ESX is Linux

[pefu]

Hello all

ESX was make from Linux's core. I will want install MC (midnight commandor) and other popular software in linux. Did you have any suggest about install softwafe in ESX-Linux? It is good idea?

Greeting

[AndreTheGiant]

ESX is not Linux.

ESX is the bare metal hypervisor.

The Linux part (RHEL 3) is only a service console (and also a boot system) but is like a "special" VM (and you can verify that use only a few memory and only one core).

You could install additional software (like mc) but maybe are not supported.

Andre

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[weinstein5]

As Andre pointed out ESX is NOT Linux - the hypervisor at the heart of ESX is the VMkernel which was written from the ground up by VMware - the Service Console which is used to manage the ESX server is in a essence a virtual machine based on a modified version of RHEL 3 - you might be able to install this in the Service Console but this is not best practice and can potentially adversely affect the performance of your ESX server and the virtual machines it is hosting -

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[TomHowarth]

ESX is not Linux, the Service console is a modified Redhat instance, but the Hypervisor is propriety writen from scratch by VMware developers

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Tom Howarth VCP / vExpert

VMware Communities User Moderator

Blog: www.planetvm.net

Contributing author for the upcoming book "[VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment|http://my.safaribooksonline.com/9780136083214]". Currently available on roughcuts

[depping]

Just to be sure you understand what these guys are try to tell you: ESX is not Linux! Although the SC is a modified version of RedHat most agents / software will leave ESX in an unsupported state.

Duncan

VMware Communities User Moderator | VCP | VCDX

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[NWhiley]

If you want to install stuff, do it in a VM not the SC. It is a very cutdown version of REL 3 U7 and could well break.

Remember ESX comes on one CD, not the 4 or so that RHEL comes on, I've actually lost count now as my RHEL installs are DVD based.

[Texiwill]

HEllo,

ESX is the vmkernel or the Hypervisor. It has a Management Appliance referred to as the Service Console that for ESX runs a GNU/Linux environment. For ESXi there is a Posix Environment.

You can install Midnight COmmander within your GNU/Linux Management Environment but you could break something. Personally, I would not do this and there should be no need to even login to the management appliance unless there is something that can only be done from the CLI or needs to be fixed. I login maybe less than once a month unless I am in the midst of research for my books.

Best regards, Edward L. Haletky VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009, DABCC Analyst[/url]
Now Available on Rough-Cuts: 'VMware vSphere(TM) and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment'[/url]
Also available 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise'[/url]
[url=http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Blog_Roll]SearchVMware Pro[/url]|Blue Gears[/url]|Top Virtualization Security Links[/url]|Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast[/url]

[rotoflex01]

What I know is that ESX is equivalent to Red Hat 3.

[weinstein5]

No it is not. As others have pointed out the vmkernel is proprietary written by VMware-

the service console used to manage is based on a modified version of

RHEL 3

[RParker · Accepted solution]

According to VM Ware, the CONSOLE of ESX is a redhat 3 U9 implementation.

You see the CONSOLE which is running UNDER the hypervisor. Therefore ESX isn't Linux at all, you are running a modifiied version of a redhat CONSOLE that's what you see.

[Texiwill]

Hello,

Not at all. ESX is NOT NOT and I say again NOT Linux. Linus Torvaldis would be mightily offended if you even equated ESX w/Linux. Specifically Linux has a Legal definition of being BLESSED by Linus. Any kernel not blessed by Linus is NOT Linux, never will be and should never be referred to as Linux.

Legalities aside, look at the boot process for ESX (as a matter of fact, check out 'VMware ESX Server in the Enterprise' for a complete list of the boot process0:

1st stage boot loader boots vmkernel

vmkernel creates a VM

2nd stage boot loader boots the Management appliance kernel WITHIN that VM.

Npte that the vmkernel boots first, it has control of the hardware. the VM within which the GNU/RedHat environment boots is not the primary boot and therefore ESX IS NOT Linux.

Just as an aside, Xen is not Linux either, it is a GNU environment built around a Xen kernel (once more not blessed by Linus so therefore can not be considered Linux).

If you want a hypervisor that can be considered Linux, look at KVM, it is the only one.

Best regards, Edward L. Haletky VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009, DABCC Analyst[/url]
Now Available on Rough-Cuts: 'VMware vSphere(TM) and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment'[/url]
Also available 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise'[/url]
[url=http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Blog_Roll]SearchVMware Pro[/url]|Blue Gears[/url]|Top Virtualization Security Links[/url]|Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast[/url]