I haven’t done this in a long time, due to working on large customer accounts that use automated build processes to build all there ESXi servers, but I needed to do this for my home lab, so thought I would post how to configure a USB key to boot into the ESXi installer. Handy if you have no CD/DVD drives. I used Windows to carry out this.
1) Download the latest version of Syslinux. Current version (At the time of writing) 4.02 – Download here
2) Insert the USB key. It will require about 300 MB free space for the ESXi install files and should be formatted as FAT32.
3) Run c:syslinuxwin32syslinux.exe <drive letter> – This alters the boot partition on the USB key and copy over the file ldlinux.sys to the root directory.
4) Mount the ESXi Install ISO and copy the contents to the USB key.
5) On the USB key rename the file isolinux.cfg to SYSlinux.cfg.
Insert the key into your server, re-boot and select the USB key from the boot menu. Follow the ESXi installation instructions.
Thank you for posting, and also for linking the site where to get syslinux. This is very helpful, thanks a lot. God Bless.
search google
Just checked the official guide from VMware:
http://pubs.vmware.com/vsphere-50/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.vmware.vsphere.install.doc_50%2FGUID-33C3E7D5-20D0-4F84-B2E3-5CD33D32EAA8.html
Totally crappy. Suddenly in the middle of the article they mention Syslinux. And refer to commands that don’t exist.
I wonder why they didn’t just make an installer:
– Pick USB drive.
– Pick ISO file with VMware.
– Are you sure you wish to erase the drive?
– Go!
Even making it for both Windows and Linux shouldn’t be too hard.
Hi,
Your method simply can’t work. You need to prepare the USB stick before to be able to boot from it. The .iso image in it self is not ready to be used directly with the USB stick.