what should I do if a Linux command is not available in ESXi?

[sfresher]

I am trying to use the Linux cu command on ESXi's unsupported console, which is used to connects to a terminal. However, since the command is not available, is there any option I can install any package to the ESXi console?

[chadwickking]

Have you tried

cat /proc/cpuinfo

to answer your question the console has been removed from ESXi - this is the new direction vmware is going in. You can enable TSM "technical Support mode" to access SSH to the ESXi host and run some command limiting. You can use PowerCLI, vCLI, and a vMA to run remote commands to the ESXi host. This is the point of vmware going with esxi is due to the enhanced remote functionality.

Cheers,

Chad King

VCP-410 | Server+

Twitter: http://twitter.com/cwjking

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[admin]

Wow, are you using cu (call Unix) to connect to another computer over a serial port or modem? I haven't heard of anyone doing that since the '80s! Though cu isn't part of ESXi, you could instead map the serial port to a Linux virtual machine and run cu from in the VM.

With ESXi VMware is optimizing the system to run, monitor, and manage Virtual Machine; part of this effort is eliminating the Linux Console OS management VM.

[sfresher]

Thanks! Indeed, what I am trying to do is to eastablish a communication to the guest VM before the guest OS is installed (because I need to automate some OS installation with command line interaction). So I was planning to first use socat to map the guest VM as a device of the host, then use cu command to communicate to the guest VM from the host. Do you think this is possible overall?

[admin]

The ESXi Product Manager suggests reading through Using Serial Proxy Ports with vSphere 4.1..

The gist is the ESXi can proxy the virtual serial ports through to a remote telnet session. This allows to run a configuration service elsewhere that provides the automation facilities for new VM installation / configuration (and / or console debugging if you ever need it).

If you like serial line concentrators, VMware has partnered with Avocent on the ACS v6000 virtual serial line concentrator which supports guest vMotion without losing the connection. Remember to use VMware's installation instructions.