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[GUIDE] XPEnoboot 5.1-5022.2 on ESXi 5.5.0


Panja

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This guide is created by Panja and was made for personal use, for his own ESXi install.

But shared with the nice people at xpenology.com so they can benefit from this as well.

Inspired by the install guide that was created by LeeBear and the install guides provided on xpenology.nl

The Open-VM-Tools are provided by gnoBoot.

A special thanks to these guys!!!

 

 

Software used:

VMware ESXi 5.5

XPEnoboot

StarWind V2V converter

WinImage

Synology DSM .PAT

Open-VM-Tools: link 1 or link 2

 

 

1. Create the VM

- Use VSphere Client and Create new Custom VM on your ESXi host

- Name it what you want {I used: test-ds-01}

- Store VM where you want {I used my datastore}

- Choose Virtual Machine Version 8

- Choose Linux → Other 2.6.x Linux (64-bit)

- Configure CPU according to what you want {I used: number of cores per virtual socket = 2}

- Configure RAM according to what you want {I used: 2GB of ram}

- Choose “E1000” as network adapter

- Choose “VMware Paravirtual” as SCSI Controller. {Others may work as well}

- Choose Do Not Create Disk

- Check “Edit before completion of VM”

- Remove Floppy Drive from VM configuration. {Not necessary}

- Keep CD Drive in VM configuration. {Can be useful if you need to boot a Linux Live CD to troubleshoot}

- Remove Floppy Drive from VM configuration

- Choose Resources → Memory → Tick the box “Reserve all guest memory (All locked)”

 

 

2. Modify IMG file to prevent boot drive from showing up in DSM

- Start up WinImage

- File → Open, Select “XPEnoboot_DS3615xs_5.1-5022.2.img”

- Extract “syslinux.cfg” to your desktop

- Open “syslinux.cfg” that you just extracted, with Notepad++

- Add “rmmod=ata_piix” (without quotes) to the end of the lines that start with “APPEND”

- Save this modified “syslinux.cfg” file and “Inject” it back to the img file using WinImage (overwrite)

- Save Current Image before you exit WinImage

 

 

3. Convert XPEnoboot IMG to VMDK and upload to your datastore

- Start up Starwind V2V converter

- Choose the “XPEnoboot_DS3615xs_5.1-5022.2.img” file you want to convert

- Choose “VMware pre-allocated image”, Choose “IDE” type. (Choosing “IDE” is important!)

- This will create 2 vmdk files, a normal vmdk file and a “flat” vmdk file

- Upload the 2 files to your ESXi Host datastore and put them in the same folder as your VM

- The 2 vmdk files merge to a single vmdk file automatically

 

 

4. Adding the XPEnoboot drive to your VM

- Edit your virtual machine setting

- Add a hard drive

- Choose “Use an existing virtual disk”

- Choose the vmdk you uploaded in the previous step.

- Make sure drive is set as IDE (0:0) and check “Independent -> non-persistent”

 

IDE (0:0) is important because this is the boot disk that starts up XPEnoboot

Non-persistent is important because it prevents the non-booting situation after you do the DSM install. Technical explanation is during DSM install all hard drives get repartitioned including the XPEnoboot drive, the non-persistent setting makes these changes temporary and after a reboot the original XPEnoboot boot partition is returned.

 

 

5. Adding Hard Drive(s) to your VM

- Add another hard drive

- Choose “Create a new virtual disk”

- Choose the size you want as your data disk → Thick Provision Eager Zeroed

- Choose “store with the virtual machine”

- Choose SCSI ID (0:0)

- Finish

- If you want more than 1 drive you can repeat the steps above. Only the next drive will be SCSI ID (0:1)

 

This drive will become Volume1 on your NAS. It is the default location where Synology Apps are installed.

IDE drive types will not show up in DSM with this install only SCSI types.

 

 

6. Installing Synology DSM 5.1-5022

- Right Click select “Open Console” so you can view the VM

- It is preferred to have a DHCP server in your network so the DiskStation will get an IP automatically

- Start the VM, you will see the XPEnoboot screen, then the menu. Choose “Install/Upgrade”

- Once fully booted use a web browser and go to the IP address of the DiskStation

You can use the Synology Assistant to find the IP of your DiskStation

- Click on “install”

- Click on “manual installation” and choose the DSM_DS3615xs_5022.pat file

- Click on “install now”

- Tick the box “Agree that your data is removed from your hard drive(s)” and click “OK”

- The DiskStation software is now being installed

- Once installed your DiskStation will reboot and run the default selection from the boot image

- Your web browser should automatically refresh the page, if not refresh manually

- Give your DiskStation a name and create an admin account + password, click “next”

- Select “Download DSM-updates but let me choose if I want to install” and click “next”

- Uncheck the box for improvements and click on “start”

- Your DiskStation is now installed

- Now go to Storage Manager → Volume and create your volume

- You now have a working XPEnology VM!!

 

 

7. Updating the existing install to DSM 5.1-5022 UPDATE 2

- This step is optionally but (of course) recommended!

- Go to “Control Panel” → “Update and Restore” and click on “Download”

- When the download is finished click on “Update Now”

- Agree that you won’t turn of your DiskStation while upgrading by clicking “Yes”

- The update will now be installed on your DiskStation

- After installation is complete a dialog is shown to refresh the page. Click on “OK”

- You will be presented with a message saying that your volumes are unmounted

- Give your DiskStation an additional restart and your volumes are back online

- Go back to “Control Panel” → “Update and Restore” and check your current DSM version

- It should say: “Your DSM version is up to date”

 

 

8. Installing the Open-VM-Tools for ESXi

- This step is also optionally but I do recommended it

- Go to “Package Center” → “Settings” and tick the box “Any Publisher”

- Click on “OK”

- Click on “Manual Install”

- Browse to the “open-vm-tools-bromolow-9.4.0-1280544-50.spk” file

- Click on “next” and leave the boxed ticket that says “run after installation” and click on apply

- Open-VM-Tools is now installed

- You are ready with a fully working DiskStation set-up with the latest DSM version of this moment

 

 

This guide can also be downloaded as PDF file.

Link 1 or link 2

 

 

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Edited by Guest
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Awesome! Great job! Thank you!

 

I've just tried it, works like a charm.

 

Some notes:

 

1. The following worked for me when creating DSM VM:

"LSI LogicParallel" as SCSI Controller

"VMXNET3" as network adapter

 

Cheers,

 

You're welcome mate! :grin:

Indeed you can use VMXNET3 instead of E1000. But in my experience the E1000 works a little better.

Maybe it has to do with my hardware, I don't know. But that's the reason I choose E1000.

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Hi Panja

Thanks for this very clear guide.

What would you recommend in case of upgrade from gnoBoot for instance ? Let's say I want to upgrade DSM to 5.1 and I want to be sure none of my data will be erased, nor my settings.

I'm actually going to do this upgrade this evening, will update the thread later on with results.

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Why Converting XPEnoboot IMG to VMDK?

 

Use the ISO file:

1. download the ISO file and put it in the datastore

2. attach the ISO to the CD/DVD drive

3. tick "connect at power on"

4. verify that the v.machine boot from CD/DVD first

 

With this simple procedure, you can skip panja's steps 2 and 3

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Why Converting XPEnoboot IMG to VMDK?

 

Use the ISO file:

1. download the ISO file and put it in the datastore

2. attach the ISO to the CD/DVD drive

3. tick "connect at power on"

4. verify that the v.machine boot from CD/DVD first

 

With this simple procedure, you can skip panja's steps 2 and 3

I tried it with ISO, but it didn't work for me.

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Hi Panja

Thanks for this very clear guide.

What would you recommend in case of upgrade from gnoBoot for instance ? Let's say I want to upgrade DSM to 5.1 and I want to be sure none of my data will be erased, nor my settings.

I just upgraded from "nanoboot" and the latest DSM 5.0 to Xpenoboot + DSM 5.1-5022 followed by DSM 5.1-5022 Update 2 (from GUI) - no issues whatsoever.

 

I basically replaced "nanoboot" with the latest Xpenoboot (vmdk files) and choose "install / upgrade" option in grub loader. Once booted, If it goes in the right direction, you should see "migrate" button available, just follow the instructions to finish it.

 

Note: I've done it on a "backup" DSM, it is a copy of my "production" data. It's an advantage of running it in virtual environment, you can always try things in a separate VM.

 

Cheers,

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Hi Panja

Thanks for this very clear guide.

What would you recommend in case of upgrade from gnoBoot for instance ? Let's say I want to upgrade DSM to 5.1 and I want to be sure none of my data will be erased, nor my settings.

I just upgraded from "nanoboot" and the latest DSM 5.0 to Xpenoboot + DSM 5.1-5022 followed by DSM 5.1-5022 Update 2 (from GUI) - no issues whatsoever.

 

I basically replaced "nanoboot" with the latest Xpenoboot (vmdk files) and choose "install / upgrade" option in grub loader. Once booted, If it goes in the right direction, you should see "migrate" button available, just follow the instructions to finish it.

 

Note: I've done it on a "backup" DSM, it is a copy of my "production" data. It's an advantage of running it in virtual environment, you can always try things in a separate VM.

 

Cheers,

 

Thanks for your update on this! I know some people will benefit from this. Cheers!

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Why Converting XPEnoboot IMG to VMDK?

 

Use the ISO file:

1. download the ISO file and put it in the datastore

2. attach the ISO to the CD/DVD drive

3. tick "connect at power on"

4. verify that the v.machine boot from CD/DVD first

 

With this simple procedure, you can skip panja's steps 2 and 3

 

Same problem as sl0n has, I did not work for me.

The steps 2 & 3 are not that hard and do not take a lot of time. :grin:

But maybe it works for others to just load the ISO. For me it didn't...

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Hi

Thank you for your advice. This is what I did:

-Downloaded vmdk directly from here: http://www.xpenology.nl/boot-images/

-Uploaded vmdk to esxi's datastore

-Converted the vmdk to the right format with the following command: vmkfstools -i XPEnoboot_DS3615xs_5.1-5022.2.vmdk XPEnoboot.vmdk

If you don't do this vmdk import in esxi (I'm running 5.1), you get an error.

-Installed the resulting vmdk in an Ubuntu VM that I have on my esxi.

-Edited the syslinux.cfg (as described in post #1)

-Shut down ubuntu and removed the disk from ubuntu VM

-Removed Nanoboot from XPEnology VM

-Added XPEnoboot disk instead

-Booted the VM and selected "upgrade"

-Browsed to the servers's usual IP: the interface prompted for a migration. I chose a migration with all the parameters.

-Upon reboot, I had a syslog error. Ignored it.

-Upgraded DSM to Upgrade 2.

-Upon reboot, my disks vanished.

-Rebooted again, my system is working ok.

 

Thanks for all your advices, and to the guys behind XPEnoboot.

The ubuntu trick can be useful for those who don't want to use winimage.

 

Enjoy !

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  • 2 weeks later...

It seems quite odd to me that when following the guide and installing DSM,

right after I confirmed the formatting of drive 1 and 3 (although I use the exact setup as mentioned),

when attempting to boot, it says that I don't have an operating system.

Did the install routine format the IDE-VMDK for booting?

 

Whats's the best way to get that running?

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It seems quite odd to me that when following the guide and installing DSM,

right after I confirmed the formatting of drive 1 and 3 (although I use the exact setup as mentioned),

when attempting to boot, it says that I don't have an operating system.

Did the install routine format the IDE-VMDK for booting?

 

Whats's the best way to get that running?

DSM installer should see just one disk with proper setup. You might have missed a step in in the original howto.. Just guessing really here.

Edited by Guest
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Hey ganddy and Sl0n,

thanks for your support! The problem persisted because the additional config attribute within the syslinux.cfg

had to be placed behind each APPEND-line.

That said, I re-installed on my ESXi Box and it fixed the glitch :smile:

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hello can somebody please help?

 

I have tries to install XPEnoboot 5.1-5022.2 three time and every time I get to the install screen to install .pat file it loads restarts and displays connection failed lost configuration.

 

So I decided to try nanoboot 5.o and the same thing occurs. I actually lost my RDMs from my expenolgy 4.3 install during this whole fiasco, my error due to frustration.

 

The only thing i can think I am doing wrong is possibly putting a space between the last word when I add "rmmod=ata_piix" but I just dont seem correct to shove "rmmod=ata_piix" directly to the last word without a space.

 

Im going to a pic of my settings.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

P.S. guess not! Sorry, the board attachment quota has been reached.

 

Link to the pic: http://imgur.com/EfeAX0b

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  • 1 year later...
  • 3 months later...
Great guide, thanks for that. Is this still applicable for ESXi 6 and the DSM 5.2 please?

 

How did you get on with this?

 

I tried using the video guides at http://cyanlabs.net/tutorials/installin ... -hardware/ for version 6 yesterday but had no luck. Kept getting some weird errors.

 

Hi I ended up with the normal installation. Not using the img file and converting. I had to make sure, that the VM boots from the iso every time, which I achieved by editing the VM config file, but don't remember how I exactly did that :smile:

So creating the VM standard way, mounting the iso, installing the DSM and making sure it boots from the iso after the DSM installation(else it did not work for me).

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Hi I ended up with the normal installation. Not using the img file and converting. I had to make sure, that the VM boots from the iso every time, which I achieved by editing the VM config file, but don't remember how I exactly did that :smile:

So creating the VM standard way, mounting the iso, installing the DSM and making sure it boots from the iso after the DSM installation(else it did not work for me).

 

 

So not easy then. Bugger.

I'll have a go, hopefully won't be too tricky.

 

Ta for the quick response.

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Hi I ended up with the normal installation. Not using the img file and converting. I had to make sure, that the VM boots from the iso every time, which I achieved by editing the VM config file, but don't remember how I exactly did that :smile:

So creating the VM standard way, mounting the iso, installing the DSM and making sure it boots from the iso after the DSM installation(else it did not work for me).

 

 

So not easy then. Bugger.

I'll have a go, hopefully won't be too tricky.

 

Ta for the quick response.

 

It is not That hard. You create the VM, mount the iso, boot from it and choose install. Then use a web browser to install the DSM(or synology assistant) and you are done.

Then you have to make sure it boots from the iso each time by editing the VM config file(you can google for it, I have found it same way :smile: )

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