I ended up at Turnkey because I was looking for prebuilt appliances. ISo's seemed not where i wanted to go as I was scared (still am) of some of Linux... that said, by now I have found using ISO's is no problem
This is the process I use w/ VMWare Esxi 4 (similar process in VMWare Server also - just a few diffs)
---------------
Download the ISO
Open VMWARE Sphere Client, log in as Root.
Configuration -> hit Storage
right click on your Data Store (DataStore1 for me), and choose -> Browse Datastore
If you have not made a Folder, hit the Folder+ icon -- to make a new Folder
Call it ISOImages or ISODisks
Open the Folder
Hit the "upload file' button.
Choose your TKL ISO image.
Close your Datastore Browser
---
have a beer
---
(Add a "Next Click to each of the following lines0
now go to "Virtual Machines" tab in VMWare Client (near where you are in "Configuration"
Right Click below all the other machines and choose "New Virtual Machine" .
Choose "typical"
Give it a Name (I like to use a close resembance to the ISO I want to install from)
Double click on your DataStore, to define where you want to store it, and then hit NEXT
Select "Linux" radio button, and then select "Ubuntu Linux 32bit"
(now slow down here)
I take the standard 8gb Virtual Disk, then CLICK "Allocate Space on Demand" (this will save a lot of space till you need it!) -- if it is a super high load site, maybe don't do that.. but for me it works.
Click IMMEDIATELY next on "Edit the virtual machine settings", then Click "Finish"
You will be presented with your Settings now:
Go to "New CD/DVD"
Choose - > "DataStore ISO"
Choose the ISO File in the DataStore/ISOImages Folder you already uploaded
IMMEDIATELY Choose "Power on at Startup" - you can't boot without this switch!
you are ready to Roll now (Installation is pretty much Automatic)
--------------
Your VMWare Machine is on equal footing with any others now.
--------------
Hit the Power/Go/Green Arrow.
Click on the Console Button (better than the tab) in order to watch and interact with the install.
If "No OS is found" you need to Auto Power Down via "Inventory Virtual Machines, Right Click Power Down" as you don't have VMWare tools installed and this is the only place to do this othewise. Click Edit settins, and make sure "Power On at Startup" is clicked for your CD - so the machine can boot from the ISOFile.
-----------
During Installation, I have learned to choose the LVD Options and then answer yes and no in ways that are occassionally counterintuitive (and compunded because the whole install is rolling pretty fast)
You will get all the way to the end and it will ask you to implement TKLBam (choose Skip is my recomendation, it won't work if you don't have an IP address yet and you can get it going very quickly when you login to WebMin (:12321) as soon as you want)
Next: Accept the "Auto Security Updates" --> this will create an error as you still don't have a Network connection, but I don't know how to set it up automatically in WebMin otherwise...
Finally: you will may be told: No Networking is SetUp and you will be moved on to a screen where you can choose between DHCP (auto ip assignment) or Static IP. I use DHCP behind my firewall, and Static in my DMZ as I don't have DHCP in the DMZ and I usually need a Server there not on the back side.
In Static: Know the IP you are assigning, and hopefully you will already have DNS setup to point at the IP / or Mapped IP you are defining. IF not, give it a Free IP Address and know your host/dns/access mappings so that you can set your Router to allow-facilitate access.
Once you define the IP, the system will be LIVE.
This all takes a lot less time than I just spent typing this and you will have an awesome system that is easy to maintain and easy to backup and many other things. ISO Files are a fine way to install.
TKL Patch turns out to be pretty easy too... Read the post below, or float around a bit and you will find logs of the install process. Really quite easy. Creates an ISO you can Install just the way I have tried to describe.
Basically any version of VMSomethng will install similarly to the VMWware ESXI process I have been referencing.
A few closing notes:
You can boot from a CD the same way also, just by not using an ISO but by using your Server's CD drive. Don't try to use a Remote CD however (in my experience -- you can't engage the remote CD at startup fast enough no matter how many times you try). VMWare Server (on another Server can use a Mapped Drive which was intuitively easier for me than the Browse DataStore to find - BUT DOES NOT WORK W/ ESXI without some ISCSI or SMB connection.
Ideally a Shared DataStore that you can get to from any Server is Best as you only would have to store an ISO Once and use it on any Server Box.., but I haven't crossed that Rubicon yet though I have tried a few times. (Can't figure how to get the TKL FileServer to work the way I understand it does in CIFS or SMB).. If your Server is not performing as you like "edit settings" give it more ram, and do a google search on "PHP Ram" in refernce to your Application. You will probably want to give the Application more Ram in one of its settings files, not just the Virtual Machine.
all for now. I hope this is helpful
(I notice here it is a bit out of synch but I think folks will be running into the same questions I had over the last few months -- it gets pretty easy w/ a little practice.)
ESXi 4 is "super easy" in my novice experience.
I ended up at Turnkey because I was looking for prebuilt appliances. ISo's seemed not where i wanted to go as I was scared (still am) of some of Linux... that said, by now I have found using ISO's is no problem
This is the process I use w/ VMWare Esxi 4 (similar process in VMWare Server also - just a few diffs)
---------------
Download the ISO
Open VMWARE Sphere Client, log in as Root.
Configuration -> hit Storage
right click on your Data Store (DataStore1 for me), and choose -> Browse Datastore
If you have not made a Folder, hit the Folder+ icon -- to make a new Folder
Call it ISOImages or ISODisks
Open the Folder
Hit the "upload file' button.
Choose your TKL ISO image.
Close your Datastore Browser
---
have a beer
---
(Add a "Next Click to each of the following lines0
now go to "Virtual Machines" tab in VMWare Client (near where you are in "Configuration"
Right Click below all the other machines and choose "New Virtual Machine" .
Choose "typical"
Give it a Name (I like to use a close resembance to the ISO I want to install from)
Double click on your DataStore, to define where you want to store it, and then hit NEXT
Select "Linux" radio button, and then select "Ubuntu Linux 32bit"
(now slow down here)
I take the standard 8gb Virtual Disk, then CLICK "Allocate Space on Demand" (this will save a lot of space till you need it!) -- if it is a super high load site, maybe don't do that.. but for me it works.
Click IMMEDIATELY next on "Edit the virtual machine settings", then Click "Finish"
You will be presented with your Settings now:
Go to "New CD/DVD"
Choose - > "DataStore ISO"
Choose the ISO File in the DataStore/ISOImages Folder you already uploaded
IMMEDIATELY Choose "Power on at Startup" - you can't boot without this switch!
you are ready to Roll now (Installation is pretty much Automatic)
--------------
Your VMWare Machine is on equal footing with any others now.
--------------
Hit the Power/Go/Green Arrow.
Click on the Console Button (better than the tab) in order to watch and interact with the install.
If "No OS is found" you need to Auto Power Down via "Inventory Virtual Machines, Right Click Power Down" as you don't have VMWare tools installed and this is the only place to do this othewise. Click Edit settins, and make sure "Power On at Startup" is clicked for your CD - so the machine can boot from the ISOFile.
-----------
During Installation, I have learned to choose the LVD Options and then answer yes and no in ways that are occassionally counterintuitive (and compunded because the whole install is rolling pretty fast)
You will get all the way to the end and it will ask you to implement TKLBam (choose Skip is my recomendation, it won't work if you don't have an IP address yet and you can get it going very quickly when you login to WebMin (:12321) as soon as you want)
Next: Accept the "Auto Security Updates" --> this will create an error as you still don't have a Network connection, but I don't know how to set it up automatically in WebMin otherwise...
Finally: you will may be told: No Networking is SetUp and you will be moved on to a screen where you can choose between DHCP (auto ip assignment) or Static IP. I use DHCP behind my firewall, and Static in my DMZ as I don't have DHCP in the DMZ and I usually need a Server there not on the back side.
In Static: Know the IP you are assigning, and hopefully you will already have DNS setup to point at the IP / or Mapped IP you are defining. IF not, give it a Free IP Address and know your host/dns/access mappings so that you can set your Router to allow-facilitate access.
Once you define the IP, the system will be LIVE.
This all takes a lot less time than I just spent typing this and you will have an awesome system that is easy to maintain and easy to backup and many other things. ISO Files are a fine way to install.
TKL Patch turns out to be pretty easy too... Read the post below, or float around a bit and you will find logs of the install process. Really quite easy. Creates an ISO you can Install just the way I have tried to describe.
Basically any version of VMSomethng will install similarly to the VMWware ESXI process I have been referencing.
A few closing notes:
You can boot from a CD the same way also, just by not using an ISO but by using your Server's CD drive. Don't try to use a Remote CD however (in my experience -- you can't engage the remote CD at startup fast enough no matter how many times you try). VMWare Server (on another Server can use a Mapped Drive which was intuitively easier for me than the Browse DataStore to find - BUT DOES NOT WORK W/ ESXI without some ISCSI or SMB connection.
Ideally a Shared DataStore that you can get to from any Server is Best as you only would have to store an ISO Once and use it on any Server Box.., but I haven't crossed that Rubicon yet though I have tried a few times. (Can't figure how to get the TKL FileServer to work the way I understand it does in CIFS or SMB).. If your Server is not performing as you like "edit settings" give it more ram, and do a google search on "PHP Ram" in refernce to your Application. You will probably want to give the Application more Ram in one of its settings files, not just the Virtual Machine.
all for now. I hope this is helpful
(I notice here it is a bit out of synch but I think folks will be running into the same questions I had over the last few months -- it gets pretty easy w/ a little practice.)