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[espi3030]

Phil,

Thank you for your reply, you are correct that does continue on with the install.

A couple more questions for you; when the install continues I see the message "Graphical installation not available for http installs. Starting text mode" I have done the GUI install over http before, why does the UDA not allow it? Second question, I too am working with Sun x4000 series servers. During my scripted installs, the local storage does not show up upon completion. please see here but if I do a manual install the local storage appears just fine, did you have this issue?

That is why I want to do a manual install with the UDA versus the scripted way, until I can fix the local storage problem. Thank you.

[brugh]

the scripted HTTP install in textmode is not a UDA thing, it's an anaconda thing (the kickstart installer for redhat/esx). but since everything goes automatically anyway, this usually isn't a problem

if you script doesn't work correctly, you can try to match it with what the scriptbuilder in the eda (not uda) produces. downloadable from the link a few posts back. this will generate ks.cfg files for you that works on various different enterprise systems (dell, hp, ibm). it may help get your x4000's up and running too.

[espi3030]

the scripted HTTP install in textmode is not a UDA thing, it's an anaconda thing (the kickstart installer for redhat/esx). but since everything goes automatically anyway, this usually isn't a problem

if you script doesn't work correctly, you can try to match it with what the scriptbuilder in the eda (not uda) produces. downloadable from the link a few posts back. this will generate ks.cfg files for you that works on various different enterprise systems (dell, hp, ibm). it may help get your x4000's up and running too.

That's the thing, I can't get it to continue automatically. I have tried various KS files and still cannot see the local storage, I am testing a possible solution. I omitted the partition section of my KS file, and watched the install still format the partitions. I am hopeing since I didn't specify this in the script it will default to "Accept the Recommended" from the installer. I will post my results after my tests.

Thank you

[Phil_Helmling]

Hey espi, sorry for the delay in responding

I haven't tried removing the skipx and text lines from the script to see if it enables the GUI install, but if you have time try it. On the drive partitioning, I've had problems in the past with the the partitioning section not being read or throwing an error due to an incorrect line or character. This particularly happens when copying text from a template file on a windows desktop into the KS file. It mainly manifests itself with the "--" being turned into "-". The other thing you could do, but once again I haven't tested is to change the order of the partitions listed in the KS file. Eg put the partitions that you want to grow at the end. This is my partitioning section:

zerombr yes

bootloader --location=mbr --driveorder=sda

clearpart --all --initlabel --drives=sda

part /boot --fstype ext3 --size 250 --ondisk sda

part / --fstype ext3 --size 5120 --ondisk sda

part swap --size 2000 --ondisk sda

part /var --fstype ext3 --size 10240 --ondisk sda

part /tmp --fstype ext3 --size 2048 --ondisk sda

part None --fstype vmkcore --size 110 --ondisk sda

part /vmimages --fstype ext3 --size 1 --grow --ondisk sda

Also, FWIW my issues with the Sun x4600 was related to anacoda installer downloading the KS file from the UDA.

given the following PXE command:

append ip=dhcp ksdevice=eth0 load_ramdisk=1 initrd=initrd.esx350 network ks=http://192.168.121.128/kickstart/esx01.cfg

It would try to download the http://./192.168.121.128/kickstart/esx01.cfg

Hope that helps.

Phil

[Michelle_Laveri]

Subject: The Old chestnut - how anaconda enumerates PCI network cards differently from the vmkernel....

I've always assumed using ksdevice=eth? fixed this problem. BUt a student on my vmware course this week is adamant this is not the case. His friend pointed me in this direction - which makes for interesting reading...

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&taskId=115&prodSeriesId=...

Now I know that this KB refers to RHEL4/5. The COS is still on RHEL3 - so this wouldn't help?

Anyone definitively FIXED this issue?

Regards

Mike

[halr9000]

Could anyone make a mirror available for UDA14-esx? I'm having a real hard time finding it. I've already chatted with Mike_Laverick and he's going to work on this but won't be able to get to it until next week. If someone could help out in the next day or two with a temporary imrror that would be awesome.

Author of the upcoming book: Managing VMware Infrastructure with PowerShell

Co-Host, PowerScripting Podcast (http://powerscripting.net)

[dconvery]

Mike -

I found this last week while experiencing NIC issues with kickstart. It is a perl script to reorder NICs according to PCI slot. Works like a charm...

http://www.linuxdynasty.org/script-to-fix-vmware-esx-35-nic-reordering-after-kickstart.html

Dave

[brugh]

are you the hal rottenberg from that book? cool i put it on my list of wannahaves.

btw, if you just want to deploy esx servers, check out the EDA too.

[halr9000]

are you the hal rottenberg from that book? cool i put it on my list of wannahaves.

Yes, thanks, and thanks.

Nobody has UDA laying around though?

Author of the upcoming book: Managing VMware Infrastructure with PowerShell

Co-Host, PowerScripting Podcast (http://powerscripting.net)

[brugh]

strange, works good for me.

[halr9000]

That one is fine (but slow at times, could be me). I'm talking about Mike's ESX modification.

http://www.ultimatedeployment.org/download.html

"UDA Version 1.4 special ESX edition by Mike Laverick"

Author of the upcoming book: Managing VMware Infrastructure with PowerShell

Co-Host, PowerScripting Podcast (http://powerscripting.net)

[brugh]

also strange, works good for me too

[dconvery]

BTW, Mike -

Your book just landed on my front step. Can't wait to finally read it!

Dave

[halr9000]

also strange, works good for me too

Did it download fully? It always cancels part way through for me. It made it 18MB this time. 😕

Author of the upcoming book: Managing VMware Infrastructure with PowerShell

Co-Host, PowerScripting Podcast (http://powerscripting.net)

[Michelle_Laveri]

There appears to be some oddness going on with a download....

I just assumed my site was in the wrong...

For clarification - the ESX/RTFM version is NOT substantially different from Carl's Workstation Version. The only differences is the disks on RTFM is in native ESX format (for running the UDA on ESX) whereas Carl's version is a native VMware Workstation format...

They both work in the SAME way...

Regards

mike

[Michelle_Laveri]

BTW, Mike -

Your book just landed on my front step. Can't wait to finally read it!

Dave

Cool. I can't tell you what a relief it is to see the book finally landing on peoples door mats... I found the process a bit frustrating at times - as im so used to just writing and publishing in PDF format. The new book I'm working on VMware's SRM, will be self-published via lulu.com.

One of the frustrating things - is how quickly the products change during the writing process... so if you have the book you should really also look at this free guide

http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk/?p=469

Which i wrote to cover the new features in the vi3.5 distrubution....

Regards

Mike

[dconvery]

Yep - read it when it was posted. Now U2 is out and there are new things. Seems like a printed book is almost obsolete when it finally gets published. I prefer PDFs as well. They can be stored on my laptop and travel with me. The heavy book will stay home...

Dave

[Michelle_Laveri]

Yup U2 - introduces interesting VMotion features (EVC) and changes in requirements - for example HA no longer required DNS to work.

When I have free time I will be updating that free PDF on RTFM to include those new features... Right now I'm busy on my SRM book.

As for PDFs. They great. Very easy distrubute. Trouble is for commerical work they also wind up on bitorrent.

And we all know what that means. Even if you charge $5 for a book, if you mate has on a memory stick - most people will take it for nothing.

Secure PDFs (like SealMedia's SPDF is cost prohibitive)...

My plan for the SRM book is to do quick and dirty publishing. Actually I could release it my SRM book on the GA day - but I want to put through a certain level of technical proofing - and have some exposure to the GA release before doing that. The SRM book will be distrubuted on demand by the self-publishing website lulu.com. They offer better margins for the authors than the robbing swines on Amazon!

Once we are on to SRM 2.0 beta I will make my SRM 1.0 book available for free (probably serialized) on RTFM... The entire book of SRM 1.0 will be completely free download once SRM 2.0 is GA. The argument being that a value of technical book is almost next to nil once a new version has superseed it. That said Ron & Scott were telling me they still sell copies of the ESX 2.x ADTG!!!

Regards

Mike

[dconvery]

I believe it. I went through two copies of the 2.x book. The first was rendered unusable by coffee accident. The second copy is a mess too. Bent corners, fold overs, etc. I know what you mean about a new version making a doc useless. I just spent days creating a VCB breakout for VMworld, only to have it made semi-useless with the VCB 1.5 release. Back to the lab and hurry up to make a new preso. Such is the life of a techie.

Dave

[tjw82]

I am trying to configure my DHCP settings through the GUI and nothing is happening. When I click on any of the links under the DHCP settings, nothing happens. I was wondering if you have seen this or if is just my machine? Where is the file I can change manually that will not have the DHCP start automatically on startup?

Thanks,

tjw82