If you intend to run Virtual Machine on your personal computer, VMWare provides free Software for personal non commercial use. Please look at VMWare Test Drive website and search for FREE PRODUCT.
Amongst product of interests for CS Students are:
- Fusion Player, a MacOS based VMPlayer. As of Oct 19, 2023, VMWare Fusion 13.5 also support Apple Silicon and Windows11.
- Workstation Player, a WindowOS based VMPlayer
You will need to register for an account before you can download any VMWare software.