Well VMware actually do this, but not in release version. You can set the guestOS setting in the VMX file to be "vmkernel" , but it doesn't work in Workstation 5.5.3.

Dave

For those who want to know.

For anyone wanting to develop their Altiris or similar automated installation of ESX You can use VM Workstation to test the install procedures before moving it to physical hardware.

I have needed to test unattended builds of ESX 2.x and VI3.x using Altiris and I used my standard Workstation 5.5.x. to do the PXE booting etc You will be able to install both versions but you will not be able to do much.

For 2.5.x version you will be able to even load the vmkernal but without storage available you can't do much. Whearas with VI3 the VMkernal will not load at all making the installation useless.

Hope this helps.

MP

You have a screaming DL380 to spare?  I'll take it....

Has anyone tried if ESX runs (crawls) in Parallels or VirtualBox ?

By the way - VirtualBox can run inside a VMware session

It doesn't... Workstation and VMware Server don't run, too.

>>VirtualBox can run inside a VMware session

The XEN demo CD also runs inside the VMware Workstation guest; I could even start 2 VMs

With WS6.0 if you have right hardware (and enable couple of undocumented options to force WS to use 32bit VT) then you should be able to run ESX in a VM.  Just note that it will be really slow once you'll start running VMs inside ESX, and you need to disable backdoor in "outer" VM as otherwise vmware-vmx on virtual ESX will refuse to poweron saying that powering on VM inside VM is not allowed.

So would I be getting close with these in the VMX file:

guestOS = "vmkernel"

isolation.tools.getPtrLocation.disable = "TRUE"

isolation.tools.setPtrLocation.disable = "TRUE"

monitor_control.vt32 = "TRUE"

This is from memory as not at a PC with my notes at present.

Ok there is obviously a setting missing. ESX 3.0.1 vmkernel starts but then seems to loop waiting from something. The log file has these messages:

Jan 30 17:40:33.886: vcpu-0| SEG_SS 1254 count=93

Jan 30 17:40:33.981: vcpu-0| SEG_SS 1254 count=94

Jan 30 17:40:34.092: vcpu-0| SEG_SS 1254 count=95

Jan 30 17:40:34.188: vcpu-0| SEG_SS 1254 count=96

Jan 30 17:40:34.299: vcpu-0| SEG_SS 1254 count=97

Jan 30 17:40:34.505: vcpu-0| SEG_SS 1254 count=98

Jan 30 17:40:34.601: vcpu-0| SEG_SS 1254 count=99[/code]

Same issue with other VMware products e.g. Player 1.0.3

Any chance of a final clue??

Dave

Don't set the guestOS; "other 32-bit" is close enough.

Is the hardware correct?  ESX requires 2 processors, SCSI (use lsilogic), and networking (use e1000).

There are more isolation options, but those shouldn't show up until you start up nested VMs.

Sorry, but the mptscsi_2xx driver in ESX 3.0.1 has some incompatibilities with the virtual lsilogic device in VMware products.  It's just not going to work.

Shame about that!