# Vmware ESXI Guest Additions
**URL:** https://community.start9.com/t/vmware-esxi-guest-additions/2583
**Category:** Discussion
**Created:** [February 7, 2025, 12:34am UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/vmware-esxi-guest-additions/2583 "2025-02-07T00:34:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Hyperl](https://community.start9.com/u/Hyperl)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2025, 12:34am UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/vmware-esxi-guest-additions/2583/1 "2025-02-07T00:34:57Z")
Hello, first off thank you for this amazing project. Kudos for easy setup and rock solid documentation.
I’ve got an instance installed and setup on my VMware ESXI box. I’ve set the VM to debian 12 for compatibility, but my question revolves around installing the guest additions to enable auto-shutdown and VM info in ESXI console.
I’ve tried to mount the guest additions through ESXI which should mount to the /cdrom but I can’t find that directory after mounting.
Is there something I need to do to enable mounting /cdrom so I can install the guest additions ISO?
Would I be better off just SCP the iso locally and mounting as another drive?
Anyone else got a similar setup?
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### Author:  [@StuPleb](https://community.start9.com/u/StuPleb)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2025, 8:26pm UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/vmware-esxi-guest-additions/2583/2 "2025-02-07T20:26:57Z")
StartOS is to be run headless via a web interface. What are these guest additions you’re trying to install?
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### Author:  [@Hyperl](https://community.start9.com/u/Hyperl)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2025, 8:42pm UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/vmware-esxi-guest-additions/2583/3 "2025-02-07T20:42:21Z")
They enable the host operating system VMware in this case to gracefully shutdown the guest operating system (StartOS).
In the event of a power outage it allows my server to issue a shutdown command to gracefully shutdown StartOS. Basically the equivalent of pressing the power button on your case vs pulling the power cord but through software.
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### Author:  [@StuPleb](https://community.start9.com/u/StuPleb)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2025, 1:23pm UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/vmware-esxi-guest-additions/2583/4 "2025-02-08T13:23:21Z")
That’s fine, but StartOS is immutable, so anything you install will be wiped when restarted.
You can find on this forum how to persist things that you install outside of the Services paradigm on StartOS, but this will be something you code up manually.