The official way to download VMware ESXi 8.0 is through the Broadcom Support Portal, which has recently reintroduced a free version starting with

  • Keyboard Layout: Default (US).
  • Root Password: Set a strong password (mix of letters, numbers, special chars). This is for the root user.
  • Confirmation Screen: Press F11 to begin installation.
  • Installation Progress: 5–10 minutes.
  • Complete: Remove the USB media and press Enter to reboot.

    1. Method A: Official Broadcom/VMware Portal (Recommended)

    2. For large ISOs, Google sometimes shows a virus-scan warning page; users must confirm the download manually.

    Part 3: How to Legitimately Obtain the VMware ESXi 8.0 ISO

    VMware ESXi 8.0 is a lightweight, Type-1 hypervisor for running virtual machines on bare metal. This guide shows how to download the ESXi 8.0 ISO, options for hosting the ISO (including Google Drive), and step-by-step installation on a server or desktop PC.

    Now that you have a running ESXi 8.0 host, you can start creating virtual machines, building clusters, or experimenting with Kubernetes (Tanzu). Enjoy the power of the world’s leading hypervisor—delivered via the speed of Google Drive.