Getting Solaris to run on ESX is a little bit tricky but possible. In thread http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?threadID=25995&start=0&tstart=0 I posted some step by step instructions. You will need VMware Workstation and a subscription for Solaris updates from Sun (to get mpt version 1.26) to follow these instructions. Be sure to complete reading to the end of the thread, as there are some additional paramaters needed to not only get it to run, but also get it stable!

In the meantime, I made patches also for the SCSI driver of the Solaris 10 base distribution (mpt version 1.24). Patches for both versions (1.24 and 1.26) can be found at http://wotho.ethz.ch/ESX_solaris/Solaris_10_patches_for_VMware_ESX.tar. The installation process for the 1.24 version is the same as mentioned in the above thread, except that there is no need for updating Solaris after installing from the distribution media and correspondingly no need for patching /platform/i86pc/kernel/unix.

I also made a modified Solaris 10 Installation DVD, which can be installed directly on ESX, without the diversion to VMware Workstation. Installation from this DVD automatically sets the correct parameters to get a stable Solaris VM. If you like to try it, I can make the iso image available to you.

If you got it to run: On http://wotho.ethz.ch/ESX_solaris/vmware-tools-lxrun.tar you find some files needed, if you want to get vmware-guestd to run. See the README file included for instructions. Of course, I can provide a directly installable iso image for this also. Functionality is of course only delivering of heartbeats and configuration info to the ESX server and executing poweroff and reboot commands if requested by the server. No vmware-toolbox, no hgfs, no vmmemctl and no vmxnet...

I think, the many replies in different threads are a bit confusing. So you now find brief step by step instructions for the installation of Solaris 10 on ESX Server 2.5.x at http://wotho.ethz.ch/ESX_solaris/Install_Solaris_on_ESX.html

Hi Marcel,

I password protected the images to avoid legal problems... please send an e-mail to my adress mentioned in the step by step instructions and I will be glad to provide you with the information necessary.

Best Regards, Juergen

FYI: Solaris 10 Update 1 (1/06) can now be installed on ESX using my step by step instructions at http://wotho.ethz.ch/ESX_solaris/Install_Solaris_on_ESX.html

I've no idea on first sight... but perhaps I find something, if you mail me the .vmx and vmware.log file from the VM you used for installing.

I received lots of feedbacks from people having successfully installed update 1 on ESX 2.5.2. So the problem is most likely specific to your VM configuration.

I have not seen this on ESX but i have had the same problem on Workstation 5.5.1... the machine in question would not start the installer (both graphical and text).. turned out that the machine did not have the latest AGP drivers installed (in this case the AGP drivers for the harddrive controller bridge)... after installing all sweet....

Hi Winkelmann

Having looked back at the message I left... I think the problem I experienced is more than likely the same issue you posted about...

What I should have mentioned;

I have installed Solaris 5.11 using the Solaris 10 Guest machine config.... on workstation 5.5.1 on two machines.. the first a woefully underpowered dell celeron 1500mhz (which just happens to look alot like the bottom spec intel mac and which happily runs macosx).. which installed solaris with little or no problems.. the other was a high spec fujitsu-siemens laptop.. which refused to start the installer at all at first until I upgraded the agp drivers... the virtual cddrom was getting hammered (I tried both local images and physical media.. tried setting legacy mode and connection exclusive to no avail...)

My conclusions (or to state the obvious)... anything that causes latency on the virtual cdrom drive is likley to cause the solaris installer/ata driver to fail or appear to 'hang'...

I have been quite happy with my install of 5.11 the only thing I have'nt been able to do sofar is make the update system work.... keeps giving an general error during analysis of the system.....

Message was edited by:
Dave P