Loading ...Yesterday VMware ESXi became free (not as i beer but as in money), and I had to try it - initially in VMware Workstation 6. You need Intel VT (or AMD-V) to run ESXi!
In order to make it work create a machine with a 20GB SCSI disk (defaults: non-independent etc.) and chose the downloaded ISO-file with ESXi - the other options of the machine is not important because the vmx-file is to be overwritten, but you have to create the disk. Please be sure that VT is enabled - if not VMware will complain (to enable it go to your BIOS, enable it, shut down the computer entirely wait a few seconds and turn it on again). Now close the tab in Workstation , save a copy of the vmx-file, and open the original vmx-file in notepad (or equivalent) and replace its contents with:
config.version = "8" virtualHW.version = "6" scsi0.present = "TRUE" scsi0.virtualDev = "lsilogic" memsize = "1024" scsi0:0.present = "TRUE" scsi0:0.fileName = "Other.vmdk" ide1:0.present = "TRUE" ide1:0.fileName = "C:\VMware-VMvisor-InstallerCD-3.5.0_Update_2-103909.i386.iso" ide1:0.deviceType = "cdrom-image" floppy0.autodetect = "TRUE" ethernet0.present = "TRUE" ethernet0.virtualDev = "e1000" ethernet0.wakeOnPcktRcv = "FALSE" usb.present = "TRUE" ehci.present = "TRUE" sound.present = "TRUE" sound.fileName = "-1" sound.autodetect = "TRUE" svga.autodetect = "TRUE" pciBridge0.present = "TRUE" mks.keyboardFilter = "allow" displayName = "esxi 3.5" guestOS = "rhel3" nvram = "Other.nvram" deploymentPlatform = "windows" virtualHW.productCompatibility = "hosted" tools.upgrade.policy = "useGlobal" monitor_control.restrict_backdoor = "TRUE" monitor_control.vt32 = "TRUE" ide1:0.autodetect = "TRUE" floppy0.fileName = "A:" isolation.tools.hgfs.disable = "TRUE" ethernet0.addressType = "generated" uuid.location = "56 4d ed e0 c0 75 12 c6-f7 8d a4 27 12 c8 bc 05" uuid.bios = "56 4d ed e0 c0 75 12 c6-f7 8d a4 27 12 c8 bc 05" scsi0:0.redo = "" pciBridge0.pciSlotNumber = "17" scsi0.pciSlotNumber = "16" ethernet0.pciSlotNumber = "32" sound.pciSlotNumber = "33" ehci.pciSlotNumber = "34" ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:0c:29:c8:bc:05" ethernet0.generatedAddressOffset = "0" tools.remindInstall = "TRUE"
Now change change scsi0:0.fileName, ide1:0.fileName, nvram, ethernet0.generatedAddress, uuid.location, and uuid.bios to the correct values (as in the copy of the vmx-file). Then open the machine in VMware Workstation and change the network to "Host-only". And voila - now you should be able to install ESXi!