Tag: Esx4

Virtualization

Enabling root SSH login on an ESX host

Starting with ESX 3.0, the ESX Server by default no longer allows root login over ssh. How to 'fix' this?

Warning: ssh root access isn't disabled (just :P ) to annoy to. It's to protect you. Before enabling ssh root access, make sure nobody you don't trust can connect to the ssh server.

  • Login on the console of the esx host
  • Press alt+f1 to get a login screen
  • Login as root
  • Type: sed -i "s/PermitRootLogin.*/PermitRootLogin yes/g" /etc/ssh/sshd_config
  • Type: service sshd restart
  • Logout and get yourself a cup of coffee.
© GeekLabInfo Enabling root SSH login on an ESX host is a post from GeekLab.info. You are free to copy materials from GeekLab.info, but you are required to link back to http://www.geeklab.info

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Virtualization

VMWare Data Recovery default password

If you surf to http://[vdr-host]:5480 you will be asked for a password.
user: root
password: vmw@re

Not very secure. Better make sure the VDR is firewalled.

© GeekLabInfo VMWare Data Recovery default password is a post from GeekLab.info. You are free to copy materials from GeekLab.info, but you are required to link back to http://www.geeklab.info

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Linux

Running VMWare Remote Console outside the browser

Firefox 3.6 update broke my VMWare WebAccess.

Since I updated to Firefox 3.6, I have not been able to run the vmware remote console plugin anymore. Running Linux, this is a pretty important program, as there is no vSphere client for Linux.

How to run VMWare Console from the bash shell?

cd /tmp
IP=the.esx.srv.ip # < fill in esx server ip address here
wget --no-check-certificate https://$IP/ui/plugin/vmware-vmrc-linux-x86.xpi
mv vmware-vmrc-linux-x86.xpi vmware-vmrc-linux-x86.zip
cd ~
mkdir -p bin/vmwareconsole # make directory bin in your own homedir
cd bin/vmwareconsole
unzip /tmp/vmware-vmrc-linux-x86.zip
cd ~/bin
ln -s vmwareconsole/plugins/vmware-vmrc . # make a symlink for easy access
vmware-vmrc # run the console

© GeekLabInfo Running VMWare Remote Console outside the browser is a post from GeekLab.info. You are free to copy materials from GeekLab.info, but you are required to link back to http://www.geeklab.info

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Virtualization

Enable web access to VMWare ESX 4

The first time I tried to access the VMWare ESX 4 web client, I got this 503 Service unavailable error, which made me think I broke something. But on the second install, I got the exact same message.

While this is not important for most Windows users, as a Linux user I need this entry as there is no vSphere client for Linux.

In a default installation VMWare ESX 4.0 appears not to be running all required daemons to connect to the web client.

So what to do?

  • Log on to the server over SSH (console access)
  • Type service vmware-webAccess status to check the current status of the webAccess daemon
  • Type service vmware-webAccess start to start the webAccess daemon
  • run /sbin/chkconfig –level 345 vmware-webAccess on to make webAccess start automatically on booting the ESX server
  • Make sure to firewall the ESX management to prevent abuse.
    • © GeekLabInfo Enable web access to VMWare ESX 4 is a post from GeekLab.info. You are free to copy materials from GeekLab.info, but you are required to link back to http://www.geeklab.info

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    Virtualization

    Use VNC to Access VMware ESX guests

    While browsing through the ESX 4.0 screens, I stumbled on the firewall option to enable or disable access to a VNC server. That was reason for me lookup a way to use this VNC server.

    It appears that ESX 4.0 has a built-in VNC Server which you can use to manage your virtual machines. You can login from machines that you don't have the vSphere client installed on. For example, Linux systems or  that nice little HP Thin Client I have here. Some may even use it as a backdoor.

    Basics

    • This VNC connection is a console view, just like when you're using a KVM switch.
    • Yes, you can access the BIOS.
    • It's a pretty basic way of accessing guests. It does not have advanced functions like poweron/poweroff, reconfiguration and stuff. Use the VMWare Server Console or the VMWare MUI web interface for that.
    • It must be enabled per-guest.
    • Connect to the IP/hostname of the ESX server - not the IP/hostname of the guest!
    • The VNC server for each VM guest you connect to will have a different display number.
    • Display numbers and tcp port numbers are linked: display 0 = port 5900, display 1 = port 5901

    How it works

    1. Switch off your VM Guest.
    2. Add a few lines to its configuration.
    3. Switch on your VM Guest
    4. Connect to the IP/hostname of the ESX server - not the IP/hostname of the guest!

    The actual configuration

    RemoteDisplay.vnc.enabled = "TRUE"
    RemoteDisplay.vnc.password = "your_password"
    RemoteDisplay.vnc.port = "5900"
    You can apply these settings by editting the .vmx file manually using ssh or the Datastore browser. Or you can use the gui:

    • Select the right VM Guest in your vSphere client.
    • Right click and choose "Edit settings"
    • Go to the "Options" tab
    • Under "Advanced", choose "General".
    • Click on the "Configuration Parameters" button.
    • Add the configuration parameters
    • Click OK
    • Click OK
    • That's all folks.

    Firewall

    You will need to open the firewall to allow incoming VNC connections. You can find this in the ESX hosts configuration > Software:Security profile > Properties. Or you could run "esxcfg-firewall -e vncServer"

    © GeekLabInfo Use VNC to Access VMware ESX guests is a post from GeekLab.info. You are free to copy materials from GeekLab.info, but you are required to link back to http://www.geeklab.info

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