The following list describes various options available when you run GSX Server from the command line on a Linux host operating system. You can also set the power options when you change a virtual machine's power options. See Using Power Options for Virtual Machines.

vmware [-x] [-X] [-q] [-v] [-s] [-l]
[/<path_to_config>/<config>.vmx]
[X toolkit options]

-x automatically powers on the virtual machine when a console is launched. This is equivalent to clicking the Power On button in the console toolbar.

-X automatically powers on the virtual machine, then switches the console window to full screen mode.

-q closes the virtual machine's tab when the virtual machine powers off. If no other virtual machine is open, it also closes the console. This is particularly useful when the guest operating system is capable of powering off the virtual machine.

-l launches the console, connecting it directly to the local host.

-v displays the product name, version and build number.

-s NAME=VALUE sets a configuration variable called name to value. This configuration setting applies until the virtual machine is powered off. These settings are found in the virtual machine's configuration (.vmx) file. You should use this option only if you know the exact variable and value to use; typically you use this when you are troubleshooting issues, and VMware support suggests you use a particular configuration setting.

-m automatically starts the virtual machine in quick switch mode. This option works for virtual machines running on Linux hosts only. For information on quick switch mode, see Using Quick Switch Mode.

/<path_to_config>/<config>.vmx (or .cfg) launches a virtual machine using the specified configuration file.

X toolkit options can be passed as arguments, although some of them (most notably the size and title of the console window) cannot be overridden.

If you are connecting to a virtual machine from a remote client, you can use the following options:

-h <host> to connect to a specific host.

-P <portNumber> to connect to the host over the specified port. Port 902 is the default port the console uses with remote connections. For information about the port number, see Changing the Port Number for VMware Virtual Machine Console Connections.

-u <username> specifies the user name to use when you log on to a remote host.

-w <password> specifies the password to use when you log on to a remote host.

-c "<path_to_virtualMachine>" specifies the path to the virtual machine's configuration file to use to connect the console.