VMware Player

VMware Player is a virtual machine that is installed on your computer to run a virtual PC on your physical PC machine. Have you ever wished to operate two or more operating systems simultaneously on your computer, without leaving a single one (without switching). Have you ever heard of or watched a computer having another virtual computer in a window, just like other application programs? Yes, there is some software that can connect two or more computers and share desktops like TeamViewer and others. But we are talking about no remote computer connected to the internet but it’s an application that allows installing and operating another virtual machine on your computer. Well, no wonder here, it’s getting common nowadays and perhaps you have got an idea of this already.

VMware Player makes it possible to use multiple operating systems on a single PC. It is mostly used for testing a new operating system or software before you attempt to install it on your working machine. VMware Player is a virtual machine with full features that work in an isolated interface. It means that any dangerous software can’t damage your physical storage or devices. Moreover, people use it for having fun with new operating systems for the try purposes. You can launch Linux or Mac apps on a computer having Microsoft Windows installed with VMware Player. It’s quite handy and can be very productive for professionals and multi-OS operators.

VMware Player is free software and works like VMware Workstation which is the same software from the same company but not free. VMware Player is free for personal/non-commercial use.

VMWare Player Features

1. Use whatever virtual machine you choose. Use VMware Workstation, GSX Server, or ESX Server to run virtual machines. Microsoft Virtual Machines and Symantec’s LiveState Recovery disk formats are both compatible with VMware Player.
   You need access to the host PC’s devices. CD/DVD drives, LAN adapters, and USB devices that don’t require any configuration can serve as hosts.
   Simple copy/paste. Move data and text between the virtual machine and the host computer.
2. Simple rearranging using the mouse. Simply use the drag and drop interface to transfer files between the host PC and the virtual machine.
3. A wide variety of connectivity choices. Computer networks and hosts can be separated from virtual machines, or they can share IP addresses.
4. Compatibility with 32-bit and 64-bit host and guest OSes. Use the same hardware PC to host multiple 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems within separate virtual machines. Certain versions of Microsoft Windows, Red Hat, SUSE, and FreeBSD are all 64-bit guest OSes that work well.
5. The ability to change one’s memory. Make memory adjustments in the virtual machine.
6. Adjustable power-down options. When you exit VMware Player, the virtual machine will either shut down or be suspended.
7. Combining Google Search with other services. Google’s search functionality is included into VMware Player, so you can do a web search without even opening a browser.

What’s New in VMWare Player Pro?

• CVE-2022-22938 has been patched in this release. Please see https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2022-0002.html for further details on this issue and its effects on VMware products.
• For those already using VMware Workstation 15, upgrading to VMware Workstation 16 Player is completely free. New features are as follows.
• Adoption of cutting-edge Host Operating System Guests:
• OS: Windows 10 19H2
• Debian 1.0/2.0/2.1
• A New Release of Debian, Version 9.11
• Linux 8.0 from Oracle
• SLE 15 SP1
• 12.0 FreeBSD
• Release 3.0 of PhotonOS
• With the addition of support for Jumbo Frames, MTU sizes in virtual networks can be increased to 9000 bytes.
• VMware Tools for supported Linux VMs are called Open VM Tools.

Previous Release notes from old versions:

• VMware Workstation 15 Player users can upgrade to this version for free.
• A variety of host OSes now have support.
• Microsoft Windows 10 Build 1809
• Microsoft Windows Server 2019
• A number of guest OSes now have supported:
• System Requirements for Windows 10 Build 1809
• Server Operating System, Windows 1809
• 2019 Windows Server
• These upgrades address issues with stability and safety:
• Vital Amendments
• The latest update to VMware Workstation Player fixes the following bug:
• When using VMware Workstation Player, a visitor might potentially execute code on the host due to an integer overflow flaw in the virtual network devices. This vulnerability has been labeled CVE-2018-6983 by the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org). For more details, please refer to VMSA-2018-0030.
• VMware Workstation 15 Player users can upgrade to this version for free.
• Various hosts and guest OSes have been given support.
• OS X UNIX Distribution Ubuntu 18.10
• Release 29 of Fedora
• RHEL 7.6
• There have been some repairs and security updates made to this version.
• Improvements of Critical Importance:
• The latest update to VMware Workstation Player fixes the following bug:
• A guest could potentially execute code on the host due to an uninitialized stack memory use vulnerability in the vmxnet3 virtual network adapter in VMware Workstation Player. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2018-6981, which was assigned by the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org).
• Release notes from before:
• Microsoft Windows 10 Host and Guest (Version 1803), Spring 2018 Update
• Both host and guest OSes can be Ubuntu 18.04.
• For the Creators Update of Windows 10, VMware Workstation Player offers the following features:
• You can use a virtual computer to access the Windows 10 Creators Update.
• Use the Windows 10 Creators Update as your main system software.
• Easily and Automatically Install the Windows 10 Creators Update
• For Windows 10, Unity has support.
• Upgraded Compatibility with Host OSes
• The following new OSes have been added with support:
• Linux Distribution Ubuntu 17.04
• The Fedora 26 Operating System
• In the latest version of CentOS, 7.4
• RHEL 7.4
• Ubuntu 9.1
• System Operating System: Oracle Linux 7.4
• SLE 12 SP3
• OpenSUSE 42.3.1
• Upgraded support for new CPUs
• As of now, both Intel Skylake and AMD Ryzen processors are supported.
• Help for NVMe-in-a-Virtual-Machine
• Version 14 of Workstation Player includes a brand-new virtual NVMe storage controller. Virtual hardware version 13 and ESXi 6.5 compatibility are prerequisites for NVMe devices.
• Guaranteed Startup Success
• To prevent malicious software from being executed by the UEFI firmware before the OS “handoff,” Workstation 14 Player now includes support for Secure Boot for Virtual Machines.
• Analyzing Network Delay Time Simulation
• In addition to the existing network speed and packet loss simulator, the new Network Latency Simulation tool allows you to replicate a particular network environment.
• OVF compatibility out of the box
• Improved OVF/OVA compatibility in Workstation Player makes it easy to test and experiment with the VMware VCSA (vCenter Server Appliance) OVA package. Both VCSA6 and VCSA6.5 may run here without issue.
• Interface revamped for Linux with GTK+ 3

All user interface elements in Linux Workstation Player have been redesigned to work with GTK+ 3.