But when you compile a kernel, you have to enable the serial console. It
doesn't necessarily work with every kernel. So I'm thinking they turned it
off when compiling their kernel because it doesn't work.
Also, I have a PC Weasel card and it says that it's receiving a signal to go
into graphics mode when the vmware installation program runs. At that point,
neither the PC Weasel or the serial console would work. The PC Weasel works
up to that point though. I'm seeing typical linxu boot messages, finding
hardware, etcetra, and then it stops and says the host is in graphics mode.
As you may know, a lot of BIOS setup programs are like that. They look like
plain text but they're not. They put your video card into graphics mode so
they can display their logo. The rest is text but the PC Weasel can't get to
it because the host is in graphics mode.
Well, my department is supposedly buying vmware esx. Right now, I'm using
the 60 day evaluation version. I doubt there is any difference in the
installer but at least I'll be able to get technical support.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ryan Shugart"
Hi John: The ESX installer is a modified Redhat installer, I forget from what version I think REL 3 but don't quote me on that. You should be able to use the same code you used with Redhat to get a serial console. When I did the install, I just grabbed sited help as the interactive portion of setup is perhaps a 15 minute thing and after doing some research I realized it was taking me longer to figure out which boot option I needed and to get a computer set up for serial console than it would be just to grab someone. I believe its also possible to use Kickstart scripts just like you would with readhat, if you do an interactive install I actually think it puts a script of the install in /root. There are several files the installer puts in there and I've not looked through them all. For those that don't know, a Kickstart script is similar to an unattended Windows install. Ryan
-----Original Message----- From: blind-sysadmins-bounces@lists.hodgsonfamily.org [mailto:blind-sysadmins-bounces@lists.hodgsonfamily.org] On Behalf Of John Heim Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 12:48 PM To: blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org Subject: [Blind-sysadmins] installing vmware esx
Anybody know if it's possible to install vmware esx if you're blind?
I have already tried modifying the boot CD to have a serial console and I've booted a normal CD with a PC Weasel card. In case you haven't heard of it, the weasel acts like a VGA card except that instead of VGA output it has a serial port. So you can use a null modem cable and a terminal emulator on another computer to get text output.
I booted from a vmware esx installation CD and entered 'text' at the boot prompt to start a text install. But the weasel is still indicating that it is getting a command to go into graphics mode. I suspect the vmware text install isn't a real text install.
-- John Heim jheim@math.wisc.edu / 608-263-4189 "An operator of a vehicle shall stop the vehicle before approaching closer than 10 feet to a pedestrian who is using a service animal" -- Wisconsin Statute 2005 Act 354,
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