[CentOS] Help with VMware ESXi manager for CentOS - newbie level

[Les Mikesell]

On Thu, Sep 5, 2013 at 1:52 AM, Ljubomir Ljubojevic <centos at plnet.rs> wrote:
> Hi.
>
> On my new job we use VMware ESXi (Free version), but my colleagues use
> Windows on their PC's. I am allowed to use CentOS Linux, but I have no
> prior experience with WMVare.
>
> I now (today) have to install CentOS 6.x minimal on that ESXi server, so
> I am trying to wrap my head around whole ecosystem.
>
>
> What should I install on my CentOS 6.x so I can access/manage ESXi
> server and manage it? Direct link or nice howto would help me immensely.
> When ever I search the net, I get how to install CentOS client (they
> mean guest) ON VMware.
>

What I use - and recommend - in that environment is to run windows on
your  desktop, but commandeer at least one of the VM's for your own
use and testing, and once that VM is up on the network, run freenx and
use the window NX client to access it.  The performance under NX will
nearly match a local console without ever having to worry about linux
video drivers, plus you can suspend your session and resume it later,
even from a different host.  You can access the VM console from the
vmware client (using right-mouse in the navigation pane to pop a
separate window is nicer than working in the tab in the main screen)
but after the network is up,  ssh or freenx is nicer.

 Also, export an NFS filesystem from a Centos box (or VM) and mount in
the ESXi servers.  Then you can download install isos into that area,
and map then directly into the client as you create/install a new VM.
 If you aren't using something like puppet or chef, you can just do
the initial install from the Centos 'minimal' iso, then 'yum install '
whatever other packages or groups you want.

If you ever get servers that exceed the resources permitted for the
free version of ESXi (or just get tired of it), you will find that
Centos/KVM will host and run the same images, even in the vmdk format.
  But, the VMware console and the conversion tool really are pretty
nice to work with - and if the company has an experienced Windows
admin and uses a good anti-virus you may find you don't really hate
using it to host your VMware client and NX sessions.

-- 
   Les Mikesell
    lesmikesell at gmail.com