To begin, visit vmware.com. You should be greeted with the following screen:

Next, click on the "Download Now" button underneath the text that reads "Try Workstation 16.0 Player for Windows". Your download should begin.





When the download is complete, you should see a banner at the bottom of the Web Browser window that asks you if you'd like to run the downloaded .EXE file:
Click "Run"… When the installer runs, you will see the following:





Click on "Next" to start the installation process. The next screen you will see will be the end user license agreement:

Assuming you wish to accept the agreement, click on the "I accept the terms in the License Agreement" checkbox and then click "Next". You will see the following:

You shouldn't need to change anything in the dialog above, just click "Next" to install VMWare into the default location. You will then be presented with the following:

Feel free to check either of the checkboxes above if you'd like, but you don't need to. Then, click "Next" to continue.

Leave the above checkboxes checked if you'd like a shortcut to VMWare Player to appear on your desktop and in your start menu. Feel free to uncheck either if you are comfortable doing so. Either way, once you've made your decision, click "Next":

Finally, you can click "Install" to begin the installation. You'll see a progress dialog while the installer is working. When the installer is done, you will see the following:

After clicking "Finish", you can go to your Start menu and you should see the VMWare Player available in your "Recently Added" section. Alternatively, there should be a VMWare Player shortcut on your desktop:

Congratulations! You've just installed VMWare Player!


Now, launch VMWare Player. You will see the following:

As a student using VMWare Player for a class, you may use it for free. Click "Continue".

Now, click "Finish", you'll be presented with the following:

Here, click on "Create a New Virtual Machine". You will see the following:

This will launch the "New Virtual Machine Wizard". Click on "I will install the operating system later", then click "Next":

Change the "Guest Operating System" to "Linux", and make sure that "Ubuntu" is showing in the "Version" pop up. Then click "Next":

You'll be presented with a dialog allowing you to name the virtual machine and specify where it is stored. It should be ok to use the default values and click "Next". You will be presented with the following dialog that asks about the hard disk capacity for your virtual machine. Change the radio button selection to "Store virtual disk as a single file":





You will then see this:

This dialog gives you the particulars about the VM you are about to create. It's fine to use these values and click "Finish". When you do, you'll see the following:

You'll be presented with the VM library screen again. The "Ubuntu" VM will be selected. However we need to change the hard drive from the default one it created to the one you downloaded from osboxes.com. So, click on "Edit virtual machine settings". You will see the following:

We first need to remove the existing virtual hard drive. Click on the "Hard Disk (SCSI)" entry and then click "Remove".




After it is removed, click on the "Add" button. You will see the following dialog:

The "Add Hardware Wizard" appears. Click on "Hard Disk" and then click "Next".

Make sure that SCSI is selected (it's the Recommended choice!) and then click "Next":

On the next screen, choose "Use an existing virtual disk" and click "Next":

Now it's time to use the "Browse…" button to select the virtual disk that you unpacked from the osboxes.com download. It should be the file named "Ubuntu 20.04.03 (64bit).vmdk"

Once you've selected the proper .vmdk file, click on "Finish". You'll return to the Virtual Machines Settings screen, just click on OK when you see it!

Once you click OK on the screen above, you'll be taken back to the following:





Now you can click on "Play virtual machine" to start up Ubuntu. You will likely see this dialog.

It shouldn't matter (for the purposes of our class) if you have side channel mitigations enabled. You can just click "OK" to proceed. You will then see the following:





You can click "No" to this to proceed to boot Ubuntu. This may take some time so just leave the window sitting there. You will see a few messages appear on the screen, but eventually you should see the Ubuntu login screen:

Once it is running, proceed with instructions on how to complete your Ubuntu Setup.