ESXi-Customizer is a user-friendly script that automates the process of customizing the ESXi install-ISO with drivers that are not originally included. Unlike other scripts and manuals that are available for this purpose ESXi-Customizer runs entirely on Windows and does not require any knowledge of or access to Linux.
Requirements
- The script runs on Windows XP or newer (both 32-bit and 64-bit) including the latest version Windows 8.1 and Server 2012 R2.
- For customizing ESXi 4.1 Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit) or Windows Server 2008 R2and administrative privileges are required.
- You need to have a copy of the original VMware install-ISO. It is available at VMware(free registration required to download). The script currently supports ESXi version 4.1, 5.0, 5.1 and 5.5.
- For ESXi 4.1 you need to have a OEM.tgz file with a custom driver.
- For ESXi 5.x you need to have a OEM.tgz, a VIB file or an Offline Bundle ZIP file.
- A good source for ESXi 4.1 and 5.x community drivers is Dave Mishchenko’s vm-help.com site. See the ESXi 4.1 Whitebox HCL and the forums there.
Instructions
- Download the latest version of the ESXi-Customizer script (see Download section below). Since version 2.0 it is distributed as a signed self-extracting archive (created with 7-zip). Unpack the archive to a directory of your choice.
- Run ESXi-Customizer.cmd from the installation directory.
- A GUI will show up that lets you select the original VMware install-ISO, the customization file and a working directory for the script.
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| ESXi-Customizer v2.7.2 GUI |
- For TGZ files you can choose a repacking option: The default is Force repacking, because this is how older versions behaved, other choices are Do not touchand Force repacking and pause for advanced editing. Hover your mouse over these options to get tooltips displayed with information on their purposes.
- Please use the update check feature if possible to be informed about updates of this script.
- Press the Run!-button to start the customization process.
- The script will auto-detect the ESXi version.
- If you try to customize an ESXi 4.1 media and you do not have administrative privileges or have UAC (User account control) enabled in Windows you will be prompted to allow the script to run with administrative access. Enter the credentials of an administrative user if needed and select Yes to continue.
- The customized ISO file that is produced by the script will be stored in the working directory, together with a detailed log file (that is necessary for troubleshooting in case something goes wrong).
Licensing
- ESXi-Customizer is licensed under the GNU GPL version 3 (see the included file COPYING.txt).
- It is distributed with and makes use of several tools that are freely available, but are partly under different licenses (see the included file tools\README.txt for details.)
Support
- Please check the “Known Bugs and Issues” section first to see if your issue is covered there.
- If you have trouble using the scripts then please send an email to ESXi-Customizer@v-front.de. Be sure to include the log file(s). Otherwise I might just ignore your message.
- If you find ESXi-Customizer useful consider donating a small amount to motivate the author and support the further development. I recommend 4 EUR (approx. 5 US-$, use an Online Exchange rate calculator), but any lower or higher amount is highly appreciated.
Known Bugs and Issues
- ESXi 5.x install ISOs that were customized with ESXi-Customizer can not be imported into VMware vCenter Update Manager. There is no resolution for this issue.
- With ESXi-Customizer you cannot apply a VMware patch bundle to the ESXi 5.x ISO, because it is much more complex than a driver package (Error message: Cannot apply VIB esx-base, it contains a wrong number of payloads). There is no resolution for this issue.
- Special characters in the customization package file name (like parentheses) can cause ESXi-Customizer to fail. Workaround: Rename the file to not include special characters.
- You can only add one package at a time. If you have the need to add e.g. multiple VIB files then run ESXi-Customizer multiple times and use the output ISO of one run as the input for the next run. Alternatively you can create an Offline Bundle (ZIP file) of all VIB files (using vib2zip.cmd from my ESXi5 Community Packaging Tools) and use that Offline Bundle.
from http://www.v-front.de/p/esxi-customizer.html
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Customize VMware ESXi Images for HP N54L/N40L/N36L
http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/software/vmware/esxi-image.html
Why custom HP ESXi Image?
- Based on the standard VMware ESXi ISO, it is the easiest and most reliable way to install ESXi on HP ProLiant servers
- Includes all of the required drivers to run ESXi on HP ProLiant servers
- Installs the management software to enable robust server management
- Works seamlessly with Intelligent Provisioning
The new ProLiant Gen8 servers require the use of the HP Customized image for a successful installation. The drivers for the new network and storage controllers in the Gen8 servers are integrated in the HP Customized image and are not part of the generic ESXi image that is distributed by VMware. ESXi requires drivers for these controllers to be integrated as you are not able to insert them during installation.
What are my options for using HP Customizations for VMware ESXi?
A. Download the completely customized HP ESXi image
B. Download the HP ESXi Offline Bundles and apply them to your VMware ESXi downloaded from VMware
C. Build your own custom ESXi image, choosing an a la carte of bundles from HP
B. Download the HP ESXi Offline Bundles and apply them to your VMware ESXi downloaded from VMware
C. Build your own custom ESXi image, choosing an a la carte of bundles from HP
A. HP Customized ESXi Image
- ESXi and vSphere:
- vSphere 5.5 U1 17 March 2014 – Download here
- vSphere 5.5 Feb 2014 – Download here
- vSphere 5.1 U2 Feb 2014 – Download here
- vSphere 5.1 U1 Sept 2013 – Download here
- vSphere 5.1 Feb 2013 – Download here
- ESXi 5.0 U3 Feb 2014 – Download here
- ESXi 5.0 U2 Sept 2013 – Download here
- ESXi 5.0 U1 Oct 2012 – Download here
- ESXi 4.x – Download here
- Contents of above images available here
- ESX
B. HP ESXi Offline Bundles
- For customers already using VMware ESXi
- It is recommended that customers update to the latest version on their supported ProLiant at their earliest convenience
- Offline Bundle versions available here
C. Build your own custom ESXi image
- Compatible HP bundles for VMware Image Builder, Update Manager and ESXCLI
- Download your required HP bundle from HP vibsdepot
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