If you are looking to get started with Ethereum development & wants to have an out of box environment to get up & running in minutes, this VM is for you. It includes
Truffle Ethereum framework ( http://truffleframework.com )
Truffle is a world class development environment, testing framework & asset pipeline for Ethereum to make life as an Ethereum developer easier. It includes:
Network management for deploying to any number of public & private networks.
Package management with EthPM & NPM.
Interactive console for direct contract communication.
Configurable build pipeline with support for tight integration.
External script runner that executes scripts within a Truffle environment.
Ganache testnet (http://truffleframework.com/ganache)
Ganache provides a blockchain user interface allows you to quickly fire up a personal Ethereum blockchain which you can use to run tests, execute commands, & inspect state while controlling how the chain operates.
Visual studio code with solidity plugin (https://code.visualstudio.com)
The Visual studio code along with the solidity plugin gives developer the IDE they need for faster development & testing.
Go Ethereum (Geth) (http://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/wiki/geth)
Geth is the command line interface for running a full Ethereum node implemented in Go programming language. By installing & running geth, you can
Take part in the Ethereum live network
Mine real ether
Transfer funds between addresses
Create contracts & send transactions
Explore block history
Metamask Firefox plugin (http://metamask.io)
Metamask allows you to run Ethereum dApps right in your browser without running a full Ethereum node. It includes a secure identity vault, providing a user interface to manage your identities on different sites & sign blockchain transactions.
Quorum private blockchain http://jpmorgan.com/global/Quorum https://github.com/jpmorganchase/quorum
Quorum is an enterprise-focused version of Ethereum. Quorum is ideal for application requiring high speed & high throughput processing of private transactions within a permissioned group of known participants. Quorum addresses specific challenges to blockchain technology adoption within the financial industry, & beyond.
Hands on demos
The best & fastest way to learn Ethereum development is through sample demos included in the VM. Demos provide developer to play around with the working code to understand various Ethereum & blockchain concepts without doing any coding. The demos include:
