Ubuntu 14.04 LiveCD vs Ubuntu 18.04 : problems detecting virtual nics

[continuum]

For my work I need Linux LiveCDs that should be able to:

- after boot accept ssh-access to the LiveCD without the need of loading extra packages from the internet

- immediatly be able to connect via sshfs to an ESXi-host regardless of the ESXi-version that is actually used ( 3.5 - 7 )

- the LiveCD MUST be able to use all virtual Nics that are available inside a 64bit Linux VM running on an ESXi-host  3.5 upto 7.

- the LiveCD should be able to use most of the physical nics that are typically available on a physical ESXi-host 3.5 - 7.

In times of ESXi 5 I build a commandline LiveCD  based on Ubuntu 18.04 that did the job pretty well.

Especially I had no problems detecting the virtual nics that are present in a 64bit VM: e1000, e1000e and vmxnet3

For VMFS 6 support I needed an update and made new builds based on Ubuntu 18.04

And thats where the problem starts:

With the 18.04 build detecting virtual nics using PCIexpress ports (e1000e and vmxnet3)  almost never works.

Detecting virtual  nics using PCIports is a little bit more reliable - but way from "good enough"

Detecting more than one nic - no matter which type - will not work.

In practical terms

Probabilty to actually be able launch a remote-support-session to an ESXi host while running inside a VM on that host:

- with the 14.04 based LiveCD : 100%

- with the 18.04 based LiveCD : not good enough for "production"

The problem is the new Ubuntu build - and obviously I am missing some important detail or missed some change in the 1804 build.

Is there a known Ubuntu / Debian-version that gets favoured by creators of very reliable and lean Linux VMs ?

Does anybody have a list for apt-get that will reliably load all the instances of e1000, e1000e and vmnet3 inside an ESXi 5 - 7 VM ?

Thanks for any suggestions

Ulli

[continuum]

Looks like I am not alone with this ...

I wonder if the change from Ubuntu 14.04 to anything newer was a progress at all ??

[continuum · Accepted solution]

The solution was simple: go back to Ubuntu 14.

That was the last version that did not produce more problems than it was worth.

Officially Ubuntu 14.04.06 LTS is end of life in 2019 - but for me 16 and 18 and 20 were to buggy to even get started ...