Set Up VMware and Install Virtual Machines for a Lab Environment

Setting up virtual machines is a great way to create a secure and versatile testing environment. The most popular locally hosted hypervisors are Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware (by Broadcom), and Oracle VirtualBox. In this article, I will break down how to install VMware and set up a Kali Linux VM.

VMware was acquired by Broadcom in November 2023, so to obtain it, you must first create a Broadcom account at https://profile.broadcom.com/web/registration.

Once your account is created, finding the download file can be tricky and requires multiple steps. Additionally, there are different VMware versions, and we want an open-source one. To simplify the process, use the following link to download VMware Workstation Pro: https://support.broadcom.com/group/ecx/productdownloads?subfamily=VMware+Workstation+Pro.

Choose your operating system and select the latest VMware version. When the following menu appears, click on the cloud icon to download the installation media.

Before proceeding with the hypervisor installation, you need to enable virtualization on your machine. Generally, the BIOS key is F2 for Dell, ASUS, Acer, or ASRock; F10 for HP; and Del for MSI or Gigabyte. Once in the BIOS, navigate to Advanced, CPU Configuration, enable VT-x (for Intel) or SVM Mode (for AMD), save the changes (usually F10), and restart your system.

Now, it's time to install the VMware installation file that you downloaded. The process is straightforward—just click Next and agree to the prompts. You can keep the checkmark on “Add VMware Workstation Console tools to system PATH” for easier access to command-line tools.

Welcome to the VMware Workstation Pro menu.

Now it's time to add Kali Linux to your hypervisor. Follow this link: https://www.kali.org/get-kali/#kali-platforms and select "Installer Images" and "Installer".

Installation steps:

1. Go to the main VMware Workstation Pro menu and select "Create a New Virtual Machine".
2. Choose "Typical (recommended)", then select "Installer disc image file (iso)" and browse to select your Kali ISO file.
3. Click Next, choose Linux and Ubuntu 64-bit as the version, then name your VM and select a location for it.
4. Select "Store virtual disk as a single file", and allocate 20 GB (which should be enough).
5. The imaging process will start. Choose "Graphical Install" when prompted.
6. The next few steps are straightforward. For the domain name, you can leave it empty.
7. When you get to partitions, choose "Guided - use entire disk", then select "Recommended" and confirm by choosing "Yes" when prompted to "Write the changes to disks".
8. In software selection, the "Recommended software" is sufficient—continue.
9. Select "Yes" to install the GRUB boot loader.
10. Choose /dev/sda as the device for boot loader installation.
11. Continue and reboot the system.
12. Enter your credentials.

Congrats, welcome to Kali Linux! Now the sky's the limit for how you can spin your lab. Enjoy!