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Chapter 7 Getting Started with Virtual Machines
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All the restrictions for resizing that the X11 Windows system imposes on physical hosts apply to guests:
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You cannot resize to a mode that is not defined. The VMware Tools configuration script can add a large number of mode lines, but you cannot resize in 1‐pixel increments as you can in Windows. VMware Tools adds modelines in 100‐pixel increments. This means you cannot resize a guest larger than the largest mode defined in your X11 configuration file. If you attempt to resize larger than that mode, a black border appears and the guest stops increasing.
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The X server always starts up in the largest resolution that is defined. You cannot avoid this restriction. The XDM/KDM/GDM login screen always appears at the largest size. But Gnome and KDE allow you to specify your preferred resolution, so that you can reduce the guest display size after you log in.
Display Resizing in Solaris Guests
For Solaris 10 guests, the following considerations apply to display resizing:
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Update VMware Tools to version 7.0 in the guest for the display resizing options to work.
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Before you can use the Autofit Guest and Fit Guest Now options, VMware Tools must be running.
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Solaris 10 guests must be running an Xorg X server and JDS/Gnome.
Working with Nonstandard Resolutions
A guest operating system and its applications might react unexpectedly when the Workstation console size is not a standard VESA resolution (640×480, 800×600, 1024×768, and so on). For example, the Autofit Guest and Fit Guest Now commands allow your guest operating system screen resolution to be set smaller than 640×480, but some installers do not run at resolutions smaller than 640×480. Programs might refuse to run. Error messages might include such phrases as VGA Required to Install or You must
have VGA to install.
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