How to Install OpenWrt on VMware Workstation in Windows (Quick Guide)

1. Download and Extract Image

• Download the x86/64 combined ext4 (.img.gz) image from the official OpenWrt firmware page. https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/24.10.6/targets/x86/64/openwrt-24.10.6-x86-64-generic-ext4-combined-efi.img.gz
• Extract the archive to obtain the raw .img file.

2. Convert Image to VMware Format (Critical Step)

VMware cannot boot .img files directly. Converting the disk to .vmdk format is mandatory.

• Best practice is to use the qemu-img CLI tool. https://www.qemu.org/download/#windows
• Run the conversion command via Terminal/CMD: qemu-img convert -f raw -O vmdk path\to\openwrt-x86-64-generic-ext4-combined.img openwrt.vmdk

3. VMware Virtual Machine Configuration

• Create a new VM in VMware Workstation using the Custom (Advanced) option.
• OS Installation: I will install the operating system later.

• Guest OS: Linux -> Other Linux 6.x or later kernel 64-bit. (Check for the correct kernel version of your OpenWRT image.)

• Resources: 1 CPU Core and 512 MB RAM are more than enough. I prefer 1GB Ram time to time.

4. Network Hardware Architecture

Since you are building a router, you must add at least two network interfaces (NICs). Remember, the OS always accepts adapter 1 as a LAN, you can change it after booting.

• Network Adapter 1 (LAN): For management interface and internal network. Select Host-only or a specific custom VMnet.
• Network Adapter 2 (WAN): For internet access. Add this hardware and configure it as Bridged or NAT.

5. Disk Integration

• Virtual Disk Type: Select IDE or SATA. (SCSI will often cause a kernel panic due to missing kernel modules in the base image?).

• Disk Selection: Check Use an existing virtual disk.
• Browse and select the openwrt.vmdk file you created in step 2. If VMware asks to update the format, select Keep Existing Format.

6. Boot and Initial Configuration

• Power on the VM. When the log flow stops, press Enter to drop into the OpenWrt terminal (ash).
• If WMware asks to connect sata0:1, select yes.