character set wrong on virtuell opensuse on esxi

[Coliban]

Hello,

i´ve cretaed a openSuse 13.1 virtuell machine, startet it, but can´t do anything meaningfull in the console (ESXi enbedded host client), because it always has a characterset, whatever emulation i configure, english, or german, which is missing some charcters (for example the "-" in the german characterset or the "/" in the english), so i can´t do anything usefull.

How could i configure the esxi or the virtuell machine?

regards

[Coliban]

Ok, i found a method to circumvent this error: i installed vSphere Client on a windows machine an with this vSphere client i am able to connect to the ESXi server, manage it, and get a correct console.

I is a little bit confusing: a Linux-based product like VMware/ESXi is not able to communicate with linux based products, don´t know, why.

regards

[Texiwill]

Hello,

ESXi is not Linux, it however does have a management console for purely management actions, connecting to a running VM via SSH is NOT one of those actions. Since it is not Linux the management console does not have everything you would expect within a purely Linux environment.

Actually, you should only log into the ESXi management console in a break glass situation (i.e. catastrophic failure repair). For everything else use either the vSphere client in Windows or use the web based vSphere Client.

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009-2015

Author of the books 'VMWare ESX and ESXi in the Enterprise: Planning Deployment Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2011 Pearson Education. 'VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing the Virtual Environment', Copyright 2009 Pearson Education.

Virtualization and Cloud Security Analyst: The Virtualization Practice, LLC -- vSphere Upgrade Saga -- Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

[Coliban]

Hello Edward,

thank you for your advises.

But if something is build around a linux kernel, i would call it "linux", at least depending upon linux, doesn't it?  As i understood, a main part depends on linux (vmklinux, device drivers, etc).

And it has the busysbox. (But a busybox with many limitations)

You said, the console should only be used "in a break glass situation", but i have to log into it to manage the iso files, which i copird with scp into the ESXi server, and so on.

regards

[Texiwill]

Hello

> But if something is build around a linux kernel, i would call it "linux", at least depending upon linux, doesn't it?  As i understood, a main part depends on linux (vmklinux, device drivers, etc).

It is NOT Linux. It is just not designed for daily use. That Management Console is designed to help fix specific problems and that is it. If you must know how it boots, look into one of my books. But it does a two kernel monte, it boots the first stage kernel then switches to the vmkernel. Not vmlinux. It is just not Linux. It is an appliance device.

> And it has the busysbox. (But a busybox with many limitations)

Yes, Busybox is what you boot into that runs the Management Console. Either case, that is just a cut-down Posix environment used by switches and other appliance devices. ESXi is an appliance and therefore not a Linux system.

> You said, the console should only be used "in a break glass situation", but i have to log into it to manage the iso files, which i copird with scp into the ESXi server, and so on.

No you do not and should not. Create a VM that runs as an NFS server, put the ISOs on that VM and mount that VMs NFS server to the ESXi server using the normal datastore/disk management tools in the vSphere Client. There is absolutely no need to login into the console except to fix hardware related problems. Not ISO images or any other sort of access. This is the lowest hanging fruit of any virtualization security. Do NOT login to the Console except in a break glass situation. Such situations for me included in the past: fixing VDS (no need now), Formatting fusion IO cards, testing specific network elements.

The last time I had to use the Management Console was to fix a format issue of a low level device. That was the first time in 3 years.

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009-2015

Author of the books 'VMWare ESX and ESXi in the Enterprise: Planning Deployment Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2011 Pearson Education. 'VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing the Virtual Environment', Copyright 2009 Pearson Education.

Virtualization and Cloud Security Analyst: The Virtualization Practice, LLC -- vSphere Upgrade Saga -- Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

[Coliban]

Ok, the problem still exists: "but I can´t do anything meaningfull in the console (ESXi enbedded host client), because it always has a characterset, whatever emulation i configure, english, or german, which is missing some charcters (for example the "-" in the german characterset or the "/" in the english), so i can´t do anything usefull."

The primary reason was not the ssh connection to the esxi server (which i prefer), but the console in the browser and there it is the firefox-browser 41.0.2, running on linux (opensuse 13.1). I am not able to get the right charakters, for example, "-" and "/" are not available, so i can´t use it for any meaningfull work within the console.

regards

[Texiwill]

Hello,

Where are you running firefox? If it is within the Management Construct it will not work as you expect. Deinstall and make a Virtual Machine. If it is within a virtual machine (preferred) then you need to fix that VM. They are different and one DOES NOT impact the other. So which is it?

Rule 0: ESXi console is NOT for general use. Do not LOGIN unless it is a Break Glass situation.

It sounds like you are using a web based SSH tool from a VM or some other system. The real question then becomes WHY are you logging into the ESXi console? Can you not do this via the web client, esxcli, etc. There are tools to interact with ESXi so you do not have to login. Use those tools. THere is the Management Assistant (vMA), vCLI, etc. use one of those. The only time you need to connect to ESXi is to fix 'break glass' situations, generally related to hardware issues. I.e. last time I had to login was to format a fusion IO device as you cannot do that from the tools. That was a year or so ago.

I would also verify that it works the way you do from SSH from a terminal window (Or the console of the OpenSUSE machine). if that still has issues you may have to open a case with VMware Support. Web based SSH do have various limitations.

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009-2015

Author of the books 'VMWare ESX and ESXi in the Enterprise: Planning Deployment Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2011 Pearson Education. 'VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing the Virtual Environment', Copyright 2009 Pearson Education.

Virtualization and Cloud Security Analyst: The Virtualization Practice, LLC -- vSphere Upgrade Saga -- Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast