The Search for ESXi 5.5 License Keys: GitHub, Ethics, and Alternatives

Recommendation:

If you must use ESXi 5.5 for legacy hardware testing (in a strictly air-gapped lab), look for the official Free License keys archived on legitimate tech forums or the Wayback Machine archive of the VMware site. Do not run scripts from GitHub repositories to "activate" the product. If this is for production, do not use ESXi 5.5 —the security liability is too high.

Why ESXi 5.5 Remains in the Conversation

The Correct Way to Get a "Better" License for ESXi 5.5