USB Boot in VMware
A few years ago we released a blog post on VMware Fusion Kali USB Boot. This can come in handy if a USB is not working how it should, as it can reduce time from needing to reboot or transfer it to another machine. Since then there have been some updates to VMware Fusion that make this process a bit easier.
As a review, we will be creating a VM that has no hard drive attached and will boot the USB off of EFI.
Process
Create a new custom VM
Be sure to select âLinuxâ and the latest Debian 64-bit version
Select âUEFIâ as the boot option.
Create a new virtual disk (This will be removed later)
Click âCustomize Settingsâ
Give it a name you will remember
In settings, click Processor and Memory. Ensure at least 2048MB memory is allocated, and at least 2 cores.
Next, in âDisplayâ, check âAccelerate 3D Graphicsâ. This is an optional option, however it improves the performance. Optionally, check âUse full resolution for Retina displayâ.
Now we can get into the USB section and ensure everything will work like a real system. In âUSB Devicesâ ensure that âUSB Compatibilityâ is set to âUSB 3.0â if you have a compatible setup. If you are using USB-C, ensure that you have USB 3.0 selected. The âPlug In Actionâ should be set to âConnect to Linuxâ.
To remove the hard disk, go to âDisksâ and then expand the âAdvanced optionsâ and click âRemove Hard Diskâ. You can send it to the trash.
Now we can power on the VM, and it should boot to Kali.
Troubleshooting USB Connections
If you run into problems, you have a few options. First, power off your VM. Go to âSettingsâ -> âUSB Devicesâ and leave this settings screen up next to your powered-off VM. (You can also expand your toolbar and look at the USB icon). Now, power on the VM. Immediately, you should see the USB Settings screen update with a check next to your USB device:
If you donât get a check mark, this means that your Mac has grabbed the USB drive. Power off your VM, eject the drive from the Mac, and power on the VM again with the USB settings screen up. You should see the check mark and get the Kali boot screen.
Troubleshooting EFI
When booting with EFI, your boot screen should look like this:
This indicates that EFI is enabled. If itâs not, triple-check that you entered the firmware line correctly in the âAdvancedâ section of settings. Note that in some cases, this EFI Network check may hang. Simply pressing ESC within the VM nudges the process along.
To access the Boot Manager, you can click on âVirtual Machineâ on the Apple window bar at the top, and then click âPower on to firmwareâ.
From here, you can select âEFI Internal Shellâ to get into the shell. If you get something like this, missing an fs0 map, then EFI doesnât see your USB drive. If this is the case, power off the virtual machine, unplug the USB, start the VM, and immediately after pressing start, insert the drive, looking for the checkmark in settings.
If everything goes well, youâre booted into Kali Linux. Otherwise, you can get to an EFI shell with ESC, âEFI Internal Shellâ. A âhappyâ EFI shell looks like this:
Note the fs0 map. Next, you can enter âfs0:â and âlsâ to look around.
You can enter âcd efi\bootâ (notice the backslash, not a forward slash!) and boot the device manually with âbootx64.efi'
This should give you a happy EFI boot:
Note that on some installations, the shutdown, followed by removing the drive, powering on the VM and inserting the drive might be required. This likely has much to do with the Mac grabbing the USB drive, or half-grabbing it (without mounting).
Final option
If neither of the above worked to fix you booting directly into Kali, but you can boot as seen by troubleshooting EFI, you can always use the boot manager to boot into Kali Linux. Access the Boot Manager by clicking on âVirtual Machineâ on the Apple window bar at the top, and then click âPower on to firmwareâ. Select the option âEFI USB Deviceâ and hit enter.
This should give you a happy EFI boot:
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