esx accessible install

[John_Heim]

Hi.

I'm blind and I'd like to install vmware esx. Is this possible? So far I've tried the following:

1. Adding a serial console to the boot CD. I remastered the boot CD adding 'console=ttyS0,19200n8' to the boot stanzas in the isolinux.cfg file. But when I tried it, it would say 'loading linux... Ready' and then i'd get nothing. Possible the kernel doesn't support serial console.

2. Boot into text mode via PC Weasel card. The PC Weasel is a vga card that puts out text on a serial port built into the card. As long as the operating system is in text mode, displayed text gets sent out via the serial port. So I booted from a esx install CD with this card in the machine. At the boot prompt, I enter 'text'. This shows the kernel identifying lots of different kinds of hardware but then it apparently goes into graphics mode. At least that is what the weasel says. I also tried entering 'esx text' at the boot prompt. Same results. I suspect the text install mode still puts the card into graphics mode for some reason.

Any other ideas? Network install? Scripted install? Anything? If I cannot install vmware esx, it's a huge blow to my career aspirations. I mean, what if all of a sudden you found out you couldn't install linux? I could really use some help.

[mcowger]

We do text mode only installs all the time. esx text does it for us, but it does put it into a different text mode to support the high resolution ncurses modes - maybe your weasel doesn't like that?

--Matt

[Texiwill]

Hello,

If you used a remote access card (HP ILO, Dell DRAC, etc) and windows text to speech code from a web browser would that work? If you are using a Serial port it should work with Hyperterminal or any other terminal software (minicom on linux) as well that your text to speech card can read.

I would also open an SR with your VMware Support agent as this is definitely something they should be made aware.

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.

CIO Virtualization Blog: http://www.cio.com/blog/index/topic/168354

As well as the Virtualization Wiki at http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Virtualization

[John_Heim]

Right, i'm using hyperterminal on a Windows machine to work with the PC

Weasel. And it works up to a point. i get the syslinux boot prompt, I enter

'text' or 'esx text' or 'lowres' or 'esx lowres' and then it boots. I get

normal boot messages up to a point. It finds the HD, finds USB ports,

etcetra. But then it stops and the PC Weasel says it received a signal from

the host to go into graphics mode. If I press keys on keyboard, the CD

spins up which I think means it begins the install. But nothing is displayed

via the PC Weasel because it thinks the host is in graphics mode. And I

think it's right. I think that although I asked for a text install, the

vmware installation program is actually a graphics program.

This PC Weasel works for doing linux installs like with Red Hat ES and

debian. Those are vanilla curses programs. So I have no reason to believe

that the PC Weasel wouldn't work with the vmware installation program unless

it's true that the vmware installer is actually a graphics program.

Right now I'm working with the 60-day evaluation version of the esx

installer. I doubt that the paid version is different but my department is

planning on buying esx. I had hoped to already be up to speed on vmware when

the hardware & software arrived but I guess I'll have to wait until I have a

SR to talk to.

[Texiwill · Accepted solution]

Hello,

You are correct the boot enters graphics mode then exits graphics mode then starts the normal text install. This is the boot of the installer kernel. If you specify 'lowres' it will definitely enter graphics mode. If you specify text it will enter graphics mode but a special VGA version through a display that complies with the generic VGA standard.

You could use 'vga=ask' or 'vga=0x0f00' option to try and leave the mode unchanged.

This information is in the kernel-doc package for RHEL3-U6 which is upon which the installer is based.

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.

CIO Virtualization Blog: http://www.cio.com/blog/index/topic/168354

As well as the Virtualization Wiki at http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Virtualization

[John_Heim]

Well, adding vga=0x0f00 didn't work. But are you saying that it goes into

graphics mode and then returns to text mode? Can I somehow answer the first

question and then have it return to 80x25 text mode?

I am about to get sighted assistance. I asked about this problem on an email

list for blind sysadmins and that is what another vmware esx user suggested.

Still, I'd really like to do it myself.

I am willing to learn about kickstart. But all the howtos I've found start

with a kickstart script generated from a previous vmware install. I don't

have one of those.

Once we purchase a vmware esx license, I'm going to see if I can get on the

beta testers list so I can suggest they enable a serial console install. Or

something.

[mcowger]

I can send you a base KS install if that would be helpful for you.

[Texiwill]

Hello,

During the boot of the kernel for the ESX installer it will place the system in 80x25 VGA mode, not text mode. This is what it appears to be doing on my RHEL3 installer.

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.

CIO Virtualization Blog: http://www.cio.com/blog/index/topic/168354

As well as the Virtualization Wiki at http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Virtualization