First I wanna send a BIG thanks to all the buddies involved running this site.
Then I wanna inform you that another board is running ok with ESXi 4.1 :
GA-H55N-USB3 (Gigabyte)
This is a mini-ITX board with Intel 1156 socket.
With the standard installation CD I had an error like "cant find vmfs". Probably because the SATA controller was not recognised.
So I follow this post : http://engwar.com/post/392 using the 4.1 version of varazir script.
It was straightforward and all is working on the server now including the Realtek network. It may need some network parameters adjustments but at least it's working.
I used a i5 760 on the board so no graphic core in the CPU and a GC was used for installation.
Then I tried to remove the GC used during installation and the ESXi was able to boot I first set stop on no error in bios.
So in the end I get ESXi working with one PCIe slot free on an mini ITX motherboard. Add that to a Lian Li case for mini ITX with support for 6 disks (4 ports on MB) and you get some appropriate home server.

I have to say that the board is not completly operationnal.
It still have some network issues. For example I can use vSphere client from any host or ssh to the ESXi but I cant connect with ssh to hosted VM from any host. Some can and others cant. Same for all network services on the VM.
So, as the server boot without graphic card I'm gonna install an Intel e1000 NC in the PCIe slot with the realtek card configured as failover so I'll still have some network if I have to put a graphic card for debugging purpose and I use the Intel NC for normal operations.
OFC I'm interested if somebody can help to improve the Realtek 8111 NC driver or configuration.

It's fun to read blogs that post my script. I whished I hade a experts-exchange.com account . Google found a post with my nick in it

Yup. At least this blog gives you the credit for the script.
Tks a lot for that, even if in my case the ESXi is not completly operationnal with the network driver. It's a problem comming from the driver and not from the script.
Did you notice that the script seems to work on debian but in the end there is no iso produced ? It says : you can find the iso there ... but nothing there.

Hmm, could happen due to mkisofs isn't the same or a variable isn't set.
Before that dose the script say something like this:

"Creating name_of_the.iso" ?

It's not, the variable isn't set.

If it dose say that it's problem with mkisofs

Can look into it but it would be good with that input so I know where to start looking.

Some dist use another command. looked it up on Ubuntu
mkisofs -> genisoimage so mkisofs is just a symlink

//Daniel

A big thank you for this thread as I'm sure I'm now very close to getting EXXi4.1 installed on my GA-H55N-USB3.

Network is working... although I have found that it seems to work better if the NIC is forced to Gigabit (from within the VSphere console)

I am struggling with the SATA controller...

I've updated the config files 'simple.map' & 'pci.ids' within the oem.tgz as per bottom section of:
http://www.vm-help.com/esx40i/customize_oem_tgz.php

I seem to be able to see the controllers, but not any disks? (there are three disks attached, 2x 2TB & 1x 1.5TB drives as well as a DVD Rom)
====
# lspci
====
..
000:000:31.0 Bridge: Intel Corporation
000:000:31.2 Mass storage controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset 6 port SATA AHCI Controller [vmhba0]
000:000:31.3 Serial bus controller: Intel Corporation
000:000:31.5 Mass storage controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset 6 port SATA AHCI Controller [vmhba1]
000:001:00.0 Mass storage controller: CMD Technology Inc SiI 3132 Serial ATA Raid II Controller
000:003:00.0 Serial bus controller: NEC Corporation
000:004:00.0 Network controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller [vmnic0]
..
====
esxcfg-info
====
\==+PCI Device :
|----Segment.........................................0x0000
|----Bus.............................................0x00
|----Slot............................................0x1f
|----Function........................................0x02
|----Runtime Owner...................................vmkernel
|----Has Configured Owner............................true
|----Configured Owner................................vmkernel
|----Vendor Id.......................................0x8086
|----Device Id.......................................0x3b20
|----Sub-Vendor Id...................................0x1458
|----Sub-Device Id...................................0xb002
|----Vendor Name.....................................Intel Corporation
|----Device Name.....................................5 Series/3400 Series Chipset 6 port SATA AHCI Contro
|----Device Class....................................257
|----PIC Line........................................11
|----Service Console IRQ.............................11
|----Vector..........................................136
|----PCI Pin.........................................167
|----Spawned Bus.....................................0
|----Flags...........................................517
|----Module Id.......................................4294967295
|----Chassis.........................................0
|----Physical Slot...................................255
|----VmKernel Device Name............................vmhba0
|----Slot Description................................
|----Passthru Capable................................false
|----Parent Device...................................
|----Dependent Device................................PCI 0:0:31:2
|----Reset Method....................................1
|----FPT Shareable...................................true
====
\==+PCI Device :
|----Segment.........................................0x0000
|----Bus.............................................0x00
|----Slot............................................0x1f
|----Function........................................0x05
|----Runtime Owner...................................vmkernel
|----Has Configured Owner............................true
|----Configured Owner................................vmkernel
|----Vendor Id.......................................0x8086
|----Device Id.......................................0x3b26
|----Sub-Vendor Id...................................0x1458
|----Sub-Device Id...................................0xb002
|----Vendor Name.....................................Intel Corporation
|----Device Name.....................................5 Series/3400 Series Chipset 6 port SATA AHCI Contro
|----Device Class....................................257
|----PIC Line........................................11
|----Service Console IRQ.............................11
|----Vector..........................................136
|----PCI Pin.........................................0
|----Spawned Bus.....................................0
|----Flags...........................................517
|----Module Id.......................................4294967295
|----Chassis.........................................0
|----Physical Slot...................................255
|----VmKernel Device Name............................vmhba1
|----Slot Description................................
|----Passthru Capable................................false
|----Parent Device...................................
|----Dependent Device................................PCI 0:0:31:5
|----Reset Method....................................1
|----FPT Shareable...................................true
====
esxcfg-module
====
/sbin # esxcfg-module -l | grep ahci
ahci 0 20
/sbin # esxcfg-module -g ahci
ahci enabled = 1 options = ''
====

I found the PCI ID's in Windows, but maybe these were the wrong ones ? (PCI ID: 3b20 and 3c26)

Is there a command that shows the PCI ID to driver mapping? Will see if I can populate the configs with the devices that are missing by looking at the pci id file @ http://pciids.sourceforge.net/v2.2/pci.ids

Thanks
Simon

Hi Simon, could you post the output of lspci -p ? That'll show if the driver is loaded OK.

Does fdisk -l show anything?

Also try changing ports for the SATA controllers. Sounds odd, but it helps with some controllers in that port 0, 1 (I think) aren't seen properly.

Thanks for the reply. (and sorry for the slow response)..

Here's the output of lspci -p

#################
# lspci -p
Seg:Bus:Sl.F Vend:Dvid Subv:Subd ISA/irq/Vec P M Module Name
Spawned bus
000:000:00.0 8086:0040 1458:5000 V
000:000:01.0 8086:0041 0000:0000 10/ 10/0x68 A V PCIe RP[000:000:01.0]
001
000:000:02.0 8086:0042 1458:d000 10/ 10/0x68 A V
000:000:22.0 8086:3b64 1458:3b64 10/ 10/0x68 A V
000:000:26.0 8086:3b3b 1458:5004 10/ 10/0x68 A V usb-uhci
000:000:26.1 8086:3b3e 1458:5004 3/ 3/0x70 B V usb-uhci
000:000:26.2 8086:3b3f 1458:5004 7/ 7/0x78 C V usb-uhci
000:000:26.7 8086:3b3c 1458:5006 7/ 7/0x78 C V ehci-hcd
000:000:28.0 8086:3b42 0000:0000 10/ 10/0x68 A V PCIe RP[000:000:28.0]
002
000:000:28.3 8086:3b48 0000:0000 11/ 11/0x88 D V PCIe RP[000:000:28.3]
003
000:000:28.5 8086:3b4c 0000:0000 12/ 12/0x98 B V PCIe RP[000:000:28.5]
004
000:000:29.0 8086:3b36 1458:5004 5/ 5/0xa0 A V usb-uhci
000:000:29.1 8086:3b37 1458:5004 11/ 11/0x88 B V usb-uhci
000:000:29.2 8086:3b38 1458:5004 7/ 7/0x78 C V usb-uhci
000:000:29.7 8086:3b34 1458:5006 5/ 5/0xa0 A V ehci-hcd
000:000:30.0 8086:244e 0000:0000 V
005
000:000:31.0 8086:3b06 1458:5001 V
000:000:31.2 8086:3b20 1458:b002 11/ 11/0x88 B V vmhba0
000:000:31.3 8086:3b30 1458:5001 7/ / C V
000:000:31.5 8086:3b26 1458:b002 11/ 11/0x88 B V vmhba1
000:001:00.0 1095:3132 1095:7132 10/ 10/0x68 A V vmhba2
000:003:00.0 1033:0194 1458:5007 11/ 11/0x88 A V
000:004:00.0 10ec:8168 1458:e000 12/ 12/0xa8 A V r8168 vmnic1
000:063:00.0 8086:2c61 1458:5000 V
000:063:00.1 8086:2d01 1458:5000 V
000:063:02.0 8086:2d10 1458:5000 V
000:063:02.1 8086:2d11 1458:5000 V
000:063:02.2 8086:2d12 1458:5000 V
000:063:02.3 8086:2d13 1458:5000 V
#################
These two (or even three) appear to show that they are known by the system as HBA devices.... (I think as I'm no ESX expert)
----
000:000:31.2 8086:3b20 1458:b002 11/ 11/0x88 B V vmhba0
000:000:31.5 8086:3b26 1458:b002 11/ 11/0x88 B V vmhba1
000:001:00.0 1095:3132 1095:7132 10/ 10/0x68 A V vmhba2
----
#################
But when I run fdisk.... I get ....

#################

# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/disks/mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0: 8019 MB, 8019509248 bytes
64 heads, 32 sectors/track, 7648 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 2048 * 512 = 1048576 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0p1 5 900 917504 5 Extended
/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0p4 * 1 4 4080 4 FAT16 <32M
/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0p5 5 254 255984 6 FAT16
/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0p6 255 504 255984 6 FAT16
/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0p7 505 614 112624 fc VMKcore
/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0p8 615 900 292848 6 FAT16

Partition table entries are not in disk order

#################

Which just seems to show only the USB disk device.

Note that if I look within the VSphere Client console, only the iSCSI adapter is shown in the adapter list.

I've obviously tried a rescan, but it made no difference. Also note that all 4 SATA ports have devices attached... 3x HDD and 1x DVD

And ....

===============
/var/log # lspci -p | grep vmhba
000:000:31.2 8086:3b20 1458:b002 11/ 11/0x88 B V vmhba0
000:000:31.5 8086:3b26 1458:b002 11/ 11/0x88 B V vmhba1
000:001:00.0 1095:3132 1095:7132 10/ 10/0x68 A V vmhba2
===============
/var/log # esxcfg-rescan vmhba32
/var/log # esxcfg-rescan vmhba0
Invalid adapter specified or unable to get adapter 'vmhba0'
/var/log # esxcfg-rescan vmhba1
Invalid adapter specified or unable to get adapter 'vmhba1'
/var/log # esxcfg-rescan vmhba2
Invalid adapter specified or unable to get adapter 'vmhba2'

Where vmhba32 is the USB device. There are also no devices for vmhba0-2 under /dev/disk

###

One more thing... also getting NIC (RTL 8111) driver messages in the 'messages file like:
======
Dec 14 11:52:20 vmkernel: 0:00:30:27.159 cpu1:4125)<3>RTNL: assertion failed at vmkdrivers/src26/drivers/net/r8168/r8168_n.c (1534)
======


NIC appears to be working (connecting via SSH) and showing 1GBit/sec)... but obviously without any storage I can't load it to see how well it's working

For some reason the driver has not loaded for the SATA controller (i.e. no module is listed for lspci -p). Have you tried changing the mode of the driver in the BIOS?