Re: failing to install 11.1R on VMWare

On 4/6/2018 12:40 PM, Ion-Mihai Tetcu wrote:
> On Fri, 6 Apr 2018 08:39:27 -0700 (PDT)
> "Rodney W. Grimes" <freebsd-rwg_at_pdx.rh.CN85.dnsmgr.net> wrote:
>
>>> On Thu, 5 Apr 2018 22:38:51 -0700 (PDT)
>>> "Rodney W. Grimes" <freebsd-rwg_at_pdx.rh.CN85.dnsmgr.net> wrote:
>>>    
>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm trying to install FreeBSD on :
>>>>> VMWare ESXi, 6.0.0, 5050593
>>>>>
>>>>> Guest OS: FreeBSD (64-bit)
>>>>> Compatibility: ESXi 6.0 and later (VM version 11)
>>>>>
>>>>> For 11.1R I'm getting the boot menu, then:
>>>>> /boot/kernel/kernel text=014972f8
>>>>> elf64_loadimage: read failed
>>>>> can't load file: '/boot/kernel/kernel': input/output error
>>>>> ...
>>>>> (for 10.4R similar just with a different address).
>>>>>
>>>>> SCSI Adapatr for the VM is set to LSI Logic (but I've tried
>>>>> with the other available options with the same result).
>>>>>
>>>>> VMWare docs list both 10 and 11 as being compatible with this
>>>>> version of ESXi.
>>>>> Any pointers to get through this will be greatly appreciated, I
>>>>> didn't found anything on the net, and I need a sane system to
>>>>> play with when I'm getting tired of the ton of Linux distros
>>>>> I'm forced to use.
>>>> Try setting the BIOS emulation to BIOS instead of UEFI.
>>> The WM is set:
>>> Firmware: BIOS.
>>> Boot Delay: 0ms
>>> Force BIOS setup: No
>>> Failed boot recovery: Do not automatically retry after virtual
>>> machine fails to find a boot device EFI Secure Boot: Disabled
>> Those all look good from my experience.
>>
>>>> And what image are you trying to boot from?
>>>> Are you trying to boot from a cd attached via vsphere client? or
>>>> is it a file on the server?
>>> I've uploaded the ISOs on one of the data stores on the server,
>>> didn't even tried from the client.
>> Ok, so that is also the same procedure I am trying.
>>
>> Now, which .ISO is it?  Maybe you have a broken snapshots.  Lots of
>> bootcode work has been going on in -current.  Can you try the 11.1
>> release ISO either i386 or amd64?
>>
>> I know that installs as I have done that many times.
> FreeBSD-11.1-RELEASE-amd64-dvd1.iso
> FreeBSD-11.1-RELEASE-amd64-bootonly.iso
> Tried this one after 11.1 failed FreeBSD-10.4-RELEASE-amd64-bootonly.iso
>
> I just downloaded the FreeBSD-11.1-RELEASE-amd64-bootonly.iso from the
> data store and checked the sha256 against the one on the ftp site and
> it's OK, so except if vshpere somehow corrupts files on upload and
> fixes them on download I think the image is OK.
>   
>>>> I usually use a .ISO when working with ESXi and FreeBSD as a
>>>> guest.
>>> I'll try with the vmdk image of the release now.
>> I have NOT ever tried that, so have no data there.
>>
>>>> I run these guest on ESXi 5.5 and ESXi 6.5, I do not have any
>>>> 6.0.0.
>>> Hm, I guess I could try on 6.5 as an other cluster with has hosts
>>> running VMware ESXi, 6.5.0, 4564106
>> It should just work, I have played with ESXi 6.0.0 at one
>> time or another and would have a good recollection if I had issues
>> booting any FreeBSD distributions on it.  At present I do not have
>> any 6.0.0 running, though I could fix that in a matter of minutes.
>   
> I relocated the VM on one of the 6.5.0 hosts (just the VM, not anything
> else) and got the same result trying to boot the 10.4R boot-only ISO).
> Would it make any diff if I create the VM from scratch on that host?
>

I have about 40 FreeBSD 10.3/10.4 VMs that were installed on a vSphere 
ESXi v6.0 cluster that has since been upgraded recently to v6.5. As a 
test, I just booted 11.1 from an ISO ( FreeBSD-11.1-RELEASE-amd64-disc1 
) using the FreeBSD-64bit OS template defaults and it reaches the 
installer welcome screen without issue. Here is a copy of the vmx file 
if you'd like to compare. Perhaps your host is selecting a different set 
of defaults for some reason? ...

[root_at_esxi1:/vmfs/volumes/552c8e27-b1f51fec-9bf8-90e2ba090e50/test-freebsd11] 
cat test-freebsd11.vmx
.encoding = "UTF-8"
config.version = "8"
virtualHW.version = "13"
nvram = "test-freebsd11.nvram"
pciBridge0.present = "TRUE"
svga.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge4.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge4.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge4.functions = "8"
pciBridge5.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge5.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge5.functions = "8"
pciBridge6.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge6.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge6.functions = "8"
pciBridge7.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge7.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge7.functions = "8"
vmci0.present = "TRUE"
hpet0.present = "TRUE"
floppy0.present = "FALSE"
numvcpus = "2"
memSize = "2048"
sched.cpu.units = "mhz"
sched.cpu.affinity = "all"
tools.upgrade.policy = "manual"
scsi0.virtualDev = "lsilogic"
scsi0.present = "TRUE"
scsi0:0.deviceType = "scsi-hardDisk"
scsi0:0.fileName = "test-freebsd11.vmdk"
sched.scsi0:0.shares = "normal"
sched.scsi0:0.throughputCap = "off"
scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"
ethernet0.virtualDev = "e1000"
ethernet0.networkName = "Production A"
ethernet0.addressType = "vpx"
ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:50:56:bc:a5:be"
ethernet0.present = "TRUE"
ide0:0.deviceType = "atapi-cdrom"
ide0:0.clientDevice = "TRUE"
ide0:0.fileName = "emptyBackingString"
ide0:0.present = "TRUE"
displayName = "test-freebsd11"
guestOS = "freebsd-64"
toolScripts.afterPowerOn = "TRUE"
toolScripts.afterResume = "TRUE"
toolScripts.beforeSuspend = "TRUE"
toolScripts.beforePowerOff = "TRUE"
uuid.bios = "42 3c ab 70 1b b3 53 b9-1f a4 f2 b4 2f a8 f2 e6"
vc.uuid = "50 3c 76 0f 06 b5 37 cc-50 f7 35 c4 c6 34 29 fe"
migrate.hostLog = "test-freebsd11-1927f738.hlog"
sched.cpu.min = "0"
sched.cpu.shares = "normal"
sched.mem.min = "0"
sched.mem.minSize = "0"
sched.mem.shares = "normal"
numa.autosize.vcpu.maxPerVirtualNode = "2"
numa.autosize.cookie = "20001"
sched.swap.derivedName = 
"/vmfs/volumes/552c8e27-b1f51fec-9bf8-90e2ba090e50/test-freebsd11/test-freebsd11-9923576a.vswp"
uuid.location = "56 4d 9b 92 f9 2e 4a 68-f6 6a b2 22 17 43 d5 7e"
scsi0:0.redo = ""
pciBridge0.pciSlotNumber = "17"
pciBridge4.pciSlotNumber = "21"
pciBridge5.pciSlotNumber = "22"
pciBridge6.pciSlotNumber = "23"
pciBridge7.pciSlotNumber = "24"
scsi0.pciSlotNumber = "16"
ethernet0.pciSlotNumber = "32"
vmci0.pciSlotNumber = "33"
vmci0.id = "799601382"
monitor.phys_bits_used = "43"
vmotion.checkpointFBSize = "4194304"
vmotion.checkpointSVGAPrimarySize = "4194304"
cleanShutdown = "TRUE"
softPowerOff = "FALSE"
checkpoint.vmState = ""

Does the ESXi host install any another OS successfully? Perhaps your 
having a hardware issues of some sort.

Hope this helps,

-Matthew