A nice write up on the new version release. I use VMware Workstation on my Win 10 box to run Linux virtual machines where I do all my work in except playing a couple games, and I’ve been using it because it has superior 3D graphical acceleration support. And I run my Linux VMs full screen and it has given me the best experience using virtualization, as well as protecting the host system from security vulnerabilities. And if you have a problem, you wipe the VM and install a new one or use a good copy. Currently I’m running Debian Stable, Testing and Unstable which has been fun to see how updates flow to each (Stable is on KDE 5, with Testing and Unstable on KDE 6, and I run the latest Xanmod kernels on all). I’ll have to try some other distributions to see if they’ve improved support beyond Debian based distributions.
https://linuxiac.com/vmware-workstation-pro-is-now-free-for-all-users/
VMware Workstation 17.6.2 Pro is now free for commercial, educational, and personal use! Check out the latest features, bug fixes, and resolved issues.
By Bobby Borisov
In an unexpected but highly welcomed move for IT professionals, educators, and hobbyists alike, VMware announced that the newly released Workstation 17.6.2 Pro no longer requires a license key.
In other words, this popular virtualization platform has effectively gone free, making it more accessible than ever before. According to VMware’s official release notes, the latest version removes the commercial, educational, and personal use licensing barrier, enabling a broader audience to tap into its powerful features without the need to purchase a key.
Just a quick reminder: early last month, Broadcom announced that two of their flagship products, VMware Workstation (Linux, Windows) and Fusion (macOS), are now free for personal use. Now, as a Christmas present, they’re taking things a step further—something we can’t help but applaud!
In addition to this striking licensing change, the update also brings a range of bug fixes designed to enhance stability and performance. Though VMware has not singled out every improvement by name, they have emphasized that these fixes address long-standing requests from their user community.
However, it is worth noting that some known issues remain. In particular, the multi-monitor feature may still encounter glitches in certain hardware and topology setups. Unfortunately, there is no known workaround at this time, so users who rely heavily on multiple displays should proceed with caution.
VMware has acknowledged that these setbacks exist and will likely continue working toward a resolution in future updates.
On a more positive note, several major stumbling blocks have now been resolved. For instance, Linux users can breathe a sigh of relief: after applying snapshot operations through Snapshot Manager, VMware Workstation for Linux previously tended to crash.
This inconvenience has finally been addressed, meaning smoother workflows and improved stability for Linux-based virtualization. Windows 11 hosts have also received some love, as virtual machines on this platform should no longer become unresponsive after unlocking the host.
Additionally, persistent issues on Linux hosts caused by the kcompactd kernel process have been resolved, ensuring that virtual machines no longer freeze up after extended use.
For more information, refer to the VMware Workstation Pro 17.6.2 release notes.
Lastly, as always, we’ve got you covered! You can dive right into the latest features of the new VMware Workstation Pro release. To make things easy, we’ve updated our guides for Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora users, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free installation experience.