5 Tips for Installing ESXi on a Mini PC
Original: https://www.virtualizationhowto.com/2023/08/5-tips-to-install-esxi-on-a-mini-pc/
I have been enjoying experimenting with various mini PCs in my home lab and looking for options to run various hypervisors. I am currently running VMware vSphere in a lab environment, so installing ESXi on a mini PC is a natural choice. However, if you want to design an energy-efficient microserver using the VMware vSphere hypervisor ESXi on mini PC hardware, there are a few things to keep in mind.
This guide will discuss five key tips for successfully installing ESXi on a mini PC and provide a detailed installation walkthrough.
Table of ContentsWhat is VMware ESXi? Why Install ESXi on a Mini PC? 5 Tips for Installing ESXi on a Mini PC 1.Choose Hardware Wisely (Network Adapter)
2.Use USB Network Adapter
3.Adjust systemMediaSize Boot Parameter for Small Disks 4.Understand VMware Flings (Community Network Drivers and USB Network Drivers) 5.Know How to Customize Your ESXi ISO Installation Media
What is VMware ESXi?
VMware ESXi is a hypervisor or bare-metal hypervisor (operating system) that you install on a physical server, in this case, a mini PC. Once ESXi is installed, you can start creating various virtual machines that run on ESXi in your environment.
You can start creating virtual machines like vCenter Server to enable more advanced virtualization features such as vMotion, cloning, setting up clusters, vSAN, and more.
Why Install ESXi on a Mini PC?
It makes sense to run VMware ESXi on a mini PC because many people are interested in home labs and want to run their own servers at home to learn about virtualization and enterprise technology. Here are a few points to consider:
Mini PCs are cheaper than servers, they are more energy-efficient, they are much quieter, and they have become more powerful in terms of hardware in recent years.
Note that I have a complete article comparing mini PCs with servers: Mini PCs vs. Servers: Best Home Lab Server for 2024?
5 Tips for Installing ESXi on a Mini PC
Let’s take a look at 5 simple tips for installing ESXi on a mini PC that will save you a considerable amount of time. They are as follows:
1.Choose Hardware Wisely (Network Adapter)
2.Use USB Network Adapter
3.Adjust systemMediaSize Boot Parameter for Small Disks 4.Understand VMware Flings (Community Network Drivers and USB Network Drivers) 5.Know How to Customize Your ESXi ISO Installation Media
1.Choose Hardware Wisely (Network Adapter)
One of the areas to pay attention to when considering the installation of VMware ESXi is the hardware of the mini PC you are considering purchasing. The network adapter is one of the hardware areas that often causes issues from the start.
Many mini PCs out there may be configured with Realtek network adapters. The latest versions of ESXi typically do not support Realtek chipsets (they come with USB adapters). When trying to configure VMware ESXi, the compatibility of your network adapter with VMware ESXi can make or break the installation process.
Before diving in, research the model of your mini PC’s network adapter and ensure that ESXi supports it. This preliminary homework will prevent problems during the installation of ESXi due to unsupported network adapters.
When you attempt to install ESXi on a mini PC, if the network adapter is not supported and a suitable driver cannot be found, you will see the following. Know that if the network adapter is not found, you cannot even install ESXi.
There are some workarounds for this, which we will discuss below. However, knowing these things in advance helps to save time later on and addresses potential issues when installing a VMware ESXi server.
2.Use USB Network AdapterEven if you have a mini PC with an onboard Realtek network card, all is not lost. You can still install ESXi. How? Use a USB network adapter. While ESXi does not support many onboard Realtek adapters in mini PCs, it does have drivers for USB network cards. Below is an adapter similar to one I have. I have an old USB A to RJ45 adapter made by Anker. Mine has a Realtek chipset.
3.Adjust systemMediaSize Boot Parameter for Small DisksIf your mini PC’s disk is smaller than 128G, you need to be aware of the changes VMware has made to disk layouts starting with ESXi 7.0. The default installation parameters for ESXi may not be suitable for these sizes.
Note the following VMware KB:
ESXi Hardware Requirements (vmware.com)
Additionally, regarding the systemMediaSize boot option parameter, VMware has added a boot parameter to adjust the size of the partitions to fit smaller disks: Configuring the Boot Options to Adjust the Size of the ESXi System Partition (81166) (vmware.com) Adjust the systemMediaSize setting to fit the specific size of the disk. This ensures a smooth installation process and optimizes ESXi host performance on smaller storage devices. What happens if you do not adjust the systemMediaSize parameter? Well, you will not see any issues during the installation of ESXi. However, if you have a single disk of 128 GB or smaller, ESXi will not create a default datastore and there will be no free space to create a datastore. Therefore, you will need to come up with another virtual machine storage plan, such as using NFS or iSCSI, or allocating some other storage.
When you boot the ESXi installer from a USB drive with Rufus or Ventoy, when you see this prompt during boot (during the 5-second countdown), you will press the key sequence SHIFT+O. Add the following boot parameters to the end of the line as follows:
#Choose one of the following sizes systemMediaSize=min/small/max min 33GB, for single disk or embedded servers small 69GB, for servers with at least 512GB RAM max all available space, for multi-terabyte servers
Below, I am configuring the “min” size.
You do not have to do anything else. After the installation process is completed, ESXi will remember the boot parameters and use the partition layout size you defined with it. Once you use a smaller size, you will see that ESXi will configure the default datastore, otherwise it will not.
4.Understand VMware Flings (Community Network Drivers and USB Network Drivers)Sometimes, the default network drivers provided by ESXi may not be the drivers your mini PC needs. This is where community network drivers or USB network drivers Fling comes into play.
These community-supported tools provide unofficial drivers to allow network connectivity for VMware ESXi. If you have not heard of VMware flings before, this is a great resource for home labs. Here are the community network drivers for ESXi: Community Network Drivers for ESXi | VMware Flings
The native USB network drivers for ESXi are also a great resource for USB network adapters: USB Network Native Drivers for ESXi | VMware Flings
5.Know How to Customize Your ESXi ISO Installation MediaIf you have downloaded community network drivers or USB native drivers, you will need to be able to slip them into the ESXi ISO for installation. To do this, you can use what is called an automated deployment process to slip these driver packages into a custom ESXi ISO image that can be used to install VMware ESXi. I have written a detailed post about the automated deployment process and shown you how to create a custom ESXi ISO image. Check out my post on that topic: ESXi Automated Deployment Adding Drivers to ESXi ISO Custom Image
Installing ESXi Host on Mini PC: Step-by-Step GuideNow that we have covered five basic tips, let’s dive into the actual ESXi installation process:
1.Prepare Installation MediaDownload the ESXi installer: Go to the VMware website and download the latest ESXi image suitable for your mini PC. Load the ISO onto a USB drive: Use tools like Rufus or Ventoy to create a bootable USB flash drive with the ESXi ISO. Check out my post on Ventoy: Rufus Alternative for Linux and Windows Installation ISO – Ventoy.
2.Boot the InstallerBoot from the USB drive: Insert the USB drive into the mini PC and reboot. Enter the boot menu and select the USB drive to start booting ESXi.
Below, I created a Ventoy disk from which I am booting and selected the custom ESXi ISO I created with Auto Deploy.
The mini PC server boots VMware ESXi.
Run the ESXi installer: Once the system boots into the ESXi installer, follow the prompts on the screen. You will be asked to accept the End User License Agreement, select the installation disk, and set the root password.
Below, press F11 to accept and continue.
Select the target disk.
Below, I have loaded ESXi and created a datastore. So, I keep the datastore here and install it. If you have not previously installed ESXi on a disk, you will most likely see an “Install” option.
Select your language.
Enter your password.
Press F11 to confirm that you want to erase the contents of the disk.
3.USB Network Adapter Installation ErrorsOne thing I want to note. When you use a USB network adapter, there are various errors/issues you may encounter. You might see the following: No vmknic label found for management. The only thing you can do here is press ESC.
Then, it will return to the install ESXi screen. Just click ESC again to cancel the installation and restart the server. ESXi is actually installed even with errors.
One side effect is the password setup is incorrect. Here, if I try to log in with the password I set, it will give an error. Instead, use a blank password.
Now, press F2 to customize your system and select the network restore option.
Select to restore network settings.
Confirm that you want to restore network factory settings by pressing F11.
After the reconfiguration is complete, press enter.
4.Post-Installation ConfigurationAccess the Direct Console User Interface (DCUI): After the ESXi installation is complete and the system reboots, you will enter the DCUI. This interface allows you to configure management network settings, set static IP addresses, and more. Finalize management network settings: Ensure your IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS configuration match your network settings. This ensures that your ESXi server is accessible and manageable. Access the Host Client: Use any web browser to access the host client by typing the IP address you configured. Here, you can start creating virtual machines, manage your storage, and more.
ConclusionInstalling VMware ESXi on a mini PC has many benefits, especially if you want to run your own home lab. Using a mini PC can certainly save money on hardware, power, cooling, noise, and many other advantages. However, there are some tips to ensure you can install ESXi on a mini PC as we have demonstrated. I hope these 5 tips for installing ESXi on a mini PC will help others who may struggle with drivers, datastore not showing up, network adapter issues, and other problems.