Name

Description

$err = VMLoginInGuest($vmHandle,
                      $userName,
                      $password,
                      $options);

This function establishes a guest operating system authentication context that can be used with guest functions for the given virtual machine handle.

Parameters

vmHandle - Identifies a virtual machine. Call VMOpen() to create a virtual machine handle. userName - The name of a user account on the guest operating system. password - The password of the account identified by userName. options - Must be 0 or one of the following values:

• VIX_LOGIN_IN_GUEST_REQUIRE_INTERACTIVE_ENVIRONMENT - directs guest commands invoked after the call to

VMLoginInGuest() to be run from within the session of the user who is interactively logged into the guest operating system. See the remarks below for more information about VIX_LOGIN_IN_GUEST_REQUIRE_INTERACTIVE_ENVIRONMENT.

Return Value

$err. The error code returned by the operation. For returned values, see Topics > Error Codes.

Remarks

• This function validates the account name and password in the guest OS. You must call this function before calling functions that perform operations on the guest OS, such as those below. Otherwise you do not need to call this function.
• Logins are supported on Linux and Windows. To log in as a Windows Domain user, specify the 'userName' parameter in the form "domain\username".
• This function does not respect access permissions on Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows ME, due to limitations of the permissions model in those systems.
• Other guest operating systems are not supported for login, including Solaris, FreeBSD, and Netware. VIX_LOGIN_IN_GUEST_REQUIRE_INTERACTIVE_ENVIRONMENT should be used to ensure that the functions VMCaptureScreenImage, VMOpenUrlInGuest, and VMRunProgramInGuest work correctly.
• The following functions require that you call VixVM_LoginInGuest():
  • VixVM_RunProgramInGuest()
  • VixVM_ListProcessesInGuest()
  • VixVM_KillProcessInGuest()
  • VixVM_RunScriptInGuest()
  • VixVM_OpenUrlInGuest()
  • VixVM_CopyFileFromHostToGuest()
  • VixVM_CopyFileFromGuestToHost()
  • VixVM_DeleteFileInGuest()
  • VixVM_FileExistsInGuest()
  • VixVM_RenameFileInGuest()
  • VixVM_CreateTempFileInGuest()
  • VixVM_ListDirectoryInGuest()
  • VixVM_CreateDirectoryInGuest()
  • VixVM_DeleteDirectoryInGuest()
  • VixVM_DirectoryExistsInGuest()
  • VixVM_WriteVariable() when writing a VIX_GUEST_ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE value.
  • VixVM_CaptureScreenImage()
• All guest operations for a particular VM handle are done using the identity you provide to VixVM_LoginInGuest(). As a result, guest operations are restricted by file system privileges in the guest OS that apply to the user specified in VixVM_LoginInGuest(). For example, VixVM_DeleteDirectoryInGuest() might fail if the user named in VixVM_LoginInGuest() does not have access permissions to the directory in the guest OS.
• VixVM_LoginInGuest() changes the behavior of Vix functions to use a user account. It does not log a user into a console session on the guest OS. As a result, you might not see the user logged in from within the guest OS. Moreover, operations such as rebooting the guest do not clear the guest credentials.
• You must call VixVM_LoginInGuest() for each VM handle that uses guest operations.
• The virtual machine must be powered on before calling this function.
• VMware Tools must be installed and running on the guest OS before calling this function. You can call VixVM_WaitForToolsInGuest() to wait for the tools to run.
• Once VixVM_LoginInGuest() has succeeded, the user session remains valid until
  • VixVM_LogoutFromGuest() is called successfully,
  • VixVM_LoginInGuest() is called successfully with different user credentials,
  • the virtual machine handle's reference count reaches 0, or
  • the client applications exits.
• The following functions require that you call VMLoginInGuest():
  • VMRunProgramInGuest()
  • VMListProcessesInGuest()
  • VMKillProcessInGuest()
  • VMRunScriptInGuest()
  • VMOpenUrlInGuest()
  • VMCopyFileFromHostToGuest()
  • VMCopyFileFromGuestToHost()
  • VMDeleteFileInGuest()
  • VMFileExistsInGuest()
  • VMRenameFileInGuest()
  • VMCreateTempFileInGuest()
  • VMListDirectoryInGuest()
  • VMCreateDirectoryInGuest()
  • VMDeleteDirectoryInGuest()
  • VMDirectoryExistsInGuest()
  • VMWriteVariable() when writing a VIX_GUEST_ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE value
  • VMCaptureScreenImage
• All guest operations for a particular VM handle are done using the identity you provide to VMLoginInGuest(). As a result, guest operations are restricted by file system privileges in the guest OS that apply to the user specified in VMLoginInGuest(). For example, VMDeleteDirectoryInGuest() might fail if the user named in VMLoginInGuest() does not have access permissions to the directory in the guest OS.
• VMLoginInGuest() changes the behavior of Vix functions to use a user account. It does not log a user into a console session on the guest OS. As a result, you might not see the user logged in from within the guest OS. Moreover, operations such as rebooting the guest do not clear the guest credentials.
• You must call VMLoginInGuest() for each VM handle that uses guest operations.
• The virtual machine must be powered on before calling this function.
• VMware Tools must be installed and running on the guest OS before calling this function. You can call VMWaitForToolsInGuest() to wait for the tools to run.
• Once VMLoginInGuest() has succeeded, the user session remains valid until
  • VMLogoutFromGuest() is called successfully,
  • VMLoginInGuest() is called successfully with different user credentials,
  • the virtual machine handle's reference count reaches 0, or
  • the client applications exits.
• The special login type VIX_CONSOLE_USER_NAME is no longer supported.
• Calling VixVM_LoginInGuest() with 0 as 'options' can be done at any time when the VMware Tools are running in the guest.
• Calling VixVM_LoginInGuest() with the VIX_LOGIN_IN_GUEST_REQUIRE_INTERACTIVE_ENVIRONMENT flag can only be done when there is an interactive user logged into the guest OS. Specifically, the "interactive user" refers to the user who has logged into the guest OS through the console (for instance, the user who logged into the Windows log-in screen). The VIX user is the user whose credentials are being provided in the call to VixVM_LoginInGuest(). With VIX_LOGIN_IN_GUEST_REQUIRE_INTERACTIVE_ENVIRONMENT, there must be an interactive user logged into the guest when the call to VixVM_LoginInGuest() is made, and the VIX user must match the interactive user (they must have same account in the guest OS).
• Using VIX_LOGIN_IN_GUEST_REQUIRE_INTERACTIVE_ENVIRONMENT will ensure that the environment in which guest commands are executed is as close as possible to the normal environment in which a user interacts with the guest OS. Without VIX_LOGIN_IN_GUEST_REQUIRE_INTERACTIVE_ENVIRONMENT, commands may be run in a more limited environment; however, omitting VIX_LOGIN_IN_GUEST_REQUIRE_INTERACTIVE_ENVIRONMENT will ensure that commands can be run regardless of whether an interactive user is present in the guest.
• On Linux guest operating systems, the VIX_LOGIN_IN_GUEST_REQUIRE_INTERACTIVE_ENVIRONMENT flag requires that X11 be installed and running.

Side Effects

None.

Requirements

use VMware::Vix::Simple;
use VMware::Vix::API::Constants;

since VMware Server 1.0
Minimum Supported Guest OS: Microsoft Windows NT Series, Linux

Example

This example copies a compiled object file from a virtual machine to be run on the host.

my $err = VIX_OK;
my $hostHandle = VIX_INVALID_HANDLE;
my $vmHandle = VIX_INVALID_HANDLE;

($err, $hostHandle) = HostConnect(VIX_API_VERSION,
                                  VIX_SERVICEPROVIDER_VMWARE_WORKSTATION,
                                  undef, # hostName
                                  0, # hostPort
                                  undef, # userName
                                  undef, # password
                                  0, # options
                                  VIX_INVALID_HANDLE); # propertyListHandle

die "HostConnect() failed, $err ", GetErrorText($err), "\n" if $err != VIX_OK;

($err, $vmHandle) = VMOpen($hostHandle,
                           "c:\\Virtual Machines\\vm1\\win2000.vmx");
die "VMOpen() failed, $err ", GetErrorText($err), "\n" if $err != VIX_OK;
                       
$err = VMPowerOn($vmHandle,
                 0, # powerOnOptions
                 VIX_INVALID_HANDLE);  # propertyListHandle
die "VMPowerOn() failed, $err ", GetErrorText($err), "\n" if $err != VIX_OK;


$err = VMWaitForToolsInGuest($vmHandle,
                             300); # timeoutInSeconds
die "VMWaitForToolsInGuest() failed, $err ", GetErrorText($err), "\n" if $err != VIX_OK;

$err = VMLoginInGuest($vmHandle,
                      "vixuser", # userName
                      "secret", # password
                      0); # options
die "VMLoginInGuest() failed, $err ", GetErrorText($err), "\n" if $err != VIX_OK;

$err = VMCopyFileFromGuestToHost($vmHandle, 
				 "c:\\guestDir\\helloworld.o",  # src name
				 "c:\\hostDir\\helloworld.o", # dest name
				 0, # options
				 VIX_INVALID_HANDLE); # propertyListHandle
die "VMCopyFileFromGuestToHost() failed, $err ", GetErrorText($err), "\n" if $err != VIX_OK;

$err = VMLogoutFromGuest($vmHandle);
die "VMLogoutFromGuest() failed, $err ", GetErrorText($err), "\n" if $err != VIX_OK;

ReleaseHandle($vmHandle);
HostDisconnect($hostHandle);

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