install ESXi 4.1 HP version from USB flashdrive

[shampoo]

I cannot get this media (4.1_July_2010_ESXi_HD_USB_SD_Image_Installer_CD_583772_005.iso) to boot properly from usb using this manual: www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere4/r41/vsp_41_esxi_i_vc_setup_guide.pdf. (page 24)
append askmedia or kb=usb to the appendline in syslinux.cfg does not work. It boots, but then it wants the media.


Installtion operation Failed!

The installation operation has encountered a fatal error:

Unable to find the system image to install. This is due to the image not being mounted correctly or the CD-ROM not being supported...



That media could well have something to do with the file IMAGEDD.BZ2 and folder structure of the iso what makes the manual not compatible.

The USB drive does work with media from VMWARE. Not from HP.

HP has usb tools for its smartstart and updatemanager cd's. So where's the possibility to boot the HP ESXi installer from USB Flash drive?

[Jan Soska]

Hello, check this couple days old thread: http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=1444774
could be very helpfull

Jan

[shampoo]

That thread is about installing ON a flash drive. I want to install FROM usb flash. But I think I get the idea what you wanted me to point out. I guess you mean I should do something with the bz2 file. So, I unpacked IMAGEDD.BZ2 on the flashdrive and so replaced IMAGEDD.BZ2 with IMAGEDD.

However. It still wouldn't install. After the disk selection it still wants the media.

[wobbe]

Try unetbootin.

http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

It think I used it once to install esxi4. Not sure anymore :)

[shampoo]

Thank you for your answer. I got the same message although it booted differently at first. It still asks for the media. I even tried "imaging" the unzipped imagedd to USB stick with winimage. It booted nowhere. :(

[Thilo Knoch]

May be it is a similar problem.
A not supported usb stick. Boot into installation.
Hit Alt-F1 and login with root and no password.
Have a look at the output of "lspci" and "fdisk -l".
If lspci lists the usb stick (and manufacturer is alcor...transcend) and fdisk -l shows nothing, the stick has probably not been accepted by ESXi. And may be you can find something like "wrong sense code" in /var/log/messages .
I have three 4GB sticks, which are unusable, for ESXi only (Ok in knoppix, grml and Windows). Took an older one, 2GB, Transcend controller too - and it works.
Although, I had the problem with the normal, non-HP media. Could be the HP media has a different usbstorage driver.

[shampoo]

Tried 2 different sticks. I got on both sticks hits on fdisk -l or lspci. I could select the USB stick which I booted from for installing ESXi ON. So, the stick is there.

again: I could fix it with ESX4.0 by adding "askmedia" to the label line.

I definately think it's software/syslinux related. It just won't eat "askmedia"

If you were to try an install (FROM) with your alledged supported USB-stick what's the outcome?

[Egbert Leutscher]

Had the same problem/error. I used the nice iLO (advanced) Virtual Media option to mount an ISO image which resided on my laptop. If u dont have the Advanced option, you can download an 60-day evaluation key.
Everything went smoothly from that point on.

I used the VMWARE ESXi image from HP download, and am curious why this error message appears. Bug in VMWARE image or HP BIOS.

I installed ESXi 4.1 on a ML350 G6

[mhm]

Dears,

I have to install the ESXi v 4.1 on blade 460c g6, I'd downloaded the 4.1 - Sept2010-ESXi HD-USB-SD image installer CD, because all recommended installing the esxi from the same h/w vendor. For the time being, I've gotten the same error:

Installtion operation Failed!

The installation operation has encountered a fatal error:

Unable to find the system image to install. This is due to the image not being mounted correctly or the CD-ROM not being supported...

I'd put the esxi iso image on a flash using the unetbootin and I got the same error, also with the CD I got the same error. I'll try to download the same iso again from HP site, and if that's not gonna work, i'll use the vmware esxi installable iso from vmware not HP.

if anyone has information about this subject, please help/

BR
If anyone has any i

[Faisal Khan Niazi]

i managed to install ESXi 4.1 on HP ML110 G6 server via booting from usb stick instead of CD/DVD. CD/dvd was not supported and even not availble in host after installing ESXi. I am thinking of replacing it with some old one.

But Booting and installing from USB stick worked smooth. I made this USB bootable with ESXi4.1 image by using this blog. http://www.ivobeerens.nl/?p=699
by the way i got two SATA drives of 250GB connected on motherboard (no raid conroller). i can see only one drive in datastore, 2nd one is not appearing. may be i have to get RAID controller for it. Thinking...