What is the best way to install software from a virtual machine image?

One of the best reasons to use a virtual machine is that it has it's own environment. There you can test things that you can't on your native hardware. If you make software you can test how it runs on various Operating Systems without having to buy the related hardware. It can also be used to run several servers on a single powerful machine. Creates much needed redundancy with image backups. If any of those virtuals fail it's an easy fix. And if the main machine fails you can move the backups to another.

In my experience, I seen people and organizations use the VM images for following... 1) For Software Development and Testing, 2) For Security Purposes, 3) For Education and Training, 4) For Backup and Recovery 5) Mainly nowadays in CLOUD COMPUTING and many more...

To install software from a virtual machine (VM) image, choose a suitable virtualization platform, download the software, and download the VM image. Configure the VM settings, start the VM, install the operating system, and install additional software. Take a snapshot, optimize the settings, test and validate the software, document the configuration, regularly update the software and operating system, and manage snapshots carefully. This ensures optimal performance and security over time.

Installing a software on a virtual machine is a smart way to enjoy the benefits of that software, without compromising your real computer. A virtual machine is like a computer inside your computer, that can run different operating systems and software. To install a software on a virtual machine, you need a virtualization program, such as VMware Player, Hyper-V or VirtualBox, and an installation file of the software and the operating system that it requires. Then, you create a new virtual machine, install the operating system, the VMware Tools and the software. You can also transfer files between the virtual machine and the real computer, and backup your virtual machine.

Imagine your computer has secret boxes with cool stuff inside. To open these digital boxes, you can click buttons (disk management) for some, right-click and open (.iso files) for others... or use a special tool like VMware to peek inside. Its like magic commands for a few others. When you're done exploring.. just close these digital boxes and always keep a copy of your secrets safe🔐.

TAR files can be made or extracted via command prompt. 7-Zip is the most versatile of these applications and can handle everything else. Just a suggestion of course. You can use whatever you like.

Sometimes we receive OVA images with disk images not matching our hypervisor. We use some virtual appliances that are only available in VMWare format, but we use ProxMox with a QEMU/KVM based hypervisor, and some of our customers use Hyper-V environments. I strongly recommend qemu-img to make the conversion, just remember that some formats use more disk than the original, so you will need enough storage to host both files: the original and the target disk images. Remember, some hypervisors support more than one format (ie:Oracle VirtualBox , Proxmox), so you can skip the conversion.

A virtual machine image is a file that contains an operating system and a software installed on a virtual machine. To convert a virtual machine image, you need a virtualization software, such as VMware Player, Hyper-V or VirtualBox, and an installation file of the software and the operating system that you want to use on the virtual machine. You also need to follow some steps to create a new virtual machine, install the operating system, the VMware Tools or the equivalent, and the software that you want. Then, you can use, transport and backup your virtual machine.

In my experience, to uninstall software from a VM Images, start the VM and go to where you usually uninstall programs. For example, 1) On Windows(VM) - go to "Programs and Features", 2) On mac(VM) - go to "Applications", 3) On Linux(VM) - use package manager (Eg: apt, yum) [sudo apt-get remove <package_name or software_name>]. If you made a "snapshot" before, you can go back to it. After that restart the VM to make sure that the changes take effect. Also double-check by looking around the VM to make sure the software is uninstalled. Always check the instructions(Documentation) for your VM and software.

To uninstall software from virtual machines, you need to access the main folder of the virtual machine on your hard drive and send the software files to the recycle bin. Then, you need to empty the recycle bin to completely remove the software from the virtual machine. You can also use an uninstaller program, such as Revo Uninstaller or IObit Uninstaller, to make the process easier.

To install from a virtual machine image, download the image file compatible with your virtualization platform. Use virtualization software like VirtualBox or VMware, create a new virtual machine, and select the downloaded image as the installation source. Configure settings such as RAM and storage allocation. Start the virtual machine to initiate the installation process. Follow on-screen prompts, selecting preferences and providing necessary information. Once completed, the virtual machine will be ready for use with the installed operating system or application, allowing seamless testing or development in a virtualized environment.

You may have to enable hardware virtualization in your bios. Alternatively you could use a cloud computer and achieve a similar result. If you are on Windows 11 pro try Hyper-V as it is already included. It can also be enabled in Windows 11 home with a little work.