{"id":1568,"date":"2021-12-16T13:58:35","date_gmt":"2021-12-16T10:58:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/files2.tojikon.net\/files-cloud\/2021\/04\/28\/linux-how-to-export-and-import-vms-in-vmware-workstation\/https:\/\/files2.tojikon.net\/files-cloud\/2021\/04\/28\/linux-how-to-export-and-import-vms-in-vmware-workstation\/"},"modified":"2021-12-16T13:58:35","modified_gmt":"2021-12-16T10:58:35","slug":"linux-how-to-export-and-import-vms-in-vmware-workstation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tojikon.net\/en\/1568-linux-how-to-export-and-import-vms-in-vmware-workstation\/","title":{"rendered":"Linux: How to export and import VMs in VMware Workstation"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Related Articles<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

If you use VMware Workstation 16 on Linux and want to know how to export and import VMs, you\u2019ll need to take advantage of the OVF file format. In this guide, we\u2019ll show you how to use VMware to export and import VMs in the OVF format on Linux.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"VMs<\/p>\n

Before we begin<\/h2>\n

In this guide, we focus on both the export and import feature in VMware Workstation 16. For this reason, you\u2019ll need to have the latest VMware Workstation to follow along with this guide.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re using a later release of VMware on your PC, it\u2019s a good idea to uninstall it and download the latest release. If you\u2019re using Ubuntu Linux as your Host OS for VMware, we\u2019ve got an in-depth guide on how to install VMware Workstation 16 on Ubuntu that you can follow to get the app working.<\/p>\n

Exporting VMware Workstation VM as OVF<\/h2>\n

Exporting VMware VMs to OVF is an excellent feature, as most virtualization tools work with this format. Thanks to the OVF file format (open virtualization format), you can export a VM from your VMware Workstation as a quick backup, or share with colleges and friends, or even upload online.<\/p>\n

In the latest VMware Workstation 16, exporting any Virtual Machine is as easy as ever. To start, open up VMware Workstation on your host OS. In this guide, Linux will be the host OS, but this method works on any OS that runs VMware Workstation 16.<\/p>\n

With VMWare Workstation 16 open and ready to use, follow the step-by-step instructions below to learn how to export your VMs as OVF files.<\/p>\n

Step 1:<\/strong> Look in the \u201cLibrary\u201d sidebar for the VM you wish to export, and select it with the mouse.<\/p>\n

If you do not see a VM in the \u201cLibrary\u201d sidebar, you\u2019ll need to create a VM first before you attempt to export it. You cannot export a VM to OVF from VMware 16 without having a VM!<\/p>\n

Step 2:<\/strong> After selecting your VM in VMware Workstation 16 with the mouse, find the \u201cFile\u201d button in the UI, and click on it. When you click on the \u201cFile\u201d button, you\u2019ll see a few options to choose from.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In the \u201cFile\u201d menu, select the \u201cExport as OVF\u201d button with the mouse.<\/p>\n

Step 3:<\/strong> Once you\u2019ve opened up the \u201cExport as OVF\u201d window, use the file browser to browse for where you\u2019d like to save the OVF file. For best results, save it to a place with no other files, so everything is easy to find.<\/p>\n

Also, keep in mind that the OVF export saves more than just an OVF file. It\u2019ll also export the VMDK hard disk file (if you use VMDK), as well as an MF file and anything else attached to the VM.<\/p>\n

Step 4:<\/strong> The exporting isn\u2019t instantaneous. It will take time. When the export is complete, open up your file manager and save your OVF file, MF file, and VMDK file somewhere safe, such as Dropbox, and external hard drive, etc.<\/p>\n

Importing an OVF VMware VM into VMware<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re trying to import a previously exported Vmware VM into VMware Workstation 16 with an OVF, you\u2019ll need to use the \u201cOpen\u201d feature.<\/p>\n

The \u201cOpen\u201d feature, when used with an OVF, will cause VMware Workstation to import your exported OVF VM automatically. To do this on your system, follow the step-by-step instructions below.<\/p>\n

Step 1:<\/strong> Launch VMWare Workstation 16 on the desktop. Once it is open, find the \u201cFile\u201d menu, and click on it to reveal all of its options inside.<\/p>\n

In the \u201cFile\u201d menu, find the \u201cOpen\u201d button, and click on it to open up the \u201cOpen\u201d file browser window.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Step 2:<\/strong> Browse for your VM OVF file using the file browser, and select it. When you choose it, the \u201cImport Virtual Machine\u201d window will appear. Select the \u201cImport\u201d button.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind, the VMDK file, MF file, and other related VM files must be in the same directory, as VMWare uses the OVF file as an instruction set to create a new VM.<\/p>\n

Step 3:<\/strong> Upon selecting the \u201cImport\u201d button, VMware will slowly import your VM to VMware Workstation 16. This process will take some time, especially if your VM has a large hard drive and many files to deal with.<\/p>\n

When the process is complete, your imported VM will appear in the sidebar. From here, select your VM in the sidebar. After selecting your VM in the sidebar, VMware will reveal a few options to you.<\/p>\n

Among the various options available in Vmware Workstation, locate and click on \u201cStart up this guest operating system\u201d to start using your newly imported VM! It should boot up instantly and be ready to use for all of your virtualization needs!<\/p>\n

Import to VirtualBox<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve exported a VM to OVF from VMWare and want to use it in VirtualBox on Linux, you can. To do it, open up the Linux file manager and right-click on the OVF file. Then, select \u201cOpen With,\u201d followed by \u201cOracle VM VirtualBox\u201d to import the VM!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Related Articles If you use VMware Workstation 16 on Linux and want to know how to export and import VMs, you\u2019ll need to take advantage of the OVF file format. In this guide, we\u2019ll show you how to use VMware to export and import VMs in the OVF format on Linux.\u00a0 Before we begin In …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1569,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[21],"tags":[33],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tojikon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1568"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tojikon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tojikon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tojikon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tojikon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1568"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tojikon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1568\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tojikon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tojikon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tojikon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tojikon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}