VMware Player is an application that allows you to safely evaluate software distributed as virtual appliances.
Features of this software include automatic protection that takes regular VM snapshots as well as a built-in DHCP server and adjustable memory.
This tool is free for personal and non-commercial use; however, its functionality may be more limited compared to that offered by VMware Workstation Pro.
It is free
VMware Workstation Player is an intuitive virtualization application for PCs that makes running virtual machines simple. You can run an entirely separate operating system in virtual form within your current OS, making software testing much simpler. Compatible with both Windows and Linux OSes and third-party images like Symantec LiveState Recovery system images or Norton Ghost 10, VMware Workstation Player offers numerous other benefits beyond running virtual machines.
This free software program is ideal for students and businesses that need to test software. It can act as a virtual sandbox where students and employees can experiment without harming the host computer or exposing personal information. Furthermore, users are able to transfer files between host and guest operating systems easily as well as use CD/DVD drives, network adapters and plug-and-play USB devices on host PCs without worrying about harming or exposing personal data.
VMware Player, while compatible with Linux and Windows platforms, does not support all the same features found in VMware Workstation Pro. In particular, VMware Workstation Pro features snapshots while VMware Player doesn’t; moreover, VMware Workstation Pro requires more memory and disk space compared to VMware Player; also their user interfaces differ slightly; with VMware Workstation Pro being more complex while VMware Player simpler in comparison.
VMware Workstation Player’s newest edition boasts several exciting new features. For instance, it now supports multiple virtual machines simultaneously and KIND Kubernetes clusters better, provides more networking options such as bridged and NAT connections, offers virtual machine isolation to safely run software from unknown sources, shares IP addresses between host PC and virtual machines with built-in DHCP server to share IPs efficiently among all virtual machines, customizes virtual memory for improved performance and enables copy/paste text between virtual machine and host system, adjust virtual network connection type among many more.
It is easy to use
The VMware Player is an effective way to test and develop software on your computer. With many features that make it simple to use, it provides a solid platform for testing software development on macOS systems. There are other virtualization programs such as VirtualBox or VMware Workstation Pro available – each has their own set of advantages and disadvantages – but VMware remains industry leader.
The new VMware Player makes virtual machine management simpler than ever, with features like its Snapshot File feature to make quick recovery easier in the future and an enhanced user interface with GTK+ 3 support and enhanced animations for better UI experiences. Plus, it supports all vSphere 6.0/6.5 virtual machines! To export an image file simply use File > Export wizard or command line tool!
VMware Player, unlike VMware Workstation designed for enterprise users, does not feature advanced features like teaming or multiple-level snapshot trees. But the free VMware Player does provide many features suitable for casual users – including support for VMware Tools on Windows-based guests allowing drag-and-drop and copy/paste between host and guest operating systems; access to host CD/DVD drives and network adapters; sharing or obtaining private IP addresses as well as isolating guest OS from host OS.
VMware Player was recently updated with numerous bug fixes. It now works with Linux kernels from 4.19 to 5.24 and features enhanced support for multi-core processors, reduced CPU usage by up to 20% and memory consumption up by 10% respectively, optimized for high DPI displays as well as being integrated with VMware vSphere to maximize cloud-based performance.
VMware provides many features, yet some of these must be obtained separately or via addons or downloads. For instance, to run the VMware VIX API – including its vmrun command-line utility – requires downloading and installing it separately from VMware itself. Additional missing features include being able to clone virtual machines (VM) as well as network latency simulation simulation.
It is compatible with Windows and Linux
VMware Player is a free application that makes creating and running virtual machines simple, making Windows, Linux, and other x64 operating systems run on one machine side by side without rebooting or partitioning hard drives. Furthermore, it can be used to test new software without risk of altering production systems.
VMware Workstation Pro and Player offer many features that make them attractive to both home users and IT professionals. For instance, home users can access corporate desktops from any location using this program; IT professionals have the flexibility to limit applications within virtual machines by setting password requirements or adding an expiration date; blocking USB devices; or even encrypting their files. In addition, VMware supports Unity which enables windows from guest applications to appear alongside host OS applications – only available with recent versions of VMware Workstation Pro and Player.
The latest release of VMware Player includes several important upgrades compared to earlier releases, such as revamping its UI to support GTK+ 3, simulating network latency with one click, improving OVF/OVA deployment support, and supporting VMware vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) 6.0 and 6.5.
VMware Player supports many Windows and Linux x86 operating systems, as well as Symantec LiveState Recovery disk formats that can help restore systems after disaster strikes. The user-friendly graphical user interface also offers advanced features.
VMware Player makes taking snapshots a core capability, saving them on a differentiating virtual disk that can be reverted back to at any time. Snapshots can be taken by clicking a button in the GUI or via menu options; furthermore, previous snapshots can even be restored or discarded if needed.
VMware Player makes an essential feature possible – the ability to clone virtual machines (VMs). You can create either a linked or full copy, then save or share this cloned VM to another VMware user.
It is secure
VMware is one of the pioneers of virtualization software, offering their VMware Player app to run full virtual machines on your computer without installing an OS. But it’s important to remember that virtual machines don’t operate entirely separately from host systems, leaving them exposed to malware or other threats; for this reason it is vital to follow some simple best practices when managing VMware workloads.
Your network adapters connected to public networks should either be blocked at the firewall, or not assigned an IP address altogether, in order to prevent attackers from gaining access to VM network traffic. Furthermore, ensure you have installed all of the latest patches for both host and kernel; such as CVE-2023-20869 and CVE-2023-20870 patches are needed for safe operations.
VMware Workstation Pro and Player both support raw device mapping (RDM), which allows virtual machines (VMs) direct access to large amounts of data without creating new virtual disks for that purpose. RDM may also come in handy during temporary suspension of virtual machines.
VMware Player is a free virtualization software program capable of running 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows, Linux, NetWare Solaris operating systems side-by-side on your computer. It can even run preconfigured VMware virtual machines and Microsoft Virtual PC images as well as Symantec Live State Recovery and Norton Ghost 10 system recovery images. Furthermore, OVF templates allow for cross-platform deployment of preconfigured virtual machines using open virtualization formats like OVF.
VMware Player’s free version primarily lacks support for snapshots and encryption of virtual machines (VMs). Furthermore, macOS isn’t supported – although Fusion provides an alternative way to run virtual machines on Mac computers. Still, VMware Player remains an excellent choice for home users looking to experiment with older operating systems or software on current computers.
