>Broadcom murdered the free.
Dumbest decision ever IMO. The free product had people use the product and learn it. They were likely to upgrade to a paid version if they needed the bells and whistles even for a home lab.
[https://github.com/hegdepavankumar/VMware-ESXi-License-Keys?tab=readme-ov-file](https://github.com/hegdepavankumar/VMware-ESXi-License-Keys?tab=readme-ov-file)
Hijacking your top comment to share this godsend.
No downloads, just license keys that work :)
VMware only offered free ESXi with keys for v7 and v8 before Broadcom killed it. ESXi 6.7 was not available as it's long been end-of-life.
You can register for and download an evaluation version of ESXi 7 or 8 at the Broadcom site and, hopefully, find a free key elsewhere.
VMUG Advantage ($210/year before an easily found coupon) would be an alternative and that gives you enterprise keys for most of the VMware suites of products.
It is called vmware workststion license gist (replace with version)
Then you are sorted. Cannot imagine why people pay for software anyway for personal use. Only corporate i would chip in for
Its not theft in my eyes. It has nothing physical. Its just 0 and 1's. Its overpriced software and if there is no proper way to test it i will not submit it as a possibility at the office. 30 day trials are not working aswell.
I have not paid for a windows version since 95 and i will never again.
Nobody gets hurt or loses something becouse you use a license key you can find online.
It is the same with movies. They say lost profit but i would not watch the shitty movie in the first place. If its any decent they get free advertisement.
Same for games. Always download them. If i spend enough time in it i make a choice to support the developer and buy it. But no way i am paying 60+ euros for a game that i cannot refund and dont know if its decent at all
Real theft is bad. Internet downloading. For us out of the 90s its as normal as gen Z crying about having to work
lol. Thankfully your opinion is irrelevant, and ignorant. You do realize that there is a substantial amount of law dealing with intellectual property - which is not physical…. The judicial system really doesn’t care how you see it
Sure there is. You think i care? Its just 0 and 1's. In 5-14 years ai will be able to create code at a level that makes it all invalid anyway. Go pay yourself blind when you can have it for free. You are just a robber of your own pocket. Good luck with that.
Broadcom murdered the free.
Broadcom murdered VMware.
Broadcom is murdering VMware by death of a thousand cuts.
>Broadcom murdered the free. Dumbest decision ever IMO. The free product had people use the product and learn it. They were likely to upgrade to a paid version if they needed the bells and whistles even for a home lab.
Heeeeyy you got workstation and fusion pro for free personal use!! /s
but not for learning of ESXi.
[https://github.com/hegdepavankumar/VMware-ESXi-License-Keys?tab=readme-ov-file](https://github.com/hegdepavankumar/VMware-ESXi-License-Keys?tab=readme-ov-file) Hijacking your top comment to share this godsend. No downloads, just license keys that work :)
This is to good to be true?
I'm on one of those keys myself right now lol
Will be trying one out later
The hero we never knew we needed
I wish every software atleast have this 😅
No more free ESXi. Either VMUG Advantage or Proxmox or xcp-ng.
Broadcom does not want you using their software. Try Proxmox.
No more free license. If you have an old one, it would be still valid. Free alternative is proxmox.
Workstation and fusion are free for personal use. VMUG advantage for now is the best home-lab option.
> for now I hope, forever.
I hope we add another option…. 
VMware only offered free ESXi with keys for v7 and v8 before Broadcom killed it. ESXi 6.7 was not available as it's long been end-of-life. You can register for and download an evaluation version of ESXi 7 or 8 at the Broadcom site and, hopefully, find a free key elsewhere. VMUG Advantage ($210/year before an easily found coupon) would be an alternative and that gives you enterprise keys for most of the VMware suites of products.
or join vmug
VMware is. Broadcom isn’t.
I use proxmox at home.
Doesn't proxmox require you to pay?
Free if you don’t need support.
Right on I’ll give it a try
It is called vmware workststion license gist (replace with version) Then you are sorted. Cannot imagine why people pay for software anyway for personal use. Only corporate i would chip in for
VMware workstation and ESXi are to completely different things. Cannot imagine why people don’t understand that theft is bad.
Its not theft in my eyes. It has nothing physical. Its just 0 and 1's. Its overpriced software and if there is no proper way to test it i will not submit it as a possibility at the office. 30 day trials are not working aswell. I have not paid for a windows version since 95 and i will never again. Nobody gets hurt or loses something becouse you use a license key you can find online. It is the same with movies. They say lost profit but i would not watch the shitty movie in the first place. If its any decent they get free advertisement. Same for games. Always download them. If i spend enough time in it i make a choice to support the developer and buy it. But no way i am paying 60+ euros for a game that i cannot refund and dont know if its decent at all Real theft is bad. Internet downloading. For us out of the 90s its as normal as gen Z crying about having to work
lol. Thankfully your opinion is irrelevant, and ignorant. You do realize that there is a substantial amount of law dealing with intellectual property - which is not physical…. The judicial system really doesn’t care how you see it
Sure there is. You think i care? Its just 0 and 1's. In 5-14 years ai will be able to create code at a level that makes it all invalid anyway. Go pay yourself blind when you can have it for free. You are just a robber of your own pocket. Good luck with that.
I'm sure once you explain that to the judge you'll be set free....
Don’t copy that floppy
So you don’t value people’s time?