How to Install VMware Workstation 17 Pro on openSUSE Leap 15

In this guide, we cover VMware Workstation 17 Pro, a strong virtualization tool. We also walk you through how to install and use this tool step by step. With this powerful tool, you can create virtual machines on openSUSE Leap 15 Linux, a favorite for server PCs.

You can also build guest machines running Windows. If you want to dive into the world of virtual machines, this article is for you.

How to Install and Use VMware Workstation 17 Pro to Create a Virtual Machine on openSUSE Leap 15

VMware Workstation Pro is a paid software product from VMware. It lets you create virtual machines on Windows or Linux PCs. It also runs on CPUs that support virtualization for smooth operation.

You can install VMware on Windows and Linux systems. It also works with openSUSE, a popular Linux distribution. This lets you run other systems on your PC.

The openSUSE system is reliable and stable. Moreover, users trust this system. It also runs well, which makes it ideal for servers.

If you install openSUSE without a desktop GUI, it uses less power. This helps the hardware run better on servers. So, adding virtualization software helps your hardware show its best performance.

Download and Install VMware Workstation

Installing Workstation & Player on SUSE may be harder than on other systems. So, you may need various commands to obtain the required packages.

Package names on the openSUSE system differ significantly from Debian-based systems. If you are looking for another approach, you can also review the Workstation install steps on Ubuntu.

Download and Prepare the Required Packages

Step 1

To download VMware Workstation for openSUSE, visit the VMware web page. Then, click the “Download” button under “Workstation 17 Pro for Linux”.

After that, in the window that appears, choose to save the setup file with the bundle extension to your PC. Finally, click OK.

Instead of downloading the setup file from the official VMware web page, you can use a terminal. You can also obtain the Workstation software quickly with the wget command.

Open a terminal and go to the location where you want to download the Workstation program. If you want to save the file to the Downloads location, first run the ‘cd ~/Downloads’ command. After that, use the wget command.

cd ~/Downloads
wget https://download3.vmware.com/software/WKST-1700-LX/VMware-Workstation-Full-17.0.0-20800274.x86_64.bundle

Step 2

After you download the bundle file, you must refresh the repository addresses on the openSUSE system. That is, you will check for new versions of current packages and update them. To do this, run the ‘sudo zypper update’ command in a terminal. Finally, press Y and Enter to confirm the installation of the needed packages.

sudo zypper update

Before you start the installation, you need to install the kernel packages that VMware needs on your SUSE system. In particular, you must download and install current kernel packages and GCC packages on your system. So, run the ‘sudo zypper install kernel-source kernel-devel gcc’ command in the console. After that, press Y then Enter to allow the packages to load.

sudo zypper install kernel-source kernel-devel gcc

Installation, Execution, and License Agreement

Step 1

You installed the kernel packages for VMware software on your openSUSE system. Now go to the location where you downloaded the setup file. After that, give the bundle file execute permissions and start the installation.

sudo chmod +x VMware-Workstation-Full-17.0.0-20800274.x86_64.bundle
sudo ./VMware-Workstation-Full-17.0.0-20800274.x86_64.bundle

Step 2

You installed the VMware Workstation / Player and Virtual Network Editor apps. Now, find the Workstation shortcut in the application menu and run it.

Step 3

You will see the VMware Workstation welcome window open. Here, review the end user license terms and accept them to continue.

Run the Setup Wizard and Accept the Licenses

Step 1

Accept the license agreement for the OVF Tool parts that Linux platforms need as well.

Step 2

You can check for updates each time you run the virtualization software. So, if you want to look for new releases at startup, select Yes in this window.

Step 3

You can join the VMware customer experience program and help the software maker. This lets you choose to send a report about system issues you encounter. If you decide later about joining CEIP, proceed with the No option. You can also change the CEIP setting later from the program settings.

Step 4

If you bought the Workstation software, enter your product key on the license screen. You may want to try it free for 30 days. If you plan to buy it later, select the option below.

Step 5

After you install the VMware Pro software on your SUSE PC, open Help / About from the tool menu. You can also view the product info window. This window lets you check its version.

Create a New Virtual Machine on openSUSE

After you install VMware Workstation on openSUSE, you can create new virtual machines. You can also run an operating system from Windows, Linux, and macOS platforms. This way, you can use other systems on your host PC.

Start the Virtual Machine Wizard and Set Basic Options

Step 1

When you run VMware Pro, click the Create a New Virtual Machine option on the main screen. This opens the virtual machine wizard.

Step 2

You have two virtual machine setup options: Typical and Custom. If you select Custom, you can set up a more advanced VM. However, the Typical option gives you a VM with simpler steps.

So, to prepare a more advanced VM, select the Custom (Advanced) type.

Step 3

Set the VM hardware to match the newest Workstation Pro release.

Step 4

After you select Custom, name the device or media for the operating system installation. If your host PC has a working CD/DVD drive, use it for the installation; you do not need to download an ISO file.

Most modern PCs have no physical drive. Also, an ISO file is easier to obtain. So, select the “I will install the operating system later” option here.

Operating System and Hardware Customization

Step 5

You will set up the system you plan to install in the Guest Operating System settings. For this reason, you need to select its platform first and then its version. For example, you can select Microsoft Windows as the platform and Windows 10 as the version.

Step 6

Set the VM name clearly based on the guest system type. This helps you avoid confusion since you will have more than one virtual OS.

Pick the location where you want to set up the Windows 10 virtual PC.

Step 7

Pick UEFI as the firmware type for the Windows 10 operating system. Right after that, turn on the Secure Boot feature for a safer boot.

Step 8

You must set your virtual PC based on the physical CPU of your Linux PC. This setting is the virtual core count. So, set a value that will not overload your host.

Set Up the Virtual Disk and Network

Step 1

The memory size of the virtual machine is very important. So, set an appropriate size based on the RAM size of your physical PC.

Step 2

Pick NAT to use a different IP block for your guest machines. This lets them connect to the internet and your local network. Also, proceed with the setup in Workstation Pro software.

Step 3

For the virtual disk controller, proceed by selecting LSI Logic SAS from the I/O Controller types.

Step 4

Pick NVMe for faster data reading and writing on the virtual disk of your Windows 10 virtual PC.

Step 5

Suppose you will install an operating system on the new virtual machine for the first time. At this point, you need to proceed with the Create a New Virtual Disk option.

Step 6

You can raise the virtual disk capacity for your Windows 10 system. That is, you can change how big you want it in the Disk Size section. In addition, choose to store the virtual disk file as a single file type.

Step 7

The Windows 10 virtual disk file will be located in your installation location by default.

Step 8

You prepared a new VM on your openSUSE PC. Now you can see the settings you made in the hardware summary. Close the virtual machine wizard here. After that, click Finish to configure the remaining settings.

Finish the Virtual Machine Settings and Start It

Step 1

Now, after you prepare the virtual PC on your openSUSE OS, close the VMware Tools notice window too.

Step 2

You should configure the options of the Windows 10 x64 virtual machine more effectively. For this reason, click the Edit option.

Step 3

In the processor settings, set one CPU and two cores based on the power of your host CPU. Also, turn on all three features in the Virtualization Engine section.

• Virtualize Intel VT-x/EPT or AMD-V/RVI
• Virtualize CPU Performance Counters
• Virtualize IOMMU (IO Memory Management Unit)

Step 4

You must add the Windows 10 ISO file to the VM you prepared. To do this, turn on the Use ISO Image option in the CD/DVD device settings. Then, pick and open the image file with the Browse button.

Step 5

Change USB compatibility to 3.1 so you can use your USB 3.1 devices on the virtual PC.

Step 6

Finally, run your virtual PC to start the system installation now. That is, click the Start Up This Guest Operating System option.

Step 7

You reached the Microsoft Windows 10 setup wizard. Now set your system language, keyboard type, and time zone here. After that, you can start installing the operating system.

Delete a Virtual Machine from the openSUSE OS

You can delete the VMs you prepared on openSUSE Leap or other Linux distributions too. To be clear, you may want to remove them from your system permanently. If you want to do this, you can remove a VM in a few seconds.

Open the Workstation program and go to the Library section on the left panel. Here, right-click the guest system you want to remove. After that, click Manage / Delete From Disk. Finally, confirm the permanent removal from your system.

Remove VMware Workstation from an openSUSE PC

If you no longer want to use the VMware virtualization app on your Linux PC, you can remove it easily.

Suppose you want to fully delete the VMware Workstation software from your openSUSE PC. First, open a terminal and check the installed version with the ‘vmware-installer –list-products’ command.

To start the removal, run the ‘sudo vmware-installer -u vmware-workstation’ command. Then press Y and Enter to accept the deletion of config files on your OS.

NOTE: You can manage the software removal process from the console on Linux distributions too. But you must clean up old configuration files left on the system. For this reason, you will use the same tool in the process to remove Workstation software from other Linux distributions.

vmware-installer --list-products
sudo vmware-installer -u vmware-workstation

vmware-installer --list-products
sudo vmware-installer -u vmware-workstation

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Conclusion

In short, VMware Workstation 17 Pro is a strong software choice for systems such as openSUSE Leap 15. It lets you run different operating systems on virtual PCs. This turns the software into a powerful virtualization tool. By following the steps in this article, you can create a virtual machine on your PC quickly.

Whether you are a developer or an admin, you can try different operating systems on SUSE. With easy-to-use VMware Workstation Pro, you can manage your hardware well. This lets you run many virtual machines at once, not just one.

You can look for a more convenient distribution for daily use outside openSUSE. I suggest that new users in particular prepare a virtualization setup on Linux Mint. The ready packages in the Mint repository will let you finish your software installation in 10 minutes.

I want to note one important point. You may also use another OS on your host PC instead of SUSE. For this reason, you can install openSUSE with VMware Workstation on that system. This way, you can still try using a different Linux distribution.