Can make VM snapshots with FREE VMWare Player 6.0.3?

[lse123]

Free VMWare Player 6.0.3 -> upgrade to 6.0.4 needed upgrade and VMWare tools for Ubuntu 14.04 or for Win 8.0 ?

Also a snapshot of a VM Ubuntu 14.04 35GB how much space should take??? Can make snapshots with VMWare Player 6.0.3? if NOT - what Player ver needed for Win 7 Pro...?

[a_p_]

In order to create Snapshots you need VMware Workstation. What you can do is to backup the VM (the folder/files), and restore it if something doesn't work as expected.

Regarding the size of a snapshot: It depends on the data that's modified while the snapshot is in place, i.e. it only contains modified data blocks (except for a few MB of metadata).

André

[lse123]

" data that's modified while the snapshot is in place..."  IF IS FIRST SNAPSHOT?

you mean the first snapshot should be all VM ~35GB.. but subsequent snapshots may be 1GB?

[a_p_]

No, whenever you create a snapshot, the current virtual disk file(s) are treated as read-only, and all changes will be stored in a newly created delta file. Please take a look at e.g. VMware KB: Understanding virtual machine snapshots in VMware ESXi and ESX where this is explained in detail. Although the article is tagged for ESXi, snapshots work the same way in other VMware products.

André

[lse123]

so for a 37GB VM snapshot may be as +25GB? for example...?

[a_p_]

Each snapshot can (theoretically) grow up to approximately the full provisioned virtual disk size, i.e. the size you configured for the VM.

André

[WoodyZ]

Have you read VMware KB: Understanding virtual machine snapshots in VMware ESXi and ESX yet?

Each Snapshot is a delta disk meaning it only contains what has changed between it (the child disk) and its parent disk and therefore each Snapshot disk can be anywhere from a few MB to the size allocated for the virtual disk itself.  It all depends on how long you leave any given Snapshot disk set as the active snapshot.  That said, since you say you're using VMware Player this is all irrelevant to VMware Player as VMware Player does not support Snapshots.

[lse123]

when copy a VM with windows explorer eg Ubuntu that not needed KEY verify (unlike Windows VM), to external HDD --- To verify that work, one way is to run the VM as new one from external HDD????

This is a way to DUPLICATE a VM that Not needs KEY unlike Windows VM?

[a_p_ · Accepted solution]

Yes, copying the VM's folder is a way to clone a VM.

André