Linux Virtualization for Everyone

VMware Workstation for Linux products are the industry standard for running multiple operating systems as virtual machines on a single Linux PC. Thousands of IT professionals, developers and businesses use Workstation Pro for Linux and Workstation Player for Linux to be more agile, more productive and more secure every day.

With over 15 years of virtualization leadership, millions of satisfied customers, and more than 50 awards, VMware provides the most stable and secure desktop virtualization platform in the industry.

Workstation Pro Overview

Learn about Workstation Pro and its leading-edge virtualization features.

What’s New in Workstation 14

Check out what’s new in Workstation, including: new networking controls, improved vSphere support and integration, and more.

Buy Workstation Pro for Linux Today

Discover the advanced features that are available exclusively with Workstation Pro.

Workstation for Linux Frees You to Innovate in Your Own Space

With over 15 years of active development, Workstation products are the most mature and stable solution for local desktop virtualization. Safely and easily run multiple operating systems as virtual machines on a single PC without affecting your Linux environment and without rebooting. Evaluate new distros, check out Windows 10, test software applications, or validate patches and reference architectures all in an isolated and safe environment.

Workstation products make it easy to test almost any operating system and application, all from a local PC. Build apps for Windows 10 from Linux OS, test compatibility with any browser, or deploy Android-x86 to check mobile behavior without needing a mobile device.

IT pros use Workstation products to securely connect with vSphere, ESXi or other Workstation servers to manage virtual machines and physical hosts. A common hypervisor platform maximizes agility and productivity by enabling easy transfer of virtual machines to and from your local PC.

Refuse to compromise by running the corporate desktop image on the same machine as your development environment without rebooting. Isolate corporate desktops from BYO devices you may not own by disabling copy-and-paste, drag-and-drop, shared folders and access to USB devices. Create or run restricted virtual machines that are encrypted and password-protected, ensuring that only authorized users can interact with corporate data.

Run a secure second desktop with different privacy settings, tools and networking configurations, or use forensic tools to investigate operating system vulnerabilities. Workstation provides one of the most secure hypervisor in the industry, and support for security focused operating systems like Kali Linux.

FEATURES

Run Windows on a Linux Desktop

With the powerful and secure hypervisor underneath Workstation for Linux, novice and seasoned Linux users can run nearly any Windows application without having to compromise their desktop of choice. With Workstation on your Linux desktop, you can take advantage of new features like Cortina and Edge’s inking capabilities, or even start building universal apps for Windows 10 devices.

VMware vSphere Connectivity

Use Workstation to connect to vSphere, ESXi or Workstation Pro servers. Drive remote VMs, command power operations or transfer virtual machines to and from vSphere environments. With the common underlying hypervisor, it’s easy to run VMs from the corporate data center from the comfort of your Linux box.

Powerful Networking

Create complex IPv4 or IPv6 virtual networks for virtual machines, or integrate with third-party software to design full data center topologies using real-world routing software and tools.

Monster Virtual Machines

Create massive virtual machines with up to 16 vCPUs, 8 TB virtual disks and 64 GB of memory to run the most demanding desktop and server applications in a virtualized environment. Give graphics-intensive applications an additional boost by allocating up to 2GB of video memory to a virtual machine.

High-Resolution Display Support

Workstation is optimized to support high-resolution 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) displays for desktops and QHD+ (3200×1800) displays used in laptops and x86 tablets. Workstation also supports multiple monitors with different DPI settings, such as a new 4K UHD display along with an existing 1080P HD display.

Restricted Access to Virtual Machines

Protect corporate content by restricting access to Workstation virtual machine settings like drag-and-drop, copy-and-paste, and connections to USB devices. Virtual machines can be encrypted and password-protected to ensure only authorized users have access.

Clones for Rapid Duplication

Save time and effort when creating the same virtual machine setup repeatedly. Use “Linked Clones” to quickly duplicate a VM while significantly reducing physical disk space. You can also use “Full Clones” to create fully isolated duplicates that can be shared with others.

Helpful Snapshots

Use Snapshots to create a rollback point to revert to on the fly, which is perfect for testing unknown software or creating customer demos. Multiple snapshots makes it easy to test a variety of different scenarios without needing to install multiple operating systems.

High-Performance 3D Graphics

VMware Workstation products now support DirectX 10 and OpenGL 3.3, delivering a more fluid and responsive experience when running 3D applications. Workstation can run the most highly demanding 3D applications like AutoCAD or SOLIDWORKS with near-native performance in a virtual machine.

Cross Compatibility

Workstation allows you to create virtual machines that can run across the VMware product portfolio. We even support the open standard so you can create and play virtual machines from other vendors.

Shared Virtual Machines

Quickly share and test applications in a simulated production environment. Run VMware Workstation Pro as a server to share a repository of pre-loaded virtual machines in every desired configuration with your teammates, department or organization.

USE CASES: BUILT FOR YOU

Linux Virtualization for Everyone

Workstation delivers a desktop virtualization solution designed for every kind of Linux user.

IT pros get a high-powered productivity tool. Developers get an expansive engineering environment. Business leaders can enable their BYO initiatives. Students and home users get the best of all worlds.

IT Pros

Run virtual machines that are compatible with your corporate data center right from your desktop, laptop or tablet. Quickly perform remote management tasks on vSphere or integrate with industry-leading network tools to design and test enterprise topologies without spinning up costly rack-mounted hardware.

• Data center design and test
• Data center management
• Network design and test

Developers

With broad OS support and integration with agile development workflow tools, VMware Workstation is the foundation of modern development and testing. Whether you’re working with iOS, Android or Linux, or cloud-scale container-driven web apps with workflow automation, VMware offers the most comprehensive tools available.

• Multi-operating system development
• Multi-operating system test
• DevOps \ Agile development workflows

Businesses

Workstation, optionally managed by VMware Horizon FLEX, offers unparalleled agility, productivity and security for delivering corporate desktops to laptops for M&A, contractors, field workers, or as an enabler in BYOPC initiatives. By delivering things like Windows XP on Windows 10 machines, Linux on Windows, or any combination of over 200 supported operating systems. Workstation can accelerate user adoption and productivity while driving down costs.

• Corporate desktops
• Legacy applications

TECH SPECS

System Requirements

• 64-bit x86 Intel Core 2 Duo Processor or equivalent, AMD Athlon™ 64 FX Dual Core Processor or equivalent
• 1.3GHz or faster core speed
• 2GB RAM minimum/ 4GB RAM recommended

Host Operating Systems (64-bit)

• Ubuntu 8.04 and above
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 & above
• CentOS 5.0 and above
• Oracle Linux 5.0 and above
• open SUSE 10.2 and above
• SUSE Linux 10 and above

Guest Operating Systems

More than 200 operating systems are supported, including:

• Windows 10
• Windows 8.X
• Windows 7
• Windows XP
• Ubuntu
• RedHat
• SUSE
• Oracle Linux
• Debian
• Fedora
• openSUSE
• Mint
• CentOS

For a complete list of supported host and guest operating systems vist the VMware Compatibility Guide.

COMPARE

Workstation Player or Workstation Pro — Choose the Version that is Right For You

General

Workstation Player	Workstation Pro
Buy Now	Buy Now
Upgrade Now	Upgrade Now
Download Now	Download Now
Create new VMs
Create large VMs (16CPU x 64GB RAM)
Over 200 supported guest OSs
Mass deployment
Host/Guest Integration
Host/guest file sharing
Run virtual machine with different view modes
3D graphics with DX10 and OpenGL 3.3 support
Device Support
4K display support
Support a wide range of virtual devices
USB smart card reader support
USB 3.0 device support
Advanced Features
Run encrypted VM
Drag-able tabbed interface
Run Multiple VMs at one time
Create/manage encrypted VM
Snapshots
Advanced networking
Linked clone
Share virtual machine (as a server)
Connect to vSphere/ESXi server
Connect to vCloud Air
Command line operation: vmrun and VIX

Product

How does VMware Workstation Pro work?

How does VMware Workstation Pro work?

VMware Workstation Pro works by creating fully isolated, secure virtual machines that encapsulate an operating system and its applications. The VMware virtualization layer maps the physical hardware resources to the virtual machine’s resources, so each virtual machine has its own CPU, memory, disks, and I/O devices, and is the full equivalent of a standard x86 machine. VMware Workstation Pro installs onto the host operating system and provides broad hardware support by inheriting device support from the host.

What types of applications can I run in a virtual machine?

What types of applications can I run in a virtual machine?

Any application that will run on a standard PC will run inside a virtual machine on VMware Workstation Pro. VMware Workstation Pro is the equivalent of a full PC, with full networking and devices — each virtual machine has its own CPU, memory, disks, I/O devices, etc. This allows you to run any application that runs on the supported guest operating systems, including Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Apache Web Server, Microsoft Visual Studio, Kernel debuggers, Firewalls, VPN software and much more.

Installation

What kind of hardware do I need to run VMware Workstation Pro?

What kind of hardware do I need to run VMware Workstation Pro?

VMware Workstation Pro runs on standard x86-based hardware with 64-bit Intel and AMD processors and on 64-bit Windows or Linux host operating systems. VMware recommends 1.2 GB of available disk space for the application. Additional hard disk space required for each virtual machine. Please refer to vendors recommended disk space for specific guest operating systems.

Does Workstation 12 Pro support 32-bit operating systems?

Does Workstation 12 Pro support 32-bit operating systems?

Workstation 12 Pro requires a 64-bit operating system on the host PC. You can still run your favorite 32-bit Windows and Linux guest operating systems inside a virtual machine on Workstation 12 Pro. If you plan to run 64-bit virtual machines with VMware Workstation Pro, please refer to the Knowledge Base article on compatible 64-bit CPUs .

Downloads and Trials

How can I download VMware Workstation Pro?

How can I download VMware Workstation Pro?

You can download VMware Workstation Pro software from the Workstation Pro Download page.

Can I convert my trial license to a permanent license?

Can I convert my trial license to a permanent license?

After the evaluation period has expired, you will be prompted to enter a license key. If you have purchased the product you will have received a new license key. Enter the purchased license key when prompted to unlock the full «unlimited» version of the software. To take advantage of complimentary email support for up to 30 days, your license key must be registered. If you purchased the product from the VMware Online store, your license key is automatically registered. If you purchased from a reseller, you need to manually register your license key in My VMware. Please consult this KB article for detailed instructions on license key registration.

Licensing and Upgrades

What if I purchased VMware Workstation 11 without a Support and Subscription (SnS) contract before July 29, 2015?

What if I purchased VMware Workstation 11 without a Support and Subscription (SnS) contract before July 29, 2015?

Customers who purchased VMware Workstation 11 before July 29, 2015 without an SnS contract are not eligible for a complimentary upgrade to VMware Workstation 12 Pro and need to purchase an upgrade to Workstation 12 Pro to fully enjoy the benefits of the latest version of the product.

How do I purchase Workstation 12 Pro upgrades?

How do I purchase Workstation 12 Pro upgrades?

VMware Workstation 12 Pro upgrades are available for purchase on the VMware online store or through VMware resellers.
IMPORTANT: When you install a new version of Workstation, the previous version will be uninstalled from your system. Therefore, we recommend that you proceed with the upgrade only if you have a new license key. Your existing virtual machines will not be affected.

Support

When does complimentary support start?

When does complimentary support start?

Complimentary support starts when your VMware Workstation Pro license is registered. Registration takes place automatically if you purchase your product from the VMware Online store. If you purchased from a reseller, you need to register your license in My VMware. Please consult this KB article for detailed instructions on license key registration.

How long does complimentary support last?

How long does complimentary support last?

Complimentary support for VMware Workstation Pro is valid for 30 days from product registration.