Esxi - Linux VM itself running VMWare Workstation

Hi there
@johnnyZ

Here's a screenshot of an Arch Linux system running as a VM on ESXI 5.7 (Esxi is the HOST OS) with the arch linux kernel at 5.3.11 and this VM running VMWare workstation -- so in theory your VM's could easily use any VMWare VM images from USB devices while the ESXI system could be run from a USB drive.

The response time of the VMWare workstation VM on the Esxi Host with the arch linux VM isn't too bad at all -- the top level VM (i.e the VM installed under the ESXI response time blows away any of the other Virtual machine options I've tried. It's a bit fiffly though to get it working -- I'm still trying a few experiments --but the POC (proof of concept) that you CAN run VMWARE workstation on a VM created under ESXi ) works just OK -- easiest is to use Arch Linux for testing as a simple command yay vmware-workstation will do all the hard bits for you !!!



Now I'm going to try some Windows VM's -- should also be able to get Windows VM with HYPER-V working too on Esxi although why I would need that I don't know -- maybe to try it just because it could be possible.


Once I'm satisfied and got all the glitches out I'll do a full blown tutorial.

One thing having trouble with --RDP from a windows laptop to the Esxi VM allows me to logon but then just shows blank screen even though I've installed xrdp on the main host and started the service -- I might need to connect / export the screen -- need to do more research. The web interface works OK though although resolution 1920 X 1080 is missing -- not a showstopper - especially if you have larger 4K monitors available and you use the VM as a server.

Seems VMWare with Esxi have finally got their act together --this stuff could work big time !!! I like the idea of the main HYPERVISOR being a miniscule OS. I think also though the default networking configuration must be bridged / external as the ifconfig output from the (top level) VM is 192.168.1.8 which is a physical address obviously rather than a virtual subnet etc.

Samba etc works on it (the top level VM under ESXI --100% connection to and from rest of Lan

Hundur -- this machine (Windows 10 on separate laptop, Hestur is a separate NAS Linux machine and Wulf is a VM under Esxi running on another physical machine with Esxi as the Host system Interconnection all ways from the 3 systems




I haven't tested the 2nd level VM's created on it with VMWare workstation yet that's a story for another day -- pub time now !!!!-- Done enough computing for today.

Cheers
jimbo