VMware

VMware ESX Server Driver Disk and RPMs for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0 Update 3


Released 7/27/06

Driver Disk:
IMG File

RPM Bundle:
TAR File

This update for ESX Server 2.5.3 Upgrade Patch 3 allows the use of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0 Update 3 as a guest operating system. The update consists of two parts:

  • A driver disk providing a BusLogic SCSI driver for new guest operating system installation.
  • The RPM bundle provides a binary RPM for upgrading to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0 Update 3.

Note: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0 Update 3 is only supported with ESX Server 2.5.3 with upgrade patch 3.

Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0 Update 3 with the Driver Disk

To install Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0 Update 3 using the driver disk:
  1. Create a new virtual machine on which you will install Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0 Update 3. When creating the virtual machine, select the BusLogic SCSI adapter. The LSI Logic SCSI adapter is not supported. Also, make sure that the newly created virtual machine has been configured with a virtual floppy device.
  2. Download the BusLogic driver disk. Transfer the downloaded driver disk image to the ESX Server Service Console, and save it under /tmp.
  3. Check the md5sum of the downloaded file:
    # md5sum dd-rhel4u3.img.gz

    The md5 checksum output should match the following:
    7ca72777b0b4c8fda9c34e35f47cce46 dd-rhel4u3.img.gz

  4. Unzip the driver disk image:
    # gunzip dd-rhel4u3.img.gz
  5. Insert the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0 Update 3 CD into the CD-ROM drive, or connect the virtual machine to the ISO image.
  6. Power on the virtual machine to begin installation.
  7. Enter linux dd at the boot prompt to indicate that you will be providing a driver disk during the installation.
  8. When the installer prompts, Do you have a driver disk?, select Yes. When prompted for the driver disk source, select fd0.
  9. When prompted to insert the driver disk, connect the virtual machine to the floppy image (/tmp/dd-rhel4u3.img), and choose OK.
  10. Select No when prompted for additional driver disks.
  11. Continue with the installation process. Refer to "Installing Guest Operating Systems: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0" in the Guest Operating System Installation Guide if you need more information on installation. The BusLogic driver loads from the floppy image during installation.
  12. When installation is finished, disconnect the virtual floppy before rebooting the virtual machine.

Installing the BusLogic RPMs

The tar file contains the BusLogic driver RPM, which installs the driver for all Red Hat Enterprise version 4.0 Update 3 kernels (up, smp and hugemem). Follow these instructions as root after updating the kernel to 2.6.9-34.EL (up, smp and hugemem) and before rebooting the virtual machine.

To install the BusLogic RPMs:

  1. Download the tar file containing a binary RPM and a source RPM. The binary RPM automatically configures the BusLogic driver for all RHEL4 U3 kernels installed.
  2. Transfer the download tar file to a temporary directory
    (For example, /root).
  3. Check the md5sum of the package:
    # md5sum BusLogic-2.0-0-RHEL4U3.tar.gz

    4. The md5 checksum output should match the following:
    d1f4d40108d35a1ceea94f77571c1a42 BusLogic-2.0-0-RHEL4U3.tar.gz

  4. Unpack the tar file in the temporary directory:
    # cd /root
    # tar xzvf BusLogic-2.0-0-RHEL4U3.tar.gz

    5. This creates a directory BusLogic-2.0 which contains three files:

    • BusLogic-2.0-0.i386.rpm, the binary RPM
    • BusLogic-2.0-0.src.rpm, the source RPMs
    • INSTALL, instructions to install the binary RPMs
  5. Install the binary RPM for BusLogic support:
    # cd /root/BusLogic-2.0
    # rpm -ivh BusLogic-2.0-0.i386.rpm

    Use the install option if you want to leave drivers installed by BusLogic-1.0-0 in place; otherwise, use the upgrade option:
    # rpm -Uvh BusLgoic-2.0-0.i386.rpm

    Caution: Using the upgrade option removes BusLogic drivers installed by BusLogic-1.0-0 RPMs. Those kernels may not be bootable.

  6. Reboot the virtual machine to boot into the new kernel.