To install Nutanix Guest Tools (NGT) in a Linux VM, enable NGT for that VM in Prism, attach its ISO, and run the installer inside the guest OS. Afterward, verify the installed package, guest agent service, and communication with the Controller VM (CVM) separately.
This guide uses supplied CentOS 7.2 and 7.4 package inventories and CentOS 7.4 and Rocky Linux 9.4 installation records dated October 9, 2025. Commands and requirements were compared with Prism Element 7.6 and Prism Central pc.7.6 documentation on October 27, 2026. NGT 4.3-1 is the version in those records, not a statement about the latest release.
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Separate installation methods and support requirements
The main procedure here is a manual ISO installation on one VM. Check the AOS, hypervisor, guest OS, and NGT combination in the Nutanix NGT compatibility matrix. A historical successful installation does not establish current vendor support.
| Method | Where installation executes | Requirements to establish first |
|---|---|---|
| Manual installation after attaching an ISO in Prism Element | Linux guest VM | Per-VM NGT enablement, ISO, and supported guest combination |
| Remote installation through Prism Central | Management operation connects to the guest | Linux SSH, account privileges, CD-ROM, and network access |
| Post-migration installation through Nutanix Move | Move migration workflow | Destination cluster and guest requirements for that Move release |
The supplied Move prerequisites list an external IP on the target cluster, dmidecode, LVM2 2.02.109, Python 2 or 3, and repository access for missing packages. The Move 6.3 migration plan documentation contains the same conditions. They apply to Move’s option to install NGT on target VMs, rather than defining a universal minimum AOS release for every manual installation.
That document uses both greater than 6.7 and greater than or equal to 6.7. Do not determine support for the AOS 6.7 boundary from those phrases alone; establish the supported destination combination for the installed Move version. Move describes target NGT installation as best effort, so perform the installation and communication checks below after migration too.
Do not interpret external IP as a requirement to expose a VM or CVM to the public internet. For IP-based NGT communication, establish reachability between the guest and the cluster virtual IP (VIP). Repository access is a separate concern and can use an approved internal repository.
1. Check packages and Python in the guest
Run these commands inside the Linux VM where NGT will be installed. This is not a package installation procedure for a CVM or AHV host.
cat /etc/os-release
uname -m
rpm -q lvm2 lvm2-libs dmidecode
rpm -q python python2 python3
python --version
python3 --versionMissing packages can report is not installed, and missing commands can report command not found. This does not mean both Python 2 and 3 are required. Identify the interpreter you will use and the versions supported by the ISO installer.
The rpm -qa and grep naming trap
rpm -qa | grep python-3 does not identify all Python 3 installations. A package named python3 produces output such as python3-3.9..., which may not match python-3. Conversely, the 2.5 in libselinux-python-2.5-11.el7, matched by grep python-2, is that package’s version, not the Python interpreter version.
To inspect Python-related package names more broadly, use the following query. Determine the executable’s version with the earlier --version commands.
rpm -qa --qf '%{NAME}-%{VERSION}-%{RELEASE}.%{ARCH}\n' | grep -E '^python|^libselinux-python'What the supplied CentOS Minimal inventories show
These versions come from the supplied query results. They do not describe every CentOS Minimal installation.
| OS record | lvm2 and lvm2-libs | dmidecode | Python package |
|---|---|---|---|
| CentOS 7.2 Minimal | 2.02.130-5.el7.x86_64 | 2.12-9.el7.x86_64 | python-2.7.5-34.el7.x86_64 |
| CentOS 7.4 Minimal | 2.02.171-8.el7.x86_64 | 3.0-5.el7.x86_64 | python-2.7.5-58.el7.x86_64 |
Both recorded LVM2 versions are newer than the supplied 2.02.109 reference. That comparison alone does not establish complete OS and NGT compatibility. Interpret the empty Python 3 search results in light of the naming issue above.
CentOS Linux 7 reached end of life on June 30, 2024. Its examples here help interpret maintenance and migration records for existing VMs; they are not a recommendation for a new deployment.
Install missing prerequisites when necessary
On a supported Rocky or RHEL-family environment, check the configured repositories and install the packages needed. The following example uses dnf.
sudo dnf repolist
sudo dnf install dmidecode lvm2 python3When maintaining an existing CentOS 7 VM, use repositories approved for that environment. There is no need to add Python 3 if the supported installer combination can use the existing Python 2.
sudo yum repolist
sudo yum install dmidecode lvm2The package manager must handle metadata, signatures, and dependencies correctly. Do not assume the ISO includes every OS dependency. The official NGT requirements call for a working package manager configuration and appropriate write access to /usr/local, the ISO mount location, and /tmp.
2. Enable NGT and attach the ISO in Prism
Select the intended VM in Prism Element and follow these steps. They are based on the official enablement and mounting procedure; compare UI labels with your installed version.
- Open
VM, choose theTableview, and select the target VM. - Under
Manage Guest Tools, selectEnable Nutanix Guest Tools. - Select
Mount Nutanix Guest Tools, review the supported features needed, and apply the settings. - Check
NGT EnabledandNGT Mountedin the VM details.
NGT Enabled set to Yes does not mean installation inside the guest is complete. With the Prism Element ISO method, log in to the VM and run the installer. Do not select features on the assumption that Windows VSS applies to Linux.
The per-VM ISO can contain configuration specific to its VM. Follow enablement and mounting for each target rather than reusing an ISO copied from a different VM. Cloned VMs also require their own configuration and communication checks.
3. Identify and mount NUTANIX_TOOLS in Linux
The supplied commands use /dev/sr0, but the CD-ROM device does not always have that name. Find the device with the NUTANIX_TOOLS label first.
lsblk -o NAME,TYPE,FSTYPE,LABEL,MOUNTPOINT
sudo blkid -L NUTANIX_TOOLSIf it is already mounted automatically, use that location. The following example assumes the device is confirmed as /dev/sr0 and will be mounted manually at /mnt/ngt.
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/ngt
sudo mount -o ro /dev/sr0 /mnt/ngt
findmnt /mnt/ngt
ls -l /mnt/ngt/installer/linux/install_ngt.pyIf the installer is absent, check the attached ISO and actual mount location before running Python. Read-only mounting is normal for the ISO. The supplied source write-protected, mounted read-only message does not itself establish an installation failure.
4. Run the installer with the appropriate Python
The official Linux NGT installation procedure distinguishes commands by Python version. Run only the alternative appropriate to your environment.
For a supported environment using Python 3, run the following and capture the exit status immediately after the installer.
sudo python3 /mnt/ngt/installer/linux/install_ngt.py --operation install
ngt_install_rc=$?
printf 'NGT installer exit code: %s\n' "$ngt_install_rc"For an environment like the supplied CentOS 7.4 record, where python is Python 2 and the installer supports it, use this alternative. This is not an instruction to add Python 2 to a new server.
sudo python /mnt/ngt/installer/linux/install_ngt.py --operation installDo not change system symlinks or replace the Python used by yum merely because the python command is missing. When Python 3 is supported, specify python3 explicitly.
System Python and NGT’s internal Python are separate
The supplied CentOS 7.4 record starts installation with system Python 2.7.5, but its installed service runs through /usr/local/nutanix/ngt/python311/python3. Distinguish the bootstrap interpreter from the runtime included with NGT. That path does not mean the system’s Python installation has been replaced by Python 3.11.
5. Verify the package, service, and CVM connection separately
In the guest VM: RPM and services
Query the installed RPM and compare its version with the installation log.
rpm -q nutanix-guest-agent
rpm -qi nutanix-guest-agent
sudo systemctl status ngt_guest_agent.service --no-pager
sudo journalctl -u ngt_guest_agent.service -n 100 --no-pagerThe supplied CentOS 7.4 record shows nutanix-guest-agent 4.3-1 installed and ngt_guest_agent.service as active (running). The Rocky Linux 9.4 record shows the same RPM installed and service restarts completed. It does not include a subsequent status query or CVM communication result, so those stages cannot be confirmed from that record.
The supplied material also shows ngt_self_service_restore.service running. Inspect it where that service is installed.
sudo systemctl status ngt_self_service_restore.service --no-pager
pgrep -af 'guest_agent_monitor_linux.py|ssr_gateway_linux_service.py'An SSR service file being present or running does not establish feature support for that Linux and NGT combination. Check the matrix for the current distribution’s SSR support. Windows VSS support does not apply to Linux VMs. If a status query reports Unit ... could not be found, investigate feature, version, and package composition rather than creating a service file yourself.
On a CVM: verify the actual communication link
Run this read-only query in a cluster CVM shell as nutanix, not inside the Linux guest. Replace linux-vm01 with the actual VM name registered in Prism.
nutanix_guest_tools_cli list_vm_tools_entities include_vm_info=true vm_name=linux-vm01Inspect these attributes as described in the official CLI communication verification procedure.
| Attribute | Meaning |
|---|---|
communication_link_active = true | NGA and CVM communication is active |
communication_link_over_serial_port_active = true | IP-less communication over the serial port |
Link active with the serial attribute false | IP-based communication is in use |
The package and service can be present while the CVM link remains inactive. Include the link check before recording installation as complete.
IP-based TCP 2074 versus AHV IP-less communication
IP-based communication requires guest VM → cluster VIP on TCP 2074. This differs in purpose and direction from SSH TCP 22 used for remote installation through Prism Central. The VIP can be a reachable private address; it need not be exposed to the internet.
AHV’s IP-less method uses a guest serial port when its prerequisites are satisfied. The official documentation describes AOS 6.6 or later, NGT 3.0 or later, and the required serial port configuration. Converting an existing VM can require a full power cycle; a reboot from inside the guest may be insufficient. Include this in a maintenance window rather than immediately powering off an operational VM.
Do not reduce every communication failure to a TCP 2074 firewall issue. Establish the actual method from the CVM query first. IP-less communication also does not provide repository access for missing OS packages. See the NGA and CVM communication documentation.
Interpret the warnings in the supplied logs
Both supplied installation logs show Complete!, package installation, and service restarts followed by ERROR - Failure and GPG key-related output. This combination cannot be judged from the final line alone. It does not mean the error can be ignored.
| Message or symptom | What to check |
|---|---|
which dpkg fails | Whether this was package-manager detection on an RPM system and RPM installation continued |
| Read-only mount warning | Whether the ISO is mounted and the installer exists |
NOKEY or GPG import output | Official ISO and key provenance, signature verification, and actual RPM transaction result |
Both ERROR - Failure and Installed appear | Exit status, package query, service journal, and CVM communication together |
| Dependency or repository access error | Repository URL, metadata, key, and package access from the VM |
python: command not found | Supported use of python3 and the actual interpreter path |
Do not use gpgcheck=0 or --nogpgcheck in response to NOKEY. Compare the key fingerprint with trusted Nutanix distribution information, and do not mark installation complete while signature verification failures remain. The supplied records do not establish either VM’s final CVM link or installer process exit code.
For unresolved issues, collect OS, AOS, and NGT versions, actual ISO provenance, exit status, package results, service journals, and the CVM query output. Review environment identifiers and secrets before publishing complete logs.
Finish the work and understand the verification scope
After installation and communication are confirmed, you can remove a mount you created manually. Leave the mount directory first.
cd /
sudo umount /mnt/ngtSome versions can detach the NGT ISO automatically. If the mount has already disappeared, not mounted does not establish an installation failure. Keep NGT enablement separate from attachment of its installation media.
This guide compares the supplied installation records with official documentation. During preparation, shell syntax and RPM/Python queries in an isolated Rocky Linux 9 container were checked. NGT was not newly installed on an actual Nutanix VM, and CVM communication was not independently retested. The referenced Prism 7.6 and pc.7.6 documents were updated on October 22, 2026; use documentation matching your installed release.
The cover is a general data center photograph, not the equipment in the supplied NGT records. Photo: Derrick Coetzee · original · CC0 1.0. The existing locally hosted image is reused with its aspect ratio retained. Listing thumbnails may be cropped.
