Name

Description

HRESULT
RunProgramInGuest([in] BSTR guestProgramName,
                  [in] BSTR commandLineArgs,
                  [in] LONG options,
                  [in] IVixHandle* propertyList,
                  [in] ICallback* jobDoneCallback,
                  [out,retval] IJob** runJob);

This function runs a program in the guest operating system. The program must be stored on a file system available to the guest before calling this function.

Parameters

guestProgramName

The path name of an executable file on the guest operating system.

commandLineArgs

A string to be passed as command line arguments to the executable identified by guestProgramName.

options

Run options for the program. See the remarks below.

propertyListHandle

Must be NULL (C++), null (C#), or Nothing (VB).

jobDoneCallback

An ICallback instance that will be called when the operation is complete.

runJob

Returns an IJob object that describes the state of this asynchronous operation.

Return Value

Remarks

• This function runs a program in the guest operating system. The program must be stored on a file system available to the guest before calling this function.
• The current working directory for the program in the guest is not defined. Absolute paths should be used for files in the guest, including guestProgramName and any command-line arguments.
• You must call VM::LoginInGuest() before calling this function.
• If the program to run in the guest is intended to be visible to the user in the guest, such as an application with a graphical user interface, you must call VM::LoginInGuest() with VixCOM.Constants.VIX_LOGIN_IN_GUEST_REQUIRE_INTERACTIVE_ENVIRONMENT as the option before calling this function. This will ensure that the program is run within a graphical session that is visible to the user.
• If the options parameter is 0, this function will report completion to the IJob object when the program exits in the guest operating system. Alternatively, you can pass VixCOM.Constants.VIX_RUNPROGRAM_RETURN_IMMEDIATELY as the value of the options parameter, and this function reports completion to the IJob object as soon as the program starts in the guest.
• For Windows guest operating systems, when running a program with a graphical user interface, you can pass VixCOM.Constants.VIX_RUNPROGRAM_ACTIVATE_WINDOW as the value of the options parameter. This option will ensure that the application's window is visible and not minimized on the guest's screen. This can be combined with the VixCOM.Constants.VIX_RUNPROGRAM_RETURN_IMMEDIATELY flag using the bitwise inclusive OR operator (|). VixCOM.Constants.VIX_RUNPROGRAM_ACTIVATE_WINDOW has no effect on Linux guest operating systems.
• On a Linux guest operating system, if you are running a program with a graphical user interface, it must know what X Windows display to use, for example host:0.0, so it can make the program visible on that display. Do this by passing the -display argument to the program, if it supports that argument, or by setting the DISPLAY environment variable on the guest. See documentation on WriteVariable.
• When the job is signaled, the following properties will be available on the returned job handle:
  • VIX_PROPERTY_JOB_RESULT_PROCESS_ID: the process id; however, if the guest has an older version of Tools (those released with Workstation 6 and earlier) and the VIX_RUNPROGRAM_RETURN_IMMEDIATELY flag is used, then the process ID will not be returned from the guest and this property will not be set on the job handle, so attempting to access this property will result in VIX_E_UNRECOGNIZED_PROPERTY being returned;
  • VIX_PROPERTY_JOB_RESULT_GUEST_PROGRAM_ELAPSED_TIME: the process elapsed time in seconds;
  • VIX_PROPERTY_JOB_RESULT_GUEST_PROGRAM_EXIT_CODE: the process exit code.
  If the option parameter is VIX_RUNPROGRAM_RETURN_IMMEDIATELY, the latter two will both be 0.
• Depending on the behavior of the guest operating system, there may be a short delay after the job completes before the process is visible in the guest operating system.

Side Effects

Requirements

Example

Dim lib
Dim host
Dim job
Dim vm
Dim result

Set lib = CreateObject("VixCOM.VixLib")

' Connect to the local installation of Workstation. This also initializes the VIX API.
Set job = lib.Connect(VixCOM.Constants.VIX_API_VERSION, VixCOM.Constants.VIX_SERVICEPROVIDER_VMWARE_WORKSTATION, Empty, 0, Empty, Empty, 0, Nothing, Nothing)

' results needs to be initialized before it's used, even if it's just going to be overwritten.
Set results = Nothing

' Wait waits until the job started by an asynchronous function call has finished. It also
' can be used to get various properties from the job. The first argument is an array
' of VIX property IDs that specify the properties requested. When Wait returns, the 
' second argument will be set to an array that holds the values for those properties,
' one for each ID requested.
err = job.Wait(Array(VixCOM.Constants.VIX_PROPERTY_JOB_RESULT_HANDLE), results)
If lib.ErrorIndicatesFailure(err) Then
   ' Handle the error...
End If

' The job result handle will be first element in the results array.
Set host = results(0)

' Open the virtual machine with the given .vmx file.
Set job = host.OpenVM("c:\Virtual Machines\vm1\win2000.vmx", Nothing)
err = job.Wait(Array(VixCOM.Constants.VIX_PROPERTY_JOB_RESULT_HANDLE), results)
If lib.ErrorIndicatesFailure(err) Then
   ' Handle the error...
End If

Set vm = results(0)

' Power on the virtual machine we just opened. This will launch Workstation if it hasn't
' already been started.
Set job = vm.PowerOn(VixCOM.Constants.VIX_VMPOWEROP_LAUNCH_GUI, Nothing, Nothing)
' WaitWithoutResults is just like Wait, except it does not get any properties. 
err = job.WaitWithoutResults()
If lib.ErrorIndicatesFailure(err) Then
   ' Handle the error...
End If

' Wait until VMware Tools are running within the guest, with a 300 second timeout.
Set job = vm.WaitForToolsInGuest(300, Nothing)
err = job.WaitWithoutResults()
If lib.ErrorIndicatesFailure(err) Then
   ' Handle the error...
End If

Set job = vm.LoginInGuest("vixuser", "secret", 0, Nothing)
err = job.WaitWithoutResults()
If lib.ErrorIndicatesFailure(err) Then
   ' Handle the error...
End If

Set job = vm.RunProgramInGuest("c:\myProgram.exe", "/flag arg1 arg2", 0, Nothing, Nothing)
err = job.WaitWithoutResults()
If lib.ErrorIndicatesFailure(err) Then
   ' Handle the error...
End If

Set results = Nothing
Set job = Nothing
Set vm = Nothing

host.Disconnect()

class Program
{

   static void Main(string[] args)  
   {
      VixCOM.VixLibClass lib = new VixCOM.VixLibClass();
      UInt64 err;
      object results = null;
      
      // 
      VixCOM.IJob job = lib.Connect(VixCOM.Constants.VIX_API_VERSION,
                                    VixCOM.Constants.VIX_SERVICEPROVIDER_VMWARE_WORKSTATION,
                                    null,
                                    0,
                                    null,
                                    null,
                                    0,
                                    null,
                                    null);
      err = job.Wait(new int[] { VixCOM.Constants.VIX_PROPERTY_JOB_RESULT_HANDLE },
                     ref results);
      if (lib.ErrorIndicatesFailure(err)) {
         // Handle the error... 
      }     

      VixCOM.IHost host = (VixCOM.IHost)((object[])results)[0];
      CloseVixObject(job);

      job = host.OpenVM("c:\\Virtual Machines\\vm1\\win2000.vmx", null);

      err = job.Wait(new int[] { VixCOM.Constants.VIX_PROPERTY_JOB_RESULT_HANDLE }, 
                     ref results);
      if (lib.ErrorIndicatesFailure(err)) {
         // Handle the error... 
      }     

      VixCOM.IVM2 vm = (VixCOM.IVM2)((object[])results)[0];
      CloseVixObject(job);

      job = vm.PowerOn(VixCOM.Constants.VIX_VMPOWEROP_LAUNCH_GUI, null, null);
      job.WaitWithoutResults();
      if (lib.ErrorIndicatesFailure(err))
      {
         // Handle the error... 
      }
      CloseVixObject(job);

      // Wait up to 300 seconds for tools to start
      job = vm.WaitForToolsInGuest(300, null);
      err = job.WaitWithoutResults();
      if (lib.ErrorIndicatesFailure(err))
      {
         // Handle the error... 
      }
      CloseVixObject(job);

      job = vm.LoginInGuest("vixuser", "secret", 0, null);
      err = job.WaitWithoutResults();
      if (lib.ErrorIndicatesFailure(err))
      {
         // Handle the error...
      }
      CloseVixObject(job);

      job = vm.RunProgramInGuest("c:\\myProgram.exe", "/flag arg1 arg2", 0, null, null);
      err = job.WaitWithoutResults();
      if (lib.ErrorIndicatesFailure(err))
      {
         // Handle the error...
      }
      CloseVixObject(job);

      CloseVixObject(vm);
     
      host.Disconnect();
   }

   static void CloseVixObject(Object vixObject)
   {
      try
      {
         ((IVixHandle2)vixObject).Close();
      }
      catch(Exception)
      {
         //Close is not supported in this version of Vix COM - Ignore
      }
   }
}