I have always had an issue creating a VM then having additional software needing to be transferred to it. Since ESXi does not have USB support your limited to Network Drives or downloading it from the website. From my own experience, using Linux Server Distro and other Win versions make drive connections a real pain. Use native ESXI functions to transfer these files using the Datastore Browsers Upload (file/folder) function and the VM's CDROM Image drives to move the files around.
What Software you'll need:
ISO Creating Software - I use PowerISO
full version. Pay the $9 and get the full functionality, as it limits
the ISO size on the shareware.
ESXi (any version) - "obviously"
Note ** all the below steps should be done prior to turning ON the VM and adding the needed hardware can be configured after initial creation of the VM
To start, download what your going to need to create the VM (in my case, my servers lack the CD Rom Drive, so Burning a CD is pretty useless, and a waste of a CD, and attaching a USB drive is a pain). My example project will be: To create an Ubuntu VCenter Converter Server. The OS will be any level of Unbuntu and I had the Ubuntu 9 Distro ISO on my PC, so I used Vsphere Datastore Browser to upload that ISO from my desktop to the datastore. But we also need the Linux VCenter Converter Tar.gz which I already had download also. So lets get going and get the tar.gz ready on the datastore 1st.......
Steps
#1 - Located the tar.gz in an accessible location, like desktop
#2 - Open PowerISO and add the file
#3 - Save this as an ISO file
#4 - Open Vsphere Client and log into ESXi
#5 - Now right Click your datastore were your going to install the VM and click Browse Datastore
#6 - Click "Upload files to the datastore" the Icon with the Disks with Up Arrow
#7 - Point to the ISO File you created and the file will be loaded to the directory
#8 - Now Create the VM and Make sure you add Hardware for a CDROM using image of Ubuntu ISO
#9 - (Configure VM for your Need)
#10 - Start the VM and it should boot from the ISO CDROM, follow normal Installation of OS (Bios should be set to boot off CDRoms)
#11- After Installation, power VM Down and Add/swap Installation ISO with Vcenter Converter ISO thats on the DataStore
#12 - Start VM and now Ubuntu will have a CDROM with the tar.gz waiting
#13 - Now transfer the tar.gz to your Ubuntu desktop or particular folder. Thats It!
