Installing Linux Mint 19.3 In VMware Player 15.5

In this guide we will installing Linux Mint as a guest Operating System on a Windows 10 64 Bit Host using a VMware Workstation Player. To get decent performance on a VM you should have at least a 250 GB SSD with 50 GB free for the VM, 8 GB of RAM with 3 GB free for the VM and an Intel 6th generation i3 Processor or superior.

Tutorial Video

VMware Workstation Player can be downloaded from VMware:

64 Bit Mint featuring the Cinnamon Desktop can be downloaded using:

Installing VMware Player

Launch the VMware Player setup:

Accept the User Account Control Prompt:

A Microsoft VC Redistributable will be installed:

Select Yes to Restart your Computer.

Relaunch the VMware Player installer:

Once again accept the User Account Control Prompt:

The installer will begin:

Select Next:

Accept the License Agreement and select Next:

Select Next:

Select Next:

Select Next:

Select Install:

Select Finish:

Launch VMware Workstation Player:

Select Use VMware Workstation 15 Player for Free for Non-Commercial Use or alternatively input your license. Select continue:

Select Finish:

You will now have VMware Player.

Select Skip this Version when prompted for the software update (as it is the same version).

Configuring your Linux Mint VM

To create a new VM select Player → File → New Virtual Machine

Select Browse:

Select your Linux Mint 19.3 ISO and select Open:

VMware won't recognise this ISO, select Next:

In the next screen, select Linux and under version select Other Linux 5.x or later kernal 64-Bit then select next:

Change the name to Linux Mint 19.3 and change the Location to match.

By default VMware will give you awful settings for your VM below the recommended system requirements. Change the maximum disk size to 50 GB and select Next:

Select customise hardware:

Press [Ctrl], [Shift] and [Esc] to open up the Task Manager. Select Memory:

You will see the Memory Available. In this case 16 GB installed and 9.3 GB available. It is recommended to leave some memory spare for your Windows 10 Host so I would use a maximum of 4 GB (4096 MB) for the VM. As a rough guideline:

  • If you have 8 GB of RAM use 3072 MB (3 GB) of RAM for the VM
  • If you have 16 GB of RAM use 4096 MB (4 GB) of RAM for the VM
  • If you have 32 GB of RAM use 8192 MB (8 GB) of RAM for the VM

Press [Ctrl], [Shift] and [Esc] to open up the Task Manager. Select CPU. You will see the Cores you have available. Set up your VM to match these values. Linux Mint needs at least 2 Cores to run.

Your ISO should be loaded already. If not check Connect at power on and the ISO image file is selected.

You should have a Network Adapter set to NAT and set to Connect at power on.

Change the USB Controller to USB 3.0:

The Sound Card should be set to Connect at Power On:

You don't need to bother about a printer in most cases:

For Display, ensure Accelerate 3D Graphics is checked and that you have at least 1 GB of Graphics Memory.

Select Close:

Select Finish:

Installing Linux Mint

Select your new VM and select the play button:

When prompted to Download VMware Tools select Download and Install.

You can then move the prompt to the side.

By default, Start Linux Mint will be selected.

Accept the user account control prompt to install VMware tools.

On the Linux Mint Desktop, select Install Linux Mint:

Select Open:

The setup will begin. Select your language and then select continue:

Select your keyboard and then select continue:

Check "Install third-party software for graphics and Wi-Fi hardware, Flash, MP3 and other media" and select Continue:

Select Install Now:

Select Continue:

Select your Time Zone and then select Continue.

Setup your account and check in log in automatically.

Linux Mint will now install.

Select Restart Now. A prompt to install VMtools will display ignore this for now:

You will see the Linux Mint splash menu:

Ignore the message about removing installation media and just select [Enter]:

You will be taken to the Linux Mint Desktop:

Select the close button to the top right of the Welcome to Linux Mint screen:

Updating Linux Mint

Select the start button and then Administration and then Update Manager:

Select Apply this Update. You can ignore the blue prompt to switch update server.

You will get a Linux User Account Control Prompt, input your password and select Authenticate.

Select Install Updates:

You will be given information about your updates. Select OK:

You will be given another User Account Control Prompt. Input your password and select Authenticate.

The updates will now Download and Install.

Your system will be up to date.

Installing VMware Tools

To the bottom of the VM, select Install Tools.

Note if this does not count you may need to mount the ISO with the VMware tools manyually. It should be found in the host PC:

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The iso is called linux.

Right click the VMWareTools—.tar.gz file:

Select Extract to…

Select your Downloads Folder:

Then select Extract.

Go to Downloads:

Go to vmware-tools-distrib

You can copy this file path:

Open up a terminal:

Type in:

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cd changes the directory to the folder specified. You can copy and paste the location above or just use the above. Both should take you to the same place.

Press [Enter]:

You will now be in this folder:

We now need to run the vmware-install.pl file as an administrator. To do this we can copy the file including the extension.

We will then type

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The sudo ./ needs to be in place before the installation file to run it as a "super user do everything" (sudo).

Press [Enter]:

Input your password and press [Enter]:

You will be given questions such as where you want to install the binary files. The command below will be automatically populated with a default. So just press [Enter].

Press [Enter] again:

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Finally you will be finished with the installation. Close the Terminal.

Now restart the Virtual Machine by going to Start:

Then Restart:

The VM will now automatically resize when you resize the VM's window on your host PC. You will also be able to use drag and drop to copy files between your VM guest and host PC.

Power Options

It is advisable to change the power settings of your VM. Select start then preference and then Power Management:

Change turn off the screen when active to Never:

Display – High Resolution Screens

If you have a high resolution screen like my Dell XPS 13 9365, you will need to go to preferences and then Display:

Select Settings:

Then change to Double DPI: