Install VmWare to anchient server

[AlexEv123]

I have ancient server based to two XEON processor and X6DVA-4G motherboard. But it has 12 GB memory, big RAID controller, good cooling system and working stable and fine.

My main problem, it working only on Linux (or any version of Windows), but not work in any version of VmWare.

Usually I load any Linux to this server with option acpi=off and any Linux working fine, windows chose correct options automatically.

How is possible to install to this server VmWare? How to force VmWare working as Linux with mode acpi=off ?1

[bluefirestorm · Accepted solution]

It is very old hardware; as old as a student in high school.

It looks like the motherboard takes Nocona and Irwindale Xeon CPUs.

https://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/archive/Xeon800/E7320/X6DVA-4G.cfm

The Nocona and Irwindale CPUs are not in the VMware CPU HCL. It is already a sign you won't be able to install ESXi.

https://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php?deviceCategory=cpu

None of the CPUs seems to have VT-x; so you cannot run 64-bit VMs, assuming you can get past the install of a very old ESXi version.

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/compare.html?productIds=27093,27085,27076,27087,27097,27...

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/compare.html?productIds=27080,27091,27092,27083,27094,27...

Without VT-x, you can only run 32-bit VMs using Binary Translation even with VMware Player 12.x and earlier. 32-bit binary translation was removed in VMware Player 14.x and ESXi 6.7.