[20 Bitcoins bounty] For instructions on how to install ATI 58XX drivers on ESXi

[DavinciJ15]

Hi,

To be CRYSTAL clear I do not want to mine inside a virtual machine!
To be CRYSTAL clear I do not want to mine inside a virtual machine!
To be CRYSTAL clear I do not want to mine inside a virtual machine!

I want to do mining on ESXi v4.1 because I want to reuse the box for Windows Servers that do not require graphics cards.  I would use Hyper-V BUT each CPUs is running at 100% per GPU.   This is a bug in the windows Video drivers not sure if it's fixed in v11.6 of the graphics drivers yet (have not tested it) but I love VMWare's vSphere client software so even if it works I would rather use ESXi.  

Anyhow if someone can layout how to install it and get it working so I can mine on ESXi it's worth some bitcoins!
Who knows you may even start a craze of server managers installing Graphics cards in their servers to mine for bitcoins or namecoin or whatever.

Thanks in advance

Davinci

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[wndrbr3d]

The only way this might be possible is if you're running ESXi 4.0 and your hardware platform supports VT-d extensions.

Check out this thread on the VMWare community forums, as it might point you in the right direction:

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1781153?tstart=0

Basically, VT-d and VMDirectPath are your only hope here.

Cheers! 

PS - More reading if you're interested:

http://software.intel.com/en-us/blogs/2009/02/24/step-by-step-guide-on-how-to-enable-vt-d-and-perform-direct-device-assignment/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOMMU

[fcmatt]

You are probably going to want to dig into VMdirectpath.

http://www.vm-help.com/esx40i/esx40_vmdirectpath_whitebox_HCL.php#Devices

[jdebunt]

as quoted on http://networkingbunny.co.uk/documents/vmdirectpath :

Remember with ESXi you are always going to need a way of running the vSphere Client to manage it, now once running you may be able to live with running vSphere inside a guest for managing other guests. However for set up and when you need to alter your "desktop" guest you're going to need it on another machine.

Once (or before) ESXi is installed you need to go into the BIOS of your computer and ensure that the required extension is enabled (VT-d or IOMMU), wthout this ESXi will not be able to pass hardware through. If your platform supports it and is enabled you should now be able to go into the "Configuration -> Advanced Settings" section of vSphere Client.

Clicking "Edit" will provide you with a list of PCI/PCIe devices ESXi believes it can provide guests. You need to select the device which represents your graphics card. In my case it appears as "ATI Technologies Inc Optiplex 755" for one of my cards, then you'll need to attempt to match your USB controllers on the BUS to your physical USB ports. In my case I have two USB 2.0 controllers amongst six other USB 1.0 controllers, the difference of which is documented in the motherboard manual.

Unfortunately you will need to reboot the ESXi host in order to activate the passthrough configuration. I'm unaware if selecting all devices as possible passthrough options will cause you any issues, I specifically took the time to only make those required available.

[DavinciJ15]

as quoted on http://networkingbunny.co.uk/documents/vmdirectpath :

Remember with ESXi you are always going to need a way of running the vSphere Client to manage it, now once running you may be able to live with running vSphere inside a guest for managing other guests. However for set up and when you need to alter your "desktop" guest you're going to need it on another machine.

Once (or before) ESXi is installed you need to go into the BIOS of your computer and ensure that the required extension is enabled (VT-d or IOMMU), wthout this ESXi will not be able to pass hardware through. If your platform supports it and is enabled you should now be able to go into the "Configuration -> Advanced Settings" section of vSphere Client.

Clicking "Edit" will provide you with a list of PCI/PCIe devices ESXi believes it can provide guests. You need to select the device which represents your graphics card. In my case it appears as "ATI Technologies Inc Optiplex 755" for one of my cards, then you'll need to attempt to match your USB controllers on the BUS to your physical USB ports. In my case I have two USB 2.0 controllers amongst six other USB 1.0 controllers, the difference of which is documented in the motherboard manual.

Unfortunately you will need to reboot the ESXi host in order to activate the passthrough configuration. I'm unaware if selecting all devices as possible passthrough options will cause you any issues, I specifically took the time to only make those required available.

Please understand I DO NOT want to mine inside of a guest OS.

[wndrbr3d]

Please understand I DO NOT want to mine inside of a guest OS.

Then you're hosed.

[DarkMatter]

I don't really think you can do what you are willing to.
Mining with the host under ESXi? naaaaaa
You need hardware drivers loaded, python and plenty of packages not available for a "busybox" install...

[Keninishna]

the thing is the vm console is now virtulized as well and boots directly to the kernel as of 4.0 I believe so your only choice is to mine inside a guest os or go with an earlier version. As far as drivers go your not going to get ATI drivers to install as they are not supported inside the esxi console. Hacking the drivers in is hard from what I've heard.

[jdebunt]

Please understand I DO NOT want to mine inside of a guest OS.

then i can't help you any further on this i'm afraid but good luck trying! i hope it works out for you

[fcmatt]

just use the 20 btc to buy a new cheap rig to put the cards in i guess.

[DarkMatter]

the thing is the vm console is now virtulized as well and boots directly to the kernel as of 4.0 I believe so your only choice is to mine inside a guest os or go with an earlier version. As far as drivers go your not going to get ATI drivers to install as they are not supported inside the esxi console. Hacking the drivers in is hard from what I've heard.

You can enable ssh, and log into the physical os.

[DavinciJ15]

The only way this might be possible is if you're running ESXi 4.0 and your hardware platform supports VT-d extensions.

Check out this thread on the VMWare community forums, as it might point you in the right direction:

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1781153?tstart=0

Basically, VT-d and VMDirectPath are your only hope here.

Cheers! 

PS - More reading if you're interested:

http://software.intel.com/en-us/blogs/2009/02/24/step-by-step-guide-on-how-to-enable-vt-d-and-perform-direct-device-assignment/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOMMU

That sucks if its the only way!  I thought Linux was able to do anything with the right package installed.

[DavinciJ15]

Please understand I DO NOT want to mine inside of a guest OS.

Then you're hosed.

Thanks I guess I am SOL.  Maybe if I up the bounty?

[NetTecture]

Maybe if I up the bounty?

This is a really good idea. Upping he bounty will change reality.

Dude, ESX is not a generic operating system - it is a closed image to run a hypervisor. Nothing else.

[chiropteran]

Why not just use linux with XEN?  Mining on linux is pretty straightforward, you would just have to adjust to XEN instead of ESXi for your virtualization.

http://www.xen.org/

[DavinciJ15]

Maybe if I up the bounty?

This is a really good idea. Upping he bounty will change reality.

Dude, ESX is not a generic operating system - it is a closed image to run a hypervisor. Nothing else.

So Is HyperV but I am mining using that hypervisor...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5AgoL2T-xk
http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=9679.0

[DavinciJ15]

Why not just use linux with XEN?  Mining on linux is pretty straightforward, you would just have to adjust to XEN instead of ESXi for your virtualization.

http://www.xen.org/

Good idea.  However I want to leverage my skills on ESXi and all the support behind it.

[Freakin]

0 chance of this working on ESXi.  It *may* be possible on ESX with a lot of work.

ESXi is not Linux.

[film2240]

Hi,

To be CRYSTAL clear I do not want to mine inside a virtual machine!
To be CRYSTAL clear I do not want to mine inside a virtual machine!
To be CRYSTAL clear I do not want to mine inside a virtual machine!

I want to do mining on ESXi v4.1 because I want to reuse the box for Windows Servers that do not require graphics cards.  I would use Hyper-V BUT each CPUs is running at 100% per GPU.   This is a bug in the windows Video drivers not sure if it's fixed in v11.6 of the graphics drivers yet (have not tested it) but I love VMWare's vSphere client software so even if it works I would rather use ESXi.  

Anyhow if someone can layout how to install it and get it working so I can mine on ESXi it's worth some bitcoins!
Who knows you may even start a craze of server managers installing Graphics cards in their servers to mine for bitcoins or namecoin or whatever.

Thanks in advance

Davinci

What is ESXi? A piece of specialist mining hardware,like those FPGA devices i heard about fro hte bitoin mining hardware comparison wiki?

[FreeJAC]

ESXi = VMWARE virtualization platform.