VMware
This guide walks you through the process of creating a Virtual Machine and installing ParrotOS using VMware. The steps apply primarily to VMware Workstation (Pro and Player) on GNU/Linux and Windows, as well as VMware Fusion on macOS.
Since the setup procedure is highly standardized across VMware products, these instructions will easily translate regardless of your specific edition.
1. Download & Install VMware Workstation
First, download the latest version of VMware Workstation from the official website.
If you are installing VMware on a GNU/Linux host system, navigate to the directory where you downloaded the .bundle installer, open a terminal, and grant it execution privileges:
chmod +x VMware-Workstation-*.bundle
Then, run the installer with root privileges:
sudo ./VMware-Workstation-*.bundle
Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup. Once finished, you will find VMware ready to use in your application menu.
2. Create a New Virtual Machine
Open VMware, go to the File tab, and click on Create a New Virtual Machine.
The Virtual Machine Wizard will open. Select Use ISO image, browse for the ParrotOS ISO file you downloaded, and click Next.
VMware's automatic OS detection might misidentify the system as an older Debian version. This is completely normal and can be easily corrected in the following steps.
When prompted to select the Guest Operating System, choose Linux, and select the latest Debian 64-bit version available in your dropdown menu.
Give your new Virtual Machine a recognizable name and click Next.
Next, allocate the disk capacity and configure the hardware specifications.
Please refer to the official ParrotOS Download Page for the minimum and recommended system requirements (Disk Space, RAM, and CPU) based on the specific edition you downloaded.
The following screen displays a summary of your VM's specifications. You can adjust these settings by clicking on Customize Hardware....
3. Boot and Install ParrotOS
Your Virtual Machine is now configured and ready. Click Finish and power on the VM.
The system will boot into the GRUB menu, where you can select the live mode to run ParrotOS.
From the live desktop, you can launch the Calamares installer by double-clicking the Install Parrot icon and follow the standard installation procedure.