Comments on: Creating USB based boot media for ESX 4 installs

By: Mike La Spina

Mike La Spina — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 13:55:29 +0000

Hi,
The folder structure needs to match what the iso looks like. The problem most people encounter is the ks location issue. Since syslinux loads a ram image, the visibility of the ks files is constrainted to the access context of the ram image at the time of load. The ram image can access the USB but it is instructed to do so by setting the install media from the ks file as “install usb”. Thus if the ks file is not part of the initrd img file you must define it over one of the available “ks=” methods of the image loads append statement of the syslinux.cfg file.

Mike

By: Perry

Perry — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:47:12 +0000

Do you need to copy the ESX 4.x “Vmware” folder contents to the root of the USB key, or just copy the folder to the root? Can somebody post an example of the syslinux.cfg assuming that all of the ESX install files are copied to the USB key?

By: Akiraa

Akiraa — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:12:43 +0000

For EXSi 4:
I deleted the isolinux.bin, renamed isolinux.cfg to syslinux.cfg, edited syslinux.cfg and added the keyword ‘usb’ at the end of the ‘append’ command

By: Mike La Spina

Mike La Spina — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 21:13:11 +0000

Hi Nathan,

Where is your ESX code repository. On the usb or on the http server?

If it is on the USB’s root then make sure your ks.cfg files contains a line with

install usb

Also be sure to copy the ESX DVD to the root of the USB stick.

Regards,

Mike

By: Nathan

Nathan — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:02:29 +0000

I got the USB key to boot, but it kept asking for me to install the cdrom and would fail after thin initrd.img booted. I could hit f2 and get a prompt and mount the usb drive. I tried ‘askmedia’ but then all it does is say..insert CDROM and keep asking for the CD.

I still use a ks.cfg file from a web server so my syslinux.cfg looks like this:
default esx
prompt 1
#menu title ESX build 208167
timeout 300

LABEL esx
menu label ESX Scripted Install using ks.cfg
kernel vmlinuz
append initrd=initrd.img vmkopts=debugLogToSerial:1 mem=512M ks=http://server/ks.cfg askmedia

By: Mike La Spina

Mike La Spina — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:21:27 +0000

Marin,

The file you have specified is an ESXi image and will not have the same layout, it’s isolinux boot entries are in the root directory.
You can create a boot but cannot use the automated the host configuration with the ESX install script methods.

By: Marin

Marin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:28:20 +0000

I can’t find isolinux directory from the VMware-VMvisor-Installer-4.0.0.Update01-208167.x86_64.iso file (latest distribution from VMware), and of course there is no initrd file?

By: Camels

Camels — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 13:16:45 +0000

I fixed my previous issue by downloading the ESX 4 update 1 ISO and copying those files onto the USB

By: Camels

Camels — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 11:48:12 +0000

Hi,

Great guide thank you!! I’m having issues right at the end of hte installation, im getting an error message – no such file or directory /mnt/sysimage/boot/initrd.img

When i break into console I can actually navigate to that area and the file is there..

Can anyone shed some light on this please

Camels

By: Mike La Spina

Mike La Spina — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:07:44 +0000

Thanks for your comment,

Yes you need the askmedia append statement if your not using a ks.cfg, it’s also discussed in some prior comments along with the need to place the install image on the root of the usb store.

Regards,

Mike