Need:
- ESXi 3.5 Iso File
- http://www.accessdata.com/downloads/current_releases/imager/Imager%20Lite%202.6.1.zip to open Iso and extract Files
- 7zip, WinRar, or whatever to unzip Files (7zip Recommended)
- http://syslinux.zytor.com/wiki/index.php/PXELINUX
ESXi 3.5 Extract:
1.) Extract the install.tgz from \CDROM\Sessions 1\Track 01\CDROM.
Its the Rock Ridge (RR in Isobuster) Session. Do NOT choose the one from the ISO / Boot part!
2.) Unzip the install.tgz.
3.) Extract the VMware-VMvisor-big-3.5.0_Update_4-153875.i386.dd.bz2 from the path install\usr\lib\vmware\installer to an directory of your choice.
4.) Unzip the VMware-VMvisor-big-3.5.0_Update_4-153875.i386.dd.bz2
5.) Open the File with FTK Imager.
6.) Extract the files of in Partition4\root (4 Files ldlinux.sys, mbootc32, safeboot.c32, syslinux.cfg - which are the bootloaders)
7.) Extract the files of in Partition5\root (7 Files bindmod.tgz, boot.cfg, cim.tgz, environ.tgz, license.tgz, oem.tgz, vmkernel.tgz - which are the ESXi Program Files)
PXELinux Extract:
- com32/mboot/mboot.c32
- com32/menu/menu.c32
- core/pxelinux.0
TFTP
- Create root Folder
- Copy all files from partition5\root Section within that Folder
- Copy all files from PXELinux Extract Section within that Folder
- Create Folder "pxelinux.cfg" within the root Folder
- Create an text file "default" (with NO File Ending or such) in that folder, with following text:
default menu.c32
menu title PXE Boot VMware ESXi
timeout 100
label ESXi
menu label Boot VMware ESXi
kernel mboot.c32
append vmkernel.gz --- binmod.tgz --- environ.tgz --- cim.tgz
ipappend 2
label Hard
menu label Boot from local drive
localboot 0
- Setup your tftp Server as you normally would and PXE Boot!
(For example see my PXE Boot Bart PE Post for setting up Tftpd32 for Windows)
Taken from: http://docs.google.com/View?docid=ddcwgcd6_4fs6s7jcf
Hello, after a bit of trial and error i got the pxe to boot, I didn't want too much automation just the luxury of a pxe boot. Here is an updated version for esx 5.1
http://netplusconsulting.net/helpdesk/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/264/0/esxi-51-pxe-boot-to-working-esxi-51-hypervisor
Thank you