.

See “Configure RHEL 6.6 for vDGA,” on page 25.

See “Configure RHEL 7.1 for vSGA,” on page 29.

6 Install View Agent on the Linux virtual machine. See “Install View Agent on a Linux Virtual Machine,”

on page 15.

7 Create a desktop pool that contains the configured Linux virtual machines. See “Create a Desktop Pool

That Contains Linux Virtual Machines,” on page 17.

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Bulk Deployment

With View Administrator, you must deploy Linux virtual machines in a manual desktop pool. Alternatively, with vSphere PowerCLI, you can develop scripts that automate the deployment of a pool of Linux desktop machines. See Chapter 3, “Bulk Deployment of Horizon 6 for Linux Desktops,” on page 33.

System Requirements for Horizon 6 for Linux

Horizon 6 for Linux must meet certain operating system, Horizon 6, and vSphere platform requirements.

Supported Linux Operating Systems for View Agent

The following table lists the Linux operating systems that are supported on virtual machines in a desktop pool.

Table 1‑1. Supported Linux Operating Systems for View Agent

Linux Distribution Architecture

Ubuntu 14.04 x64

Ubuntu 12.04 x86 and x64

RHEL 7.1 x64

RHEL 6.6 x86 and x64

CentOS 6.6 x86 and x64

NeoKylin 6 Update 1 x64

NOTE On Ubuntu 14.04, disable Compiz to avoid poor performance.

Other Linux distributions have not been certified to support View Agent, but the View Agent software does not prevent you from using them. You are welcome to try out uncertified distributions. For example, the distributions RHEL 6.5, CentOS 6.5, and UbuntuKylin 14.04 are likely to work.

However, uncertified distributions might not function as fully as supported ones, and VMware cannot guarantee that problems in uncertified distributions will be resolved.

Required Platform and Horizon 6 Software Versions

To install and use Horizon 6 for Linux, your deployment must meet certain vSphere platform, Horizon 6, and client requirements.

vSphere platform version

Horizon environment

Horizon Client software

vSphere 5.5 U3, vSphere 6.0 U1, or a later release

vSphere 6.0 or a later release is required to support NeoKylin.

vSphere 6.0 U1 or a later release is required to support virtual machines with 3D graphics, including NVIDIA GRID vGPU, vDGA, and vSGA.

Horizon 6 version 6.2 or a later release

Horizon Client 3.5 for Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X

Zero clients and mobile clients are not supported

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Setting Up Horizon 6 for Linux Desktops

Recommended Video Memory (vRAM) Settings

When you create a Linux virtual machine in vSphere Client, configure the vRAM size as shown in Table 1-2. Set the vRAM size that is recommended for the number and resolution of the monitors that you configure for the virtual machine.

These vRAM size recommendations apply only to virtual machines that are configured to use 2D or vSGA graphics, which use the VMware driver. vDGA and NVIDIA GRID vGPU use NVIDIA drivers. The vRAM size set in vSphere Client has no affect on vDGA or NVIDIA GRID vGPU machines.

These vRAM sizes are the minimum recommendations. If more resources are available on the virtual machine, set the vRAM to larger values for improved video performance.

10 MB is the minimum vRAM size recommendation for a machine that is configured with a single monitor at the lowest resolution.

If a Linux virtual machine is configured with a smaller vRAM size than is recommended, the following issues might occur:

Desktop sessions might be disconnected right after the initial connection is made.

Autofit might fail to work. The desktop is then displayed in a small area of the screen.

CAUTION Horizon 6 does not automatically configure the vRAM settings on Linux virtual machines, as happens on Windows virtual machines. You must configure the vRAM settings manually in vSphere Client.

Table 1‑2. Recommended vRAM Settings for Linux Guest Operating Systems That Use 2D or vSGA Graphics

Number of

vRAM Size

10 MB 1 1600x1200 or 1680x1050

12 MB 1 1920x1440

16 MB 1 2560x1600

32 MB 2 2048x1536 or 2560x1600

48 MB 3 2048x1536

64 MB 3 2560x1600

Monitors Maximum Resolution

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Table 1‑2. Recommended vRAM Settings for Linux Guest Operating Systems That Use 2D or vSGA Graphics (Continued)

Number of

vRAM Size

64 MB 4 2048x1536

128 MB 4 2560x1600

Monitors Maximum Resolution

RHEL and CentOS only support this configuration on vSphere 5.5.

To support this configuration on Ubuntu, you must recompile the kernel.

For NeoKylin, this configuration is not supported.

NOTE To connect to a RHEL 6.6 or CentOS 6.6 desktop with multiple monitors, you must specify the number of displays correctly. For information about how to specify the number of displays, see “Create a

Virtual Machine and Install Linux,” on page 12. You must also edit the vmx file and append the following

lines:

svga.maxWidth="10240" svga.maxHeight="2048"

If these settings are not added, only one monitor displays the desktop. The others display a black screen.

If you encounter an autofit issue with the recommended settings, you can specify a larger vRAM size. vSphere Client permits a maximum vRAM size of 128 MB. If your specified size exceeds 128 MB, you must modify the vmx file manually. The following example specifies a vRAM size of 256 MB:

svga.vramSize = "268435456"

NOTE To configure four monitors for a RHEL 7.1 machine that uses 2D rendering or 3D rendering with vSGA, set a maximum resolution of 2048x1536 for each monitor. To configure a RHEL 7.1 machine to use up to three monitors, set a maximum resolution of 2560x1600 for each monitor.

To improve performance for a RHEL 7.1 machine in a vSGA multiple-monitor environment, set the 3D Memory setting for the virtual machine to 1 GB or larger, and configure 4 vCPUs for the machine. If you configure four monitors at 2048x1536 resolution on a RHEL 7.1 machine, set Memory to 4 GB, and configure 4 vCPUs for the machine.

Recommended vCPU and Shared Memory Settings to Support Multiple Monitors

To improve desktop performance with multiple monitors, configure at least two vCPUs for a Linux virtual machine.

Also make sure that the virtual machine has adequate shared memory to support multiple monitors. Determine the current maximum shared memory size (shmmax) with the following command:

sysctl -a | grep shm

If shared memory is small, increase the maximum size with the following command:

sysctl -w "kernel.shmmax=65536000"

Recommended vCPU Settings for Video Playback

For a Linux virtual machine that is not using vDGA graphics, video playback on high-resolution monitors might be uneven if too few vCPUs are configured. Configure additional vCPUs, such as four vCPUs, to improve the performance of video playback.

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Monitor Resolution Supported by vDGA and NVIDIA GRID vGPU

A virtual machine that is configured to use vDGA or NVIDIA GRID vGPU can support up to 4 monitors with a maximum resolution of 2560x1600.

Create a Virtual Machine and Install Linux

You create a new virtual machine in vCenter Server for each remote desktop that is deployed in Horizon 6. You must install your Linux distribution on the virtual machine.

Prerequisites

Verify that your deployment meets the requirements for supporting Linux desktops. See “System

Requirements for Horizon 6 for Linux,” on page 9.

Familiarize yourself with the steps for creating virtual machines in vCenter Server and installing guest

operating systems. See "Creating and Preparing Virtual Machines" in the Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in View document.

Familiarize yourself with the recommended video memory (vRAM) values for the monitors you will

use with the virtual machine. See “System Requirements for Horizon 6 for Linux,” on page 9.

Procedure

1 In vSphere Web Client or vSphere Client, create a new virtual machine.

2 Configure custom configuration options.

a Right-click the virtual machine and click Edit Settings.

b Specify the number of vCPUs and the vMemory size.

For recommended values, follow the guidelines in the installation guide for your Linux distribution.

For example, Ubuntu 12.04 recommends configuring 2048 MB for vMemory and 2 vCPUs.

c Select Video card and specify the number of displays and the total video memory (vRAM).

Set the vRAM size in vSphere Web Client for virtual machines that use 2D or vSGA, which use the VMware driver. The vRAM size has no affect on vDGA or NVIDIA GRID vGPU machines, which use NVIDIA drivers.

For recommended values, follow the guidelines in System Requirements for Horizon 6 for Linux. Do not use the Video Memory Calculator.

3 Power on the virtual machine and install the Linux distribution.

4 Configure the virtual machine as a gnome desktop environment.

KDE has not been certified to support View Agent, although basic connections and the use of audio and video work well on some distributions such as Kubuntu.

5 Ensure that the system hostname is resolvable.

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Prepare a Linux Guest Operating System for Remote Desktop Deployment

You must perform certain tasks to prepare a Linux guest operating system for use as a desktop in a Horizon 6 deployment.

Before a Linux guest operating system can be managed by Horizon 6, the machine must be able to communicate with the other machines in the environment. You must configure the Linux machine to be resolvable through DNS. Otherwise, View Agent cannot be registered as a machine source and the machine cannot be added to a desktop pool.

Open VMware Tools (OVT) are pre-installed on RHEL 7 machines. If you are preparing a RHEL 7 machine for use as a remote desktop, you can skip steps 1 through 5 in the following procedure, which describe how to install VMware Tools by manually running the installer. You must perform the remaining steps in the procedure.

Prerequisites

Verify that a new virtual machine was created in vCenter Server and your Linux distribution was

installed on the machine

Familiarize yourself with the steps for mounting and installing VMware Tools on a Linux virtual

machine. See "Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a Linux Virtual Machine" in the vSphere Virtual Machine Administration document.

Familiarize yourself with the steps for configuring your Linux machine to be resolvable through DNS.

These steps vary for the different Linux distributions and releases. For instructions, consult the documentation for your Linux distribution and release.

Procedure

1 In vSphere Web Client or vSphere Client, mount the VMware Tools virtual disk on the guest operating

system.

2 Right-click the VMware Tools installer file, VMwareTools.x.x.x-xxxx.tar.gz, click Extract to, and select

the desktop for your Linux distribution.

The vmware-tools-distrib folder is extracted to the desktop.

3 In the virtual machine, log in to the guest operating system and root and open a terminal window.

4 Uncompress the VMware Tools tar installer file.

For example:

tar zxpf /mnt/cdrom/VMwareTools-x.x.x-yyyy.tar.gz

5 Run the installer and configure VMware Tools.

The command might vary slightly in different Linux distributions. For example:

cd vmware-tools-distrib sudo ./vmware-install.pl -d

Usually, the vmware-config-tools.pl configuration file runs after the installer file finishes running.

6 Configure the Linux machine to be resolvable through DNS.

7 Ensure that the View Connection Server instances in the pod can be resolved through DNS.

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8 If your deployment uses a Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2 Active Directory (AD)

server, enable reversible password encryption.

a On the AD server, open AD users and computers.

b Right-click the View Admin account, or create a new Linux View Agent account, and select

Properties.

c Select the Account tab.

d In Account options, select the Store password using reversible encryption setting.

e Reset the View Admin password.

9 On Ubuntu 14.04 machines, disable user switching to ensure that end users cannot switch user sessions

from within the Linux desktop.

a To successfully disable user switching, download and install the latest version of the indicator-

session package, available at https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/wily/amd64/indicator-

session/12.10.5+15.04.20150327-0ubuntu1.

b Restart the machine.

10 On RHEL 7.1 machines, downgrade the latest graphic drivers that are installed on the machines.

These drivers disable 3D, which causes vSGA not to work and can cause the system to freeze when you log out. Take the following steps:

yum update yum downgrade mesa-libxatracker.x86_64 xorg-x11-drv-vmware mesa-private-llvm mesa-dri-drivers

11 Configure the Linux machine so that the default runlevel is 5.

The runlevel must be 5 for the Linux desktop to work.

12 Make sure that an HD audio device is not present in the virtual hardware settings for the virtual

machine.

If HD audio is configured on the machine, audio out might not work properly when users connect to the Linux desktop.

13 On an Ubuntu machine that was configured to authenticate with an OpenLDAP server, set the fully

qualified domain name on the machine.

This step ensures that the information can be displayed correctly in the User field on the Sessions page in View Administrator. Edit the /etc/hosts file as follows:

a # nano /etc/hosts

b Add the fully qualified domain name. For example: 127.0.0.1 hostname.domainname hostname.

c Exit and save the file.

After installing VMware Tools, if you upgrade the Linux kernel, VMware Tools might stop running. To resolve the problem, see http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2050592.

What to do next

If you are preparing the Linux machine to use NVIDIA GRID vGPU, vDGA, or vSGA, you must complete the 3D configuration on the virtual machine before you install View Agent. See “Configure RHEL 6.6 for

NVIDIA GRID vGPU,” on page 19, “Configure RHEL 6.6 for vDGA,” on page 25, or “Configure RHEL

7.1 for vSGA,” on page 29.

If you are preparing the Linux machine to use 2D graphics, install View Agent. See “Install View Agent on a

Linux Virtual Machine,” on page 15.

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Chapter 1 Installing and Configuring Horizon 6 for Linux Desktops

Install View Agent on a Linux Virtual Machine

You must install View Agent on a Linux virtual machine before you can deploy the machine as a remote desktop.

CAUTION If you intend to use NVIDIA GRID vGPU, vDGA, or vSGA, you must configure these 3D features on the Linux virtual machine before you install View Agent. If you install View Agent first, required parameters in the xorg.conf file are overwritten, and the 3D graphics features do not work.

See “Configure RHEL 6.6 for NVIDIA GRID vGPU,” on page 19, “Configure RHEL 6.6 for vDGA,” on page 25, or “Configure RHEL 7.1 for vSGA,” on page 29. Install View Agent after the 3D graphics configuration is completed.

For 2D graphics configuration, you can install View Agent after you complete the steps in “Prepare a Linux

Guest Operating System for Remote Desktop Deployment,” on page 13.

Prerequisites

Verify that the Linux guest operating system is prepared for desktop use. See “Prepare a Linux Guest

Operating System for Remote Desktop Deployment,” on page 13.

Familiarize yourself with the View Agent installer script for Linux. See “install_viewagent.sh

Command Usage and Options,” on page 16.

Verify that the View Connection Server administrative user that you provide with the installation

command has the Agent Registration Administrators or Administrators role in View Administrator. Specifically, the Register Agent privilege is required to register View Agent with View Connection Server. Agent Registration Administrators is a restricted role that provides this minimum privilege.

Procedure

1 Download the View Agent for Linux installer file from the VMware download site at

https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/downloads.

Under Desktop & End-User Computing, select the VMware Horizon 6 download, which includes the View Agent for Linux installer.

The installer filename is VMware-viewagent-linux-x86_64-y.y.y-xxxxxxx.tar.gz for 64-bit Linux or VMware-viewagent-linux-y.y.y-xxxxxxx.tar.gz for 32-bit Linux, where y.y.y is the version number and xxxxxxx is the build number.

2 Unpack the tarball for your Linux distribution on the guest operating system.

For example:

tar -xzvf <View Agent tar ball>

3 Navigate to the tar ball folder.

4 Run the install_viewagent.sh script to install View Agent.

Use the sudo command to run the script with system administrator (root) permissions. If you must switch to root, use the su - command. Using the su command causes problems.

For example:

sudo ./install_viewagent.sh -b mybroker.mydomain.com -d mydomain.com -u administrator -p password

The -b parameter specifies the View Connection Server instance to which the Linux machine is registered. You can use an FQDN or IP address with the -b parameter.

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The -d, -u, and -p parameters specify the domain, user name, and password of the View administrator user. In the password, be sure to escape special characters such as $. For example: ab\$cdef

If you do not type the -p parameter with the command, you are prompted to provide the password after you enter the command. When you type the password at the prompt, the text is hidden.

By default, the hostname of the Linux machine is used to register the machine. You can specify a different machine name with the -n parameter.

5 Type Yes to accept the EULA that is displayed when you enter the install_viewagent.sh script at the

command line.

The installer does not run until you accept the EULA.

6 Restart or log out of the guest operating system.

This step ensures that the graphics UI changes configured by View Agent take effect on the machine.

The install_viewagent.sh script installs the View Agent software on the Linux virtual machine. The script registers the machine with View Connection Server.

The viewagent service is started on the Linux virtual machine. You can verify that the service is started by running the #service viewagent status command.

If an Agent Registration Failed message appears, see “Troubleshooting View Agent Registration Failure

for a Linux Machine,” on page 58.

If another View Agent issue occurs, see “Troubleshooting Horizon 6 for Linux,” on page 57.

NOTE The install_viewagent.sh script installs JRE 8 in the View Agent installation directory, /usr/lib/vmware/viewagent/jre, on the Linux virtual machine. View Agent requires JRE 8.

What to do next

Deploy the virtual machine in a desktop pool. See “Create a Desktop Pool That Contains Linux Virtual

Machines,” on page 17.

install_viewagent.sh Command Usage and Options

The install_viewagent.sh script installs View Agent on a Linux guest operating system.

Use the following form of the install_viewagent.sh script in a command window in the gnome desktop environment.

install_viewagent.sh command_option argument [command_option argument] . . .

The install_viewagent.sh script includes mandatory and optional parameters.

Table 1‑3. install_viewagent.sh Mandatory Parameters

Mandatory Parameter Description

-b FQDN or IP address of the View Connection Server instance. For example:

mybroker.mydomain.com or 192.0.2.10

-d Domain name of the View Connection Server instance administrator user. For example:

mydomain.com

-u

User name of the View Connection Server administrator user. For example: myadmin

The user must have the Agent Registration Administrators or Administrators role in View Administrator. Specifically, the Register Agent privilege is required to register View Agent with View Connection Server. Agent Registration Administrators is a restricted role that provides this minimum privilege.

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Table 1‑4. install_viewagent.sh Password Parameter

Optional Parameter (Required Information) Description

-p Password for the View Connection Server administrator user.

You do not have to type the -p parameter at the command line if you do not want to expose the password in text. If you type the install_viewagent.sh command without the -p parameter, you are prompted to enter the password. When you type the password at the prompt, the text is hidden.

You must provide the password, either with the -p parameter or at the prompt.

If the password contains a special character such as $ within the shell in which the installer is executed, make sure the special character is escaped. For example: ab\$cdef

-A

EULA acceptance. The allowed values are yes and no. You must specify yes for the install to proceed. If this parameter is not specified, the install script prompts for the value.

Table 1‑5. install_viewagent.sh Optional Parameters

Optional Parameters Description

-n Machine name that is registered to View Connection Server. By default, the View Agent installer uses the host name. You can specify your own name.

-s Subject DN of the self-signed certificate.

By default, the View Agent installer generates a self-signed certificate with the following Subject DN value: '/C=US/ST=California/O=VMware/CN=Hostname.DomainName'. The default CN specifies the host name and domain name of the machine.

You can specify your own Subject DN.

Create a Desktop Pool That Contains Linux Virtual Machines

To configure Linux virtual machines for use as remote desktops, you create a manual desktop pool and add the Linux machines to the pool.

When you create the desktop pool, add only Linux virtual machines to the pool. If the pool contains both Windows and Linux guest operating systems, the pool is treated as a Windows pool, and you will be unable to connect to the Linux desktops.

When you entitle users to Linux machines in the desktop pool, as a best practice, make sure that the users do not have administrative privileges in the Linux guest operating system. An admin user in Linux can open a terminal window and invoke commands such as shutdown, which powers off the virtual machine. The vCenter Server administrator must power on the machine again. Entitling non-admin Linux users ensures that you do not have to manage these power operations manually.

Prerequisites

Verify that View Agent is installed on the Linux guest operating systems. See “Install View Agent on a

Linux Virtual Machine,” on page 15.

Verify that the Linux virtual machines are registered in View Connection Server. In View

Administrator, select View Configuration > Registered Machines and select the Others tab. Verify that each machine's state is Available.

On Ubuntu 14.04 machines, verify that user switching is disabled. See step 9 in “Prepare a Linux Guest

Operating System for Remote Desktop Deployment,” on page 13.

Procedure

1 In View Administrator, add a manual desktop pool.

Select Catalog > Desktop Pools > Add .

2 Select Manual Desktop Pool.

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3 Select either dedicated or floating user assignments for the machines in the desktop pool.

4 On the Machine Source page, select Other Sources.

5 On the Add Machines page, select the Linux virtual machines that you configured and complete the

Add Desktop Pool wizard.

Do not change the Remote Display Protocol settings. These settings have no effect on Linux desktops. Also, the end user cannot choose the display protocol.

IMPORTANT Add Linux virtual machines only. If you add Windows virtual machines, the Linux desktops in the pool will be unavailable.

6 Entitle users to the machines in the desktop pool.

In View Administrator, select the desktop pool, select Entitlements > Add entitlement, and add users or groups.

As a best practice, make sure that the users do not have administrative privileges in the Linux guest operating system.

The Linux virtual machines are ready to be used as remote desktops in a Horizon 6 deployment.

Upgrade View Agent on a Linux Virtual Machine

You can upgrade View Agent from Horizon 6 version 6.1.1 to Horizon 6 version 6.2 on your Linux virtual machines that are deployed as remote desktops.

Prerequisites

Verify that the VMwareBlastServer process is not running on the Linux virtual machine.

To stop this process, make sure that the user logs off the machine and no desktop session is active, or reboot the machine.

Procedure

1 Download the latest View Agent for Linux installer file from the VMware download site at

https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/downloads.

Under Desktop & End-User Computing, select the VMware Horizon 6 download, which includes the View Agent for Linux installer.

2 Unpack the tarball for your Linux distribution on the guest operating system.

For example:

tar -xzvf <View Agent tar ball>

3 Navigate to the tar ball folder.

4 Run the install_viewagent.sh script without options to upgrade View Agent.

For example:

sudo ./install_viewagent.sh

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Configuring Linux Machines for 3D

Graphics 2

You can configure Horizon 6 for Linux virtual machines to use NVIDIA GRID vGPU (shared GPU hardware acceleration) or Virtual Dedicated Graphics Acceleration (vDGA) on NVIDIA GRID graphics cards that are installed on ESXi hosts. You can also configure your Linux virtual machines to use Virtual Shared Graphics Acceleration (vSGA).

The Autofit feature, audio out feature, and multiple monitors are supported on Linux desktops that are configured to use 3D graphics.

The steps to configure a Linux guest operating system for 3D graphics vary depending on the Linux distribution.

This chapter includes the following topics:

“Configure RHEL 6.6 for NVIDIA GRID vGPU,” on page 19

“Configure RHEL 6.6 for vDGA,” on page 25

“Configure RHEL 7.1 for vSGA,” on page 29

Configure RHEL 6.6 for NVIDIA GRID vGPU

You can set up an RHEL 6.6 guest operating system so that a Horizon 6 for Linux desktop can take advantage of NVIDIA GRID vGPU (shared GPU hardware acceleration) capabilities on the ESXi host.

IMPORTANT NVIDIA GRID vGPU is supported on NVIDIA Maxwell M60 graphics cards. This feature does not work on other NVIDIA graphics cards such as GRID K1 or K2.

CAUTION Before you begin, verify that View Agent is not installed on the Linux virtual machine. If you install View Agent before you configure the machine to use NVIDIA GRID vGPU, required configuration parameters in the xorg.conf file are overwritten, and NVIDIA GRID vGPU does not work. You must install View Agent after the NVIDIA GRID vGPU configuration is completed.

1 Install the VIB for the NVIDIA Graphics Card on the ESXi Host on page 20

You must download and install the VIB for your NVIDIA GRID graphics card on the ESXi 6.0 U1 or later host.

2 Configure a Shared PCI Device for vGPU on the Linux Virtual Machine on page 21

To configure a RHEL 6.6 virtual machine to use NVIDIA GRID vGPU, you must configure a shared PCI device for the virtual machine.

3 Install an NVIDIA Display Driver on RHEL 6.6 on page 22

To install an NVIDIA display driver on a RHEL 6.6 virtual machine, you must disable the default NVIDIA driver, download the NVIDIA display drivers, and configure the PCI device on the virtual machine.

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Setting Up Horizon 6 for Linux Desktops

4 Verify That the NVIDIA Display Driver Is Installed on page 24

You can verify that the NVIDIA display driver is installed on a RHEL 6.6. virtual machine by displaying the NVIDIA driver output in a View desktop session.

Install the VIB for the NVIDIA Graphics Card on the ESXi Host

You must download and install the VIB for your NVIDIA GRID graphics card on the ESXi 6.0 U1 or later host.

For an NVIDIA GRID vGPU configuration, NVIDIA provides a vGPU software package that includes a vGPU Manager, which you install on the ESXi host in this procedure, and a Linux Display Driver, which you will install on the Linux virtual machine in a later procedure.

For an vSGA configuration, NVIDIA provides a VMware vSphere ESXi Driver for vSGA. For vSGA, an NVIDIA display driver is not installed on the Linux virtual machine.

Prerequisites

Verify that vSphere 6.0 U1 or a later release is installed in your environment.

For an NVIDIA GRID vGPU configuration, verify that the NVIDIA Maxwell M60 GPUs are installed on

the ESXi host.

For a vSGA configuration, verify that the NVIDIA GRID K1 or K2 GPUs are installed on the ESXi host.

Procedure

1 Download the VIB for your NVIDIA GRID graphics card from the NVIDIA Driver Downloads site.

Select the appropriate VIB version from the drop-down menus.

Option Description

Product Type

Product Series

Product

Operating System

GRID

For vGPU, select NVIDIA GRID vGPU.

For vSGA, select GRID Series.

Select the version (such as GRID K2) that is installed on the ESXi host.

Select the VMware vSphere ESXi version.

2 For an NVIDIA GRID vGPU configuration, take these steps:

a Uncompress the vGPU software package .zip file.

b Upload the vGPU Manager folder to the ESXi 6.0 U1 host.

NOTE You will install the Linux Display Driver on the Linux virtual machine in a later procedure.

3 For a vSGA configuration, upload the VMware vSphere ESXi Driver for vSGA to the ESXi 6.0 U1 host.

4 Power off or suspend all virtual machines on the ESXi host.

5 Connect to the ESXi host using SSH.

6 Stop the xorg service.

# /etc/init.d/xorg stop

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VMware Horizon View - 6.2 User Manual

Contents

Setting Up Horizon 6 for Linux Desktops

Features of a Horizon 6 for Linux Desktop

Overview of Configuration Steps for Horizon 6 for Linux Desktops

System Requirements for Horizon 6 for Linux

Create a Virtual Machine and Install Linux

Prepare a Linux Guest Operating System for Remote Desktop Deployment

Install View Agent on a Linux Virtual Machine

install_viewagent.sh Command Usage and Options

Create a Desktop Pool That Contains Linux Virtual Machines

Upgrade View Agent on a Linux Virtual Machine

Configure RHEL 6.6 for NVIDIA GRID vGPU

Install the VIB for the NVIDIA Graphics Card on the ESXi Host