How to Create and Configure a Virtual Machine in VMware ESXi On Rocky Linux 10 (Step-by-Step)

Once ESXi is installed on a server, the next job is creating virtual machines. You can do that entirely from the ESXi Host Client, the web interface built into every ESXi host, without vCenter.

This guide walks through the full workflow on ESXi 8.0: uploading an installation ISO, creating the VM with sensible CPU, memory, disk, and network settings, installing the guest operating system, adding VMware Tools, configuring autostart, and fixing the errors people hit most often. A CLI alternative using vim-cmd is included.

Table of Contents

1. Before you start: versions and free-license limits
2. Prerequisites
3. What a VM is made of
4. Step 1: Log in to the Host Client
5. Step 2: Upload the installation ISO
6. Step 3: Create the virtual machine
7. Step 4: Recommended hardware settings
8. Step 5: Power on and install the OS
9. Step 6: Install VMware Tools or open-vm-tools
10. Step 7: Autostart, snapshots and housekeeping
11. Create a VM from the command line
12. Troubleshooting
13. FAQ
14. Related guides

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1. Before you start

Which ESXi version? The steps below use the ESXi 8.0 Host Client. With version 9.0, Broadcom renamed the hypervisor from ESXi back to ESX, and 9.0 shipped with the paid VMware Cloud Foundation and vSphere Foundation products. A separate free 9.0 edition was not offered at launch, while the free ESXi 8.0 Update 3 hypervisor became available again in 2025. Check the Broadcom support portal for the current download and licensing status before you plan a deployment.

Free hypervisor license limits (the stand-alone “vSphere Hypervisor” license):

Limit	Detail
vCPUs per VM	Maximum 8
Management	Single host through the Host Client; no vCenter management
APIs	Write access to the vSphere APIs is restricted, so most image-level backup products cannot protect VMs on a free host
Support	None from VMware/Broadcom

If you need clustering, vMotion, or API-based backups, you need a paid license, or you could evaluate alternatives. We compare them in Best VMware ESXi Alternatives in 2026.

2. Prerequisites

Requirement	Detail
ESXi host	Installed, reachable on your network, with a management IP
Datastore	At least one VMFS or NFS datastore with free space
ISO file	Installer for your guest OS (for example Rocky Linux 10, Ubuntu Server, or Windows Server)
Browser	Current Chrome, Firefox, or Edge
Credentials	root and the password set during ESXi installation
License	A valid or free license assigned (an expired evaluation prevents powering on VMs)

New to ESXi? Start with our VMware ESXi bare-metal installation guide, then return here.

3. What a VM is made of

A VM is a folder on a datastore containing a handful of files. Knowing them helps when you troubleshoot or move VMs.

 ESXi host
 +------------------------------------------------------------+
 |  Datastore: datastore1                                     |
 |   |                                                        |
 |   +-- iso/                                                 |
 |   |     Rocky-10.2-x86_64-dvd.iso                          |
 |   |                                                        |
 |   +-- rocky-web01/                                         |
 |         rocky-web01.vmx        <- VM configuration         |
 |         rocky-web01.vmdk       <- virtual disk descriptor  |
 |         rocky-web01-flat.vmdk  <- virtual disk data        |
 |         rocky-web01.nvram      <- virtual BIOS/UEFI state  |
 |         vmware.log             <- VM log                   |
 +------------------------------------------------------------+

4. Step 1: Log in to the Host Client

1. Open a browser and go to https://<esxi-ip-or-hostname>/ui.
2. Accept the self-signed certificate warning (you can install a proper certificate later).
3. Log in as root.

Check Manage > Licensing first. If the host shows an expired evaluation, assign your license key before continuing.

5. Step 2: Upload the installation ISO

1. In the left navigator, click Storage, then select your datastore.
2. Click Datastore browser.
3. Click Create directory, name it iso, and open it.
4. Click Upload and choose your ISO file. Wait until the transfer completes; large ISOs can take several minutes.

Keeping ISOs in one folder makes them easy to find in the VM wizard later.

6. Step 3: Create the virtual machine

1. Click Virtual Machines in the navigator, then Create / Register VM.
2. Choose Create a new virtual machine and click Next.
3. Name and guest OS:
   • Name: for example rocky-web01
   • Compatibility: keep the default (the latest your host supports) unless you must move the VM to older hosts
   • Guest OS family: Linux or Windows
   • Guest OS version: pick the closest match
   If your ESXi build does not list your exact release (for example, a very new distribution), choose the newest entry in the same family, such as “Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (64-bit)”, or “Other 5.x or later Linux (64-bit)”. This setting only selects defaults for virtual hardware; it does not limit what you can install.
4. Select storage: choose the datastore for the VM files.
5. Customize settings: use the recommendations in the next section.
6. Review the summary and click Finish.

7. Step 4: Recommended hardware settings

On the Customize settings page, configure the hardware as follows.

Setting	Recommended value	Notes
CPU	2 vCPUs to start	Add more only if monitoring shows a need. Over-allocating hurts scheduling. Max 8 on the free license.
Memory	4 GB for a small Linux server	Avoid “Reserve all guest memory” unless the workload needs it
Hard disk 1	40 GB, Thin provisioned	Thin saves space; use Thick Eager Zeroed for latency-sensitive databases
SCSI controller	VMware Paravirtual (PVSCSI)	Best performance on modern Linux and Windows; use LSI Logic SAS if the installer lacks a driver
Network adapter	VMXNET3	Fast paravirtual NIC; needs open-vm-tools or VMware Tools drivers on older guests
CD/DVD drive	Datastore ISO file, Connect at power on checked	Browse to the ISO you uploaded
VM Options > Boot	Firmware: EFI	Enable Secure Boot only if your guest supports it

Disk provisioning compared:

Type	Space use	Speed	Best for
Thin	Grows on demand	Slight overhead when growing	Labs, general servers
Thick Lazy Zeroed	Full size reserved up front	Zeroes blocks on first write	General production
Thick Eager Zeroed	Full size reserved and pre-zeroed	Fastest first write	Databases, fault-tolerance features

Make sure the CD/DVD drive is set to your ISO and that Connect at power on is ticked. Forgetting this is the most common reason for “no operating system found”.

8. Step 5: Power on and install the OS

1. Select the VM in the list and click Power on.
2. Click the VM’s console thumbnail, then Console > Open browser console (or use VMware Remote Console for better input handling).
3. Complete the guest operating system installer as you would on physical hardware.
4. After installation, remove the ISO: edit the VM, set the CD/DVD drive to Client Device, and untick Connect at power on.

9. Step 6: Install VMware Tools or open-vm-tools

Guest tools improve performance and add features such as clean shutdown from the Host Client, accurate time sync, guest IP reporting, and better mouse and display handling.

Linux (RHEL family, including Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux):

sudo dnf install -y open-vm-tools
sudo systemctl enable --now vmtoolsd
systemctl status vmtoolsd --no-pager

Debian / Ubuntu:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y open-vm-tools
sudo systemctl enable --now open-vm-tools

Windows: In the Host Client, select the VM and choose Actions > Guest OS > Install VMware Tools, then run the installer from the mounted drive inside Windows.

After installation, the VM summary in the Host Client shows the guest IP address and “VMware Tools is running”.

10. Step 7: Autostart, snapshots and housekeeping

Autostart: by default VMs do not power on after the host reboots.

1. Click Host > Manage > System > Autostart.
2. Click Edit settings, set Enabled to Yes, and set start delay and stop action (for example, Shut down).
3. Back in Virtual Machines, select the VM and choose Actions > Autostart > Enable.

Snapshots are useful before upgrades, but they are not backups:

• They live on the same datastore as the VM.
• Long-lived snapshots grow and slow the VM.
• Delete a snapshot once the change is verified.

Other good habits:

Habit	Why
Name VMs and datastores consistently	Easier automation and troubleshooting
Keep ISOs in a dedicated folder	Cleaner datastore
Document the root password and NTP settings	ESXi time drift breaks authentication in some guests
Plan real backups	With the free license, API-based backup tools may not work, so use in-guest backup agents or export OVF files

11. Create a VM from the command line

You can manage VMs over SSH on the ESXi host (enable SSH under Host > Manage > Services). Useful vim-cmd commands:

# List registered VMs and their IDs
vim-cmd vmsvc/getallvms

# Check power state
vim-cmd vmsvc/power.getstate <vmid>

# Power on, shut down gracefully (needs tools), or power off hard
vim-cmd vmsvc/power.on <vmid>
vim-cmd vmsvc/power.shutdown <vmid>
vim-cmd vmsvc/power.off <vmid>

# Register an existing VM (for example, one you copied to the datastore)
vim-cmd solo/registervm /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/rocky-web01/rocky-web01.vmx

# See datastore free space
df -h | grep vmfs

Creating a VM from scratch is far easier in the Host Client. Use the CLI for registering, power control, and automation.

12. Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
“No operating system found” / boots to firmware	ISO not attached or not connected at power on	Edit VM, set CD/DVD to the ISO and tick Connect at power on
VM will not power on, license error	Expired evaluation or no license	Manage > Licensing > Assign license
Error about more than 8 virtual CPUs	Free license limit	Reduce vCPUs to 8 or fewer (sockets x cores per socket)
“Insufficient resources” or memory reservation failure	Reserved memory exceeds free host RAM	Remove “Reserve all guest memory” or lower VM memory
“Failed to lock the file”	Another VM or process holds the disk	Make sure the disk is not attached to another running VM; check for stale snapshots
Datastore full, VM suspends	Thin disks and snapshots filled the datastore	Free space, delete snapshots, move VMs; monitor datastore usage
No network in guest	Wrong port group, missing driver, or NIC disconnected	Verify the port group, “Connected” checkbox, and install tools/drivers
Installer cannot see the disk	Guest lacks PVSCSI driver	Switch the controller to LSI Logic SAS for installation
Console keyboard or mouse problems	Browser console limits	Use VMware Remote Console
Time drifts in the guest	NTP not configured on host or guest	Enable NTP on the ESXi host and configure chrony or the Windows time service in the guest
Cannot upload large ISO	Browser timeout or datastore full	Retry, use a wired connection, or copy with scp to /vmfs/volumes/<datastore>/iso/
Backup software cannot connect	Free license blocks write APIs	Use a paid license or in-guest backup

13. FAQ

Can I create VMs without vCenter?
Yes. The ESXi Host Client manages a single host and is enough for creating, powering, and monitoring VMs.

Is the free ESXi good for production?
It suits labs and small environments. The 8-vCPU limit, lack of vCenter management, and restricted backup APIs make it a poor fit for critical production workloads.

Thin or thick disks?
Use thin for labs and general servers and thick eager zeroed for latency-sensitive databases. Monitor datastore capacity either way.

What if my guest OS version is missing from the list?
Choose the closest family entry. The guest OS setting only picks default virtual hardware, and you can install any compatible OS.

How do I move VMs off ESXi?
Export the VM as OVF and import it into another hypervisor. We cover this in How to Migrate VMware ESXi VMs to Proxmox VE.

Can I run a cluster with high availability?
ESXi clusters need vCenter and paid licensing. For an open-source alternative with clustering, see Proxmox VE Cluster Setup with High Availability.