VMware ESXi 4.0 Headless (Unattended)Install

In order to achieve this you need to do some hacks and tricks with the vmware installer scripts

1. Modify the Installer-Steps

In order to achieve this you will need to modify the install.tgz file
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- Extract ISO
- cd to the extracted directory

- mkdir tt
- cp install.tgz tt/
- cd tt/
- tar xvvf install.tgz

- $ ls
install.tgz sbin usr

- cd usr/lib/vmware/installer/
- chmod +w ThinESXInstall.py
- vi ThinESXInstall.py


modify following line (approx line 22 )

Steps = [ WelcomeStep, LicenseStep, TargetSelectionStep, ConfirmStep, \
WriteStep, PostConfigStep, CompleteStep, RebootStep ]
to

Steps = [ TargetSelectionStep, WriteStep, RebootStep ]

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2. Automated the Disks Selection Step in the installer script

now go to ThinESX dircetory

- cd ThinESX/
- chmod +w ThinESXInstallSteps.py
- vi ThinESXInstallSteps.py


--- modify the target selection step (approx line 56)

copy paste the following lines in the Scripts :

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def TargetSelectionStep(data):
"""TargetSelectionStep
This install step is responsible for presenting the user with the device
selection dialog and determining the target which is being installed to."""
targets = TargetEnumeration(NotPredicate(RACVirtualMediaFilter))

if len(targets) == 0:
raise NoValidDevicesException()

if len(targets) == 1 and targets[0].IsLocal():
data['Target'] = targets[0]
return data
else:
return LaunchDialog(DeviceSelectionDialog(targets, data))

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- Save and Exit
- cd back to tt/ directory
- rm -rf install.tgz && tar -czvf install.tgz * && chmod 755 install.tgz

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replace the existing install.tgz file to the modified one..

Your unattended installer is ready to go..

Script to display all duplicate line in a file once

this script will display all the duplicate lines only once

Example:

$cat file
I like oranges
I like apples
I like pears
I like apples
I like guavas
I like oranges
I like apples

$./test.pl file

I like apples
I like oranges

#!/usr/bin/perl
#
open(FILE,"$ARGV[0]");
my @contents = ;
my %dup;
foreach $line (@contents)
{
  @keyz = keys %dup;
  if(!(grep(/$line/, @keyz)) || $dup{$line})
  {
      $dup{$line}++;
      if($dup{$line} > 1)
  {
          print $line;
          $dup{$line} = 0;
      }
  }
}

Script to upload ssh key to skip password authentication

#!/bin/bash

## Script to auto upload ssh keys on the LINUX HOST

NO_ARGS=0
E_OPTERROR=65

if [ $# -eq "$NO_ARGS" ] # should check for no arguments
   then
   echo "Usage: `basename $0` -i   "
   exit $E_OPTERROR
fi

while getopts ":ih" Option

 do
 case $Option in
   
   i)
   remote_host_ipaddress="$2"
   ;;
 
   h)
   echo "Usage: `basename $0` -i  "
   exit $E_OPTERROR
   ;;
 esac
 done

 shift $(($OPTIND - 1))

 ## This will generate ssh key on the remote host
 echo "Generation ssh-keygen on remote linux host"
 echo $remote_host_ipaddress

 ssh root@$remote_host_ipaddress  /usr/bin/ssh-keygen -t dsa
 
 echo "uploading your ssh keys on remote linux host"
 scp ~/.ssh/id_dsa.pub root@$remote_host_ipaddress:/root/.ssh/authorized_keys