Vmware
VMware
Introduction to VMWare
VMware is a popular virtualization platform that offers both free and commercial products. As of May 2024, VMware Workstation Pro is available for free personal use, making it an excellent option for beginners who want to separate their work, school, and individual activities safely.
Why Use VMware?
Isolation and Security
Using VMware, you can run different operating systems and applications in isolated environments called virtual machines (VMs). This helps prevent malware or viruses from spreading to your main computer. For example, if you download a suspicious file or visit a potentially harmful website within a VM, any potential threats are contained and cannot affect your primary operating system.
Restoring to a Safe Point
VMware allows you to take snapshots of your VM, essentially backups of the VM at a specific time. Suppose your VM becomes infected with malware or you make a mistake during a software installation. In that case, you can restore the VM to a previous snapshot, effectively undoing any changes and returning to a safe state.
Example:
Before installing new software or visiting a risky website, take a snapshot of your VM.
If anything goes wrong, restore the VM to the snapshot before the change.
Separating Work and Personal Activities
VMware allows you to create multiple VMs for different purposes. For instance, you can have one VM dedicated to work-related tasks and another for personal activities. This ensures that any issues or changes in one VM do not affect the other, helping you maintain a clean and organized computing environment.
Educational Use
VMware is also useful for educational purposes, such as running software required by your school that may not be compatible with your main operating system. For example, you can run Windows-only educational software on a Mac by creating a Windows VM using VMware.
Example:
Create a VM with the operating system required by your educational software.
Install and run the software within the VM without affecting your main operating system. ## VMware Workstation vs. VMware Fusion
Introduction
VMware Workstation and VMware Fusion are desktop virtualization products developed by VMware, but they are designed for different platforms and user experiences. Below, we outline the key differences to help you choose the right tool.
VMware Workstation (Linux and Windows Users)
Platform Compatibility
Operating Systems: VMware Workstation is primarily designed for Windows and Linux users. User Interface: Provides a user interface familiar to Windows and Linux users, making it easy to manage and use virtual machines on these platforms.
Key Features
Advanced Virtualization: This product supports complex virtualization features, including advanced networking configurations and integration with other VMware products like vSphere. Snapshots and Clones: This feature allows users to take snapshots and create clones of their virtual machines, which is useful for testing and development. Hardware Compatibility: Offers extensive support for various hardware configurations, making it suitable for various use cases.
VMware Fusion (MacOS Users)
Platform Compatibility
Operating Systems: VMware Fusion is designed specifically for macOS users. User Interface: Offers a macOS-native experience, integrating seamlessly with macOS features and providing a familiar environment for Mac users.
Key Features
macOS Integration: Fusion provides tight integration with macOS features, such as support for Retina displays, integration with Apple services, and support for macOS-specific functionalities. Simplicity: Its focus is on ease of use, with a streamlined interface that simplifies the creation and management of virtual machines for Mac users. Unity Mode: Allows Mac users to run Windows applications seamlessly alongside their macOS applications, providing a cohesive user experience.
Summary of Differences
| Feature | VMware Workstation | VMware Fusion |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Platform | Windows, Linux | macOS |
| User Interface | Familiar to Windows/Linux users | macOS-native, integrates with macOS |
| Hardware Support | Extensive | Optimized for Mac hardware |
| Integration | Advanced network and VMware product integration | macOS-specific features, Apple services |
| Unique Feature | Advanced networking, vSphere integration | Unity Mode for seamless app integration |
Getting Started with VMware
Installation
Sign Up for a VMWare Account here
“Agree to Terms” and Download the Virtualizer App from the VMware website
VMWare Workstation Pro (Windows and Linux PC)
VMWare Fusion (MacOS)
Fill in your information: 100 Main St. San Diego, CA, 22434 worked well enough to download.
Follow the installation instructions for your operating system (Windows, MacOS, Linux).
License Key Selection: Select “Personal Use”
Launch VMware Workstation Pro and follow the prompts to create a new virtual machine.
See VMWare Fusion Guides and Documentation:
Download ISO
An ISO is an operating system file. You’ll use it to build your virtual computer, the operating system inside your virtual machine.
Download an ISO such as:
- Linux Mint (Simple and Easy to Use)
- Pop!_OS (Simple and for Gaming)
- Kali (Red Team, Purple Team, Research, RF)
- VM images ready to run
- DragonOS (RF and SDR)
- Ubuntu (This is the most used version but has some slight privacy concerns. To resolve this, don’t opt-in to send your data.)
- Arch - Installation Guide
Remember where you download this ISO to, as you’ll need to find it when creating a VM.
Creating a Virtual Machine (VM)
Creating a Virtual Machine:
- From ISO: Open VMware Workstation Pro and click “Create a New Virtual Machine.”
- Windows Virtual Machine: Select get Windows from Microsoft and go through the prompts. This is a free and official version.
Follow the wizard to select the installation media (ISO file) and configure the VM settings (RAM, CPU, disk space).
Complete the setup and start your new VM.
See VMWare Fusion Guides and Documentation:
Taking Snapshots
This is not a snapshot of the screen but rather a restore point that you can access anytime!
1. To take a snapshot, select the VM and go to VM > Snapshot > Take Snapshot. 2. Name the snapshot and provide a description. 3. To restore a snapshot, select the VM and go to VM > Snapshot > Snapshot Manager, then select the snapshot to restore.
See VMWare Fusion Guides and Documentation:
FAQ
Q: Isn’t that (VMWare) owned by China now? A: US company based in San Jose. source