Can it use VMware instead of QEMU?

[bingmatv]

VMware provides an option to use floppy drive, can it generate floppy image so it can boot in VMware?

[phil-opp]

I don't have much experience with VMware, so I can't help with the details unfortunately. It should work in general though.

[bingmatv]

should work in general though

VMware uses vmdk disk format, but the generated image isn't vmdk.

[bjorn3]

The generated image is a raw disk image. VMware almost certainly has an option to either convert a raw disk image to vmdk or to directly use a raw disk image.

[bingmatv]

VMware almost certainly has an option

It might be true for vmware12, but the currently latest version is vmware17. Broadcom acquired VMware, I don't know whether or not Broadcom acquirement takes effects, vmware17 has deleted some features, e.g., screen recording.

[bjorn3]

How would you install any OS that doesn't ship with pre-existing vmdk images if there is no way to convert a raw image to a vmdk image?

[bingmatv]

How about adding a feature to this crate to create iso file? Since https://github.com/ventoy/Ventoy allows a USB drive to contain multiple iso files, if this crate can make an iso file for Ventoy, then we don't need to format the whole USB drive. Ventoy avoids formatting the whole USB drive and allows to select 1 iso file to boot @bjorn3

[tsatke]

I think this project is more about allowing people to learn about kernels and operating systems, and giving them some tools to build off of.

Providing an iso file for an operating system is kind of a big deal. A lot has to go into it. Some projects like SerenityOS actively decided against it.

Maybe this helps you