It appears to be a issue with the XML file .... Can you actually boot it up to a prompt? If so, try to edit the sata_nv.xml file, and copy/paste this part:

<device id="037e">
<vmware label="scsi">
<driver>sata_nv</driver>
</vmware>
<name>MCP55 SATA Controller</name>
</device>

And add another one, stating the <device id="037f"> (as it appears to have that one, according to some sites!)

Can you just only install ESX 3.5 with the SATA controller?

or

Can you install and run ESX 3.5 with the SATA controller?

Cause with a HP ML110G2 and a i82801FR/FRW (ICH6R/RW) I can install ESX 3.5 with VMFS perfectly, but running ESX 3.5 isn't possible. Like @blackforce wrote with his configuration, it crashes during booting on my box too.

onboard raid: yes, this "raid" really sucks, because my rescue cd found 2 controllers/disks -> NO RAID

TODO-List to get ESX-3.5 up and running.

1.) install it from the cd (of course)

2.) reboot with a linux live cd of your choice.

and now i hope that there are no typos...because i created this "script" on my laptop during i tried and tested it on my ESX box!

mkdir /mnt/eboot
mkdir /mnt/eroot

1. /boot of ESX box

mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/eboot

1. /root of ESX box

mount /dev/sda2 /mnt/eroot

mkdir /mnt/eroot/tmp/initrd
mkdir /mnt/eroot/tmp/initrd/extracted
mkdir /mnt/eroot/tmp/initrd/extractednew

cp /mnt/eboot/boot/initrd-2.4.21-47.0.1.ELvmnix.img /mnt/eroot/tmp/initrd

cd /mnt/eroot/tmp/initrd
mv initrd-2.4.21-47.0.1.ELvmnix.img initrd-2.4.21-47.0.1.ELvmnix.img.gz
gunzip initrd-2.4.21-47.0.1.ELvmnix.img.gz
mount initrd-2.4.21-47.0.1.ELvmnix.img extracted -o loop

cd extracted
cd etc/vmware
cp simple.map simple.map.org

vi simple.map
2nd go for SED!

search for 037e
double this line
change one 037e to 037f
save

cd ..
cd ..

dd if=dev/zero of=initrd.img bs=1k count=97000
mke2fs -i 1024 -b 1024 -m 5 -F -v initrd.img

mount initrd.img extractednew -t ext2 -o loop

tar -C extracted/ -cmf - . | tar -C extractednew/ -xmf - .

1. umount initrd.img

umount extracted
umount extractednew

gzip -best initrd.img
ls -alh
mv initrd.img.gz initrd.img

cd /mnt/eboot
mv initrd-2.4.21-47.0.1.ELvmnix.img initrd-2.4.21-47.0.1.ELvmnix.img.org
cp /mnt/eroot/tmp/initrd/initrd.img initrd-2.4.21-47.0.1.ELvmnix.img

cd /mnt/eroot
cd etc
cd vmware

cp pci.ids pci.ids.org
vi pci.ids
2nd go for SED!

search for 037e
double this line
change one 037e to 037f
save

cp pci.xml.merged pci.xml.merged.org
vi pci.xml.merged
2nd go for SED!

search for 037e
double this SECTION
change one 037e to 037f
save

cd pciid
cp sata_nv.xml sata_nv.xml.org
vi sata_nv.xml
2nd go for SED!

search for 037e
double this SECTION
change one 037e to 037f
save

reboot from your resuce system into ESX and JUCHEEEEE....

kind regards,

Reinhard

do a "pwd". You should be in "/mnt/eroot/tmp/initrd"

I think i left out a "cd .." in my notes.

this works on my ML 115-G1

1.) install normaly, hopefully it works.

2.) reboot with linux Live cd when esx boot fails

3.) scp the following script to the esx and tun it.

--->8---

#!/bin/bash

1. vmware esx initrd changer

1. Reinhard Partmann
2. date created: 2007-12-17
3. date modified: 2007-12-17
4. version: 0.2

echo "creating directories..."
mkdir -p /mnt/eboot
mkdir -p /mnt/eroot

echo "mounting.."
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/eboot
mount /dev/sda2 /mnt/eroot
mount | grep sda

echo "copying original initrd file..."
mkdir -p /mnt/eroot/tmp/initrd/extracted
cp /mnt/eboot/initrd-2.4.21-47.0.1.ELvmnix.img /mnt/eroot/tmp/initrd/initrd-2.4.21-47.0.1.ELvmnix.img.gz
cd /mnt/eroot/tmp/initrd

echo "unpacking & mounting original initrd file..."
gunzip -f initrd-2.4.21-47.0.1.ELvmnix.img.gz
mount initrd-2.4.21-47.0.1.ELvmnix.img extracted -t ext2 -o loop
cd extracted
cd etc
cd vmware

echo "changing simple.map..."
echo "10de:037f 0000:0000 sata_nv.o" >> simple.map

cd ..
cd ..
cd ..

umount extracted
echo "replacing original initrd file..."
gzip --best initrd-2.4.21-47.0.1.ELvmnix.img
mv /mnt/eroot/tmp/initrd/initrd-2.4.21-47.0.1.ELvmnix.img.gz /mnt/eboot/
cp /mnt/eboot/initrd-2.4.21-47.0.1.ELvmnix.img.gz /mnt/eboot/initrd-2.4.21-47.0.1.ELvmnix.img

echo "patching xml files"

cd /mnt/eroot/etc/vmware/pciid
lines=`wc -l sata_nv.xml | awk ' { print $1 } '`
echo "lines: $lines"
(( lines -= 2))
echo "subtr lines: $lines"
mv sata_nv.xml sata_nv.xml.org
head -$lines sata_nv.xml.org > sata_nv.xml

echo " <device ID="037f">" >> sata_nv.xml
echo " <vmware label="scsi">" >> sata_nv.xml
echo " <driver>sata_nv</driver>" >> sata_nv.xml
echo " </vmware>" >> sata_nv.xml
echo " <name>MCP55 SATA Controller</name>" >> sata_nv.xml
echo " </device>" >> sata_nv.xml
echo " </vendor>" >> sata_nv.xml
echo "</pcitable>" >> sata_nv.xml

touch /mnt/eroot/etc/init.d/rp-esxcfg-pciid-boot
echo "#!/bin/bash" >> /mnt/eroot/etc/init.d/rp-esxcfg-pciid-boot
echo "esxcfg-pciid" >> /mnt/eroot/etc/init.d/rp-esxcfg-pciid-boot
echo "sleep 5" >> /mnt/eroot/etc/init.d/rp-esxcfg-pciid-boot
echo "rm /etc/rc3.d/S99rp-esxcfg-pciid-boot" >> /mnt/eroot/etc/init.d/rp-esxcfg-pciid-boot
chmod a+x /mnt/eroot/etc/init.d/rp-esxcfg-pciid-boot
cd /mnt/eroot/etc/rc3.d/
ln -s ../init.d/rp-esxcfg-pciid-boot S99rp-esxcfg-pciid-boot

echo "cleanup..."
cd /
rm -f -r /mnt/eroot/tmp/initrd
umount /mnt/eboot
umount /mnt/eroot
rm -f -r /mnt/eboot
rm -f -r /mnt/eroot

--->8---

he edited sata_nv.xml to add the 037f line

added 037f to sata_nv.xml
then ran
esxcfg-pciid

I could then reboot ok,