Install from USB

[No1451]

Got all my parts today, only to realize that my sata DVD drive is broken and my board has no IDE connector....so, how do I install ESXi? I've tried a number of methods for creating a bootable USB drive and so far not a single one works.

Help please

 

[Patrick]

What motherboard?

 

[No1451]

X8SIL, I decided against the version with IPMI onboard and now I am really regretting the decision.

 

[PigLover]

Try this: http://www.vm-help.com/esx40i/ESXi_USB_install.php

And next time buy IPMI.

 

[No1451]

I have tried that method, the line where it states that running that command will copy a file...well it simply doesn't.

Edit: Tried a few more times and it did, still no love, no machine is capable of booting from this USB drive

So far I have tried dd on OS X, UNetbootin and syslinux. I've even used multiple USB drives so I don't think it's an issue with the drive(I've booted my main machine from these USB drives before). The pain in the ass this has caused really makes me wish I had just gotten the more expensive version.

 

[john4200]

Can you create any bootable USB drives with your setup? Say with UNetbootin, can you create a bootable FreeDOS? If you cannot at least do that, your system has serious problems.

 

[No1451]

Can you create any bootable USB drives with your setup? Say with UNetbootin, can you create a bootable FreeDOS? If you cannot at least do that, your system has serious problems.

No it seems I can't, I've tried on 3 separate machines, none of them are seemingly able to create a bootable ESXi USB drive. Windows and Linux both worked but no dice on this. Tried used UltimateDeployment to do a PXE boot but it seems I am far far too stupid to use this software :/

 

[john4200]

No it seems I can't, I've tried on 3 separate machines, none of them are seemingly able to create a bootable ESXi USB drive. Windows and Linux both worked but no dice on this. Tried used UltimateDeployment to do a PXE boot but it seems I am far far too stupid to use this software :/

So, are you saying you CAN create a USB bootable Windows or Linux flash drive, but not ESXi ??

 

[No1451]

Yup, ESXi just seems to fail every time. I even confirmed the iso working by making a DVD of them. However I managed to get UDA working, so hopefully this solve my problems.