2.5

What You Can Do with VMware Player
Use and evaluate
prebuilt applications
Download and safely run prebuilt application environments on virtual
machines that are available from the Virtual Appliance Marketplace section on
the VMware Web site. The Virtual Appliance Marketplace includes virtual
machines from leading software vendors, including Oracle, Red Hat, Novell,
BEA, SpikeSource, IBM, and MySQL, as well as virtual machines that are
preconfigured with popular open source software.
Transform software
distribution
Simplify software distribution by shipping preconfigured software on virtual
machines. End users can experience the benefits of your products immediately,
without setup hassles. VMware Player is ideal for shipping evaluation copies
or beta software. You can package complex, sophisticated applications,
complete with a full working environment, on a virtual machine that can be
used by anyone who downloads VMware Player.
Collaborate with
colleagues
VMware Player makes it easy for support, development, and QA to share
customer scenarios in virtual machines.
Features in VMware Player
VMware Player is a free desktop application for running virtual machines. VMware Player does not include
features found in other VMware products, such as Workstation 6.5, which can create virtual machines.
VMware Player provides the following features:
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Switch to Unity mode to display applications directly on the host desktop.
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On Linux, the bundle based VMware installer lets you install the product in one step.
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Both Windows and Linux hosts support suspending the virtual machine when exiting.
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While in full screen mode, you can switch from one powered-on virtual machine to another.
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Smart card is supported experimentally.
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Connect, disconnect, and use configured host devices, including USB devices, in the virtual machine.
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Set preferences, such as how devices are displayed in VMware Player.
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Change the amount of memory allocated to the virtual machine.
The following features can be used if VMware Tools is installed on the virtual machine:
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You can drag and drop files between a Linux or Windows host and a Linux, Windows, or Solaris guest.
Linux hosts and Linux and Solaris guests must be running the X Window System.
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You can copy and paste text and files between a Windows or Linux host and a Windows, Linux, or Solaris
guest.
NOTE You can open multiple instances of VMware Player. However, each instance of VMware Player can run
only one virtual machine at a time.
For more instructions on using these features, choose VMware Player > Help to view the online help provided
in VMware Player.
VMware Player 2.5
8 VMware, Inc.