Unable to load module /usr/lib/vmware/vmkmod/vmfs3: Failure

[JJ_2019]

Greetings!  I have seen similar problems reported in threads dated 2011 so I thought I better start a new one.

I am trying to install ESXi 6.0 U3 on a Proliant DL380 Gen7, which, according to the VMware compatibility guide should work:

I installed VMware-ESXi-6.0.0-Update3-9313334-HPE-preGen9-600.9.8.5.4-Sep2018.iso onto a USB 2.0 stick using Rufus and the installation proceeds fairly well:

Until, of course, the following happens after pressing F11 to agree to the EULA:

This particular server has 4 x 1G Ethernet ports + the magic iLO 3.  I tried the process by having a good cable connected to both types (in an attempt to 'drive' the installer's attention to that socket) but the result was the same.

I opened the server and managed to get the details from the only Broadcom chip I could easily see: BCM5709CC0KPBG TN1149 P21 175676 P3

Would a kind soul enlighten this poor beginner?

[a_p_]

Welcome to the Community,

only a guess, but did you already try to installation using the default VMware ESXi image?

André

[Buddhika01]

Could you check the installation media gain. try to download the HPE image again and recreate the installation media.

[JJ_2019]

Thank you a.p.​

When you say

only a guess, but did you already try to installation using the default VMware ESXi image?

could you please clarify what exactly you call the default image?  Would this be version 6.0 without any updates or the latest 7.x available?

The directory for ESXi 6.0 U3 also contained a zip file (VMware-ESXi-6.0.0-Update3-9313334-HPE-preGen9-600.9.8.5.4-Sep2018-depot.zip) but I did not know what to do with that.

In the meantime I am going to try 5.5. U3 which is the other version claimed to be compatible.

[a_p_]

... could you please clarify what exactly you call the default image?

What I mean is the VMware image, i.e. not the HPE customized one.

André

[JJ_2019]

Ah cool, yes, HP could easily have messed up.  As it happens, I tried 5.5 U3 (from HP) and this worked.  I had an issue with my wireless keyboard and had to wait until I could get a PS2 one (yes not as easy as before).  I also got hold of a couple of SD cards to try booting ESXi from there but run into an interesting new challenge:

My successful ESXi 5.5.0 installation went to a SAS drive hooked to the P410i controller.  It always boots without failure from there and I managed to enable ssh and connect from my regular Linux Mint desktop. What a nice surprise to discover (I think) that ESXi is based on Linux.

However, if I now plug my ESXi 5.5.0 installation USB stick I am not able to boot the server from it and rerun the installation.  In fact, if I unplug the SAS disk that contains a good install, I am unable to boot from anywhere.  Not from the USB stick and not from the DVD containing the minimum necessary to install CentOS over network.  I tried several times hitting F11 during start up sequence and selecting USB key but it always ignores it.  I even went as far as recreating that USB based ESXi installer with Rufus but it is as if the server somehow knows that I already installed ESXi once and it won't let me repeat the process.

I record this here for the benefit of anyone else who could run into this problem as I managed to solve it by going to a BIOS/UEFI (which one?) option to "Restore Settings/Erase Boot Disk".  This allowed me to rerun ESXi installation from the USB stick and from there, to select a 4GB (mini) SD card.

I can now take my next steps on this new journey. Thank you all for your support.

JJ