Searching for a points to a common dilemma for homelab enthusiasts and legacy system administrators: finding activation keys for outdated hypervisors like VMware ESXi 5.5 using public code repositories.
Prior to the Broadcom acquisition, this was the official method to get a free, perpetual (time-unlimited) ESXi license. While this license is no longer available from Broadcom, the key itself has some unique properties.
Implementation technologies (suggested)
Select Licensed Features under the Software section.
The classic vSphere Client (C# client) is often preferred over later buggy web-based interfaces. The "GitHub Better" Phenomenon esxi 55 license key github better
vim-cmd vimsvc/license --set <YOUR-KEY-HERE> vim-cmd vimsvc/license --list
Open the vSphere Client and select the ESXi server node. Navigate to Configuration: Click the Configuration tab. Searching for a points to a common dilemma
This is often considered the "better" way because it bypasses potential errors in the legacy vSphere Client interface. The Modern Alternative: VMUG Advantage