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HarisB
Contributor
Contributor
‎11-18-2008 05:51 PM

How to include vmware tools in PXE boot files, diskless servers

Hi,

I scoured the web and can't find a word on this - I have PXE booted diskless servers, VMtools install fails because windows.iso is not transfered to hosts. How to sort this out? Where to copy windows.iso when host is diskless and has only iSCSI LUNs attached?

Thanks

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Dave_Mishchenko
Immortal
Immortal
‎11-18-2008 10:34 PM

Do you have the folder /usr/lib/vmware/isoimages/ on your hosts?

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HarisB
Contributor
Contributor
‎11-19-2008 11:19 AM

Hi,

No, here is what I have:

As you can see isoimages shortcut (link?) is red, probably because it leads to folder that doesn't exist.

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seceti
Contributor
Contributor
‎11-19-2008 01:24 PM

The vmware tools are locate into /vmimages/tools-isoimages you can mount iso via loop device on unix/linux hosts or via daemon tools in windows,.

For what i know in windows if you use sif file you can add some packages to image served via pxe, in linix it's the same, but you have to modify ks.cfg to start vmware-tools installation at the end of installation

Or, i dont understand exatcly what you wont to do if you use diskless server, you can install vmware tools directly

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HarisB
Contributor
Contributor
‎11-21-2008 01:34 AM

Without windows.iso on host, right clicking VM and selecting "install VMware tools" will fail. I know I can mount ISOs directly to VM and install that way, but that is a workaround, not what I would like to have. Ideally this will behave the same way it does with locally installed / booted servers, they have VMware tools scripts and files so you can install tools to any VM from VC.

I'll try to pack windows.iso into .tgz and include it in PXE boot, we'll see if I can get it into the path Dave suggested, it just may work...

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HarisB
Contributor
Contributor
‎11-22-2008 06:07 PM

Ok, here is what I have tried so far:

1. Packaging all files from Hypervisor3 partition in ESXi installation into vmwaretools.tgz, and then including this in "default" PXE boot like this:

append vmkernel.gz PBHOST=10.30.1.4:3333 --- binmod.tgz --- environ.tgz --- cim.tgz --- oem.tgz --- lance-boot.tgz --- vmwaretools.tgz

The vmwaretools.tgz was uploaded on PXE boot, but there is no trace of windows.iso after boot, and no Hypervisor under volumes

2. Packaged windows.iso and windows.sig into a new vmware-tools.tgz, with path of /usr/lib/vmware/isoimages as suggested by Dave, and got pink screen with this error on PXE boot:

"directory redefined for non-dir /usr/lib/vmware/isoimages"

No solution yet, any help appreciated.

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