Using the integrated kickstart generator
VMware built an kickstart generator into ESX 3.5. You just need to enable it, simply by editing an XML configuration and restarting the webAccess service. Simply edit /usr/lib/vmware/webAccess/tomcat/apache-tomcat-5.5.26/webapps/ui/WEB-INF/struts-config.xml and look for the line saying:
<action path="/scriptedInstall" type="org.apache.struts.actions.ForwardAction" parameter="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/disabled.jsp" />This line needs to be commented out (<-- and -->) and the lines following, having those comment marks around them needs to be removed.
<!-- <action path="/scriptedInstall" type="com.vmware.webcenter.scripted.ProcessAction"> <forward name="scriptedInstall.form1" path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form1.jsp" /> <forward name="scriptedInstall.form2" path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form2.jsp" /> <forward name="scriptedInstall.form3" path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form3.jsp" /> <forward name="scriptedInstall.form4" path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form4.jsp" /> <forward name="scriptedInstall.form5" path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form5.jsp" /> <forward name="scriptedInstall.form6" path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form6.jsp" /> <forward name="scriptedInstall.form7" path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form7.jsp" /> </action> -->
After doing that, you should be able to restart the webAccess service, and after that access your ESX host.
# service vmware-webAccess restart Stopping VMware ESX Server webAccess: VMware ESX Server webAccess [FAILED] Starting VMware ESX Server webAccess: VMware ESX Server webAccess [ OK ]
If that worked, you should see the Login to Script Installer link on the Dashboard of the Web interface.
VMware vSphere and templates
I just converted one of my (old) templates, as I wanted to refresh the updates and the virus scanner. After converting, I was asked about the UUID (no clue why), and expected to be done with it. But after looking at the console, I got the following, completely cryptic message:
Unable to connect to MKS
After digging a bit deeper (that is looking at the vmware.log of the virtual machine, since the message of the GUI is *real* cryptic), I'm a bit wiser:
Jul 31 08:25:16.637: vmx| [msg.svgaUI.badLimits] Insufficient video RAM. The maximum resolution of the virtual machine will be limited to 1176x885 at 16 bits per pixel. To use the configured maximum resolution of 2360x1770 at 16 bits per pixel, increase the amount of video RAM allocated to this virtual machine by setting svga.vramSize="16708800" in the virtual machine's configuration file.
After softly shutting the VM down, and the powering the VM back up everything is back to working order.
