Now that ESXi 8 is free for home lab, where can I download latest patches?

[MagNYC]

Hello,

I signed up to the free version of ESXi to use in my home lab (8.0 update 3e)  but cannot find a way to download the latest patch 3f - does anybody know where to download it?

Thanks

[Shen88]

@MagNYC,

The full releases like ESXi 8.0 Update 3e are made available for free, but subsequent smaller patches (like 3f) are typically reserved for customers with active support contracts. This is because patches are often delivered as part of the "Solutions" section of the Broadcom support portal, which requires a license to access.

For access to all patches and full support, a paid VCF/VCF license would be required. This is usually not cost-effective for a typical homelab, but it's the only guaranteed way to get all updates directly from the vendor.

Downloading patch 3f from Broadcom's official portal is highly unlikely without a paid license. Your best bet is to continue using 3e or purchase a license if frequent patching is a high priority.

[Joffer77]

While the 'letter' patches are available under "Solutions" tab on the download page of Broadcom support portal, you might be able to update ESXi 8 with ESXCLI, using information from this site: https://esxi-patches.v-front.de/

You need a download token though.

The commands to update to 8U3f (commands/instructions from the web page):

esxcli network firewall ruleset set -e true -r httpClient
esxcli software profile update -p ESXi-8.0U3f-24784735-standard -d https://dl.broadcom.com/[Your_Download_Token]/PROD/COMP/ESX_HOST/main/vmw-depot-index.xml
esxcli network firewall ruleset set -e false -r httpClient