How do I make an ESX 5.5 install image with custom drivers?

[D0N0tD1sc0nn3ct]

I just built a server that has an unsupported intel network card built in and I was hoping to be able to create an image with custom drivers so I could use it. Is this possible?

[a_p_]

Once you can find a driver you can create a custom installation image using Image Builder or - alternatively - using VMware Front Experience: ESXi-Customizer

André

[nkrishnan]

You can follow the below steps to get a new image profile with additional driver.

1. Install the appropriate powerful tool on your windows box

2. Download VMware-Poercli-5.0.0-435426.exe and install

3. Add ESXi software Depot PowerCLI C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\vSphere PowerCLI> Add-EsxSoftwareDepot http://Servername/PATH/index.xml

4. List out image profile PowerCLI C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\vSphere PowerCLI> Get-EsxImageProfile

Name                          Vendor          Last Modified  Acceptance Level

ESXi-5.0.0-20110804001-stan... VMware, Inc.    8/8/2011 5:0... PartnerSupported

ESXi-5.0.0-20110804001-notools VMware, Inc.    8/8/2011 5:0... PartnerSupported

5. Create a custom image PowerCLI C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\vSphere PowerCLI> New-EsxImageProfile -NewProfile -Name "My custom profile" -Vendor "VMware"  -AcceptanceLevel "PartnerSupported" -SoftwarePackage esx-base

6. Add a package by name to an image profile: PowerCLI C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\vSphere PowerCLI> Add-EsxSoftwarePackage -ImageProfile "My custom profile" -SoftwarePackage "vib.*"

Nithin

[pbraren]

As André mentioned, you don't need to learn a command line tool, or Image Builder, if you'd prefer a GUI interface. Here's a post I just created with step-by-step instructions, since I was taking notes anyway, as I needed to inject 3 VIBs (drivers) into my ISO for my own lab, and it worked out great, took just a few minutes:

Use ESXi-Customer GUI to inject multiple driver VIBs into your ESXi installer ISO

Excerpt:  I’ve often heard that a barrier to giving VMware’s ESXi a try is the burden of figuring out how to inject a driver/VIB file into the installer ISO file. Turns out it isn’t that big a deal, once you locate the GUI utility called ESXi-Customizer. In this video, I add ASMedia SATA, Realtek network, and LSI RAID monitoring support.