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‎09-28-2011 06:38 AM

Override video mode change on ESXi 5.0 install

We install ESXi remotely in new servers using PXE and a Dell IP KVM. With the ESXi 5.0 installer there is a video mode change around the start of the installation that creates a problem in some SuperMicro servers. Apparently the video mode is supported by the server's video card but not the IP KVM so the remote screen goes blank. Is there a boot.cfg option to prevent the installer from switching the video mode (or at least switching to a specified one)? I looked at the online docs but couldn't find any. Hopefully something like the Linux vga=mode boot option exists for ESXi.

This PXE install setup works very well with ESXi 4.1U1. It does work in some servers with ESXi 5.0, possibly depending on the video adapter in use.

Thanks!

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Tom1193
Contributor
Contributor
‎09-26-2012 06:23 AM

I have this same question for ESXi 5.1, except for a different reason.

I can use the installer and the host video in the default mode, so this isn't urgent, it's just  annoying.

I'd like to reduce the text layout geometry of the display from 48x128 to something like 25x80. I think I should be able to do this by reducing the amount of video memory from the host system's default of 16Meg to something like 2Meg.

Is there a boot option that can define the video memory size that the host uses ?

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