Setup & Installation
Or with the ClawHub CLI, for registry-managed skill folders outside a full OpenClaw workspace:
Version History
- Initial release under new name `openbot-esxi` (version 0.1.3) - Added `README.md` with complete deployment and usage instructions - Added `scripts/esxi-deploy.sh` for zero-touch Debian 13 VM creation on ESXi 8 - Added `scripts/esxi-vm-resize-disk.sh` for online VM disk resizing without shutdown
What This Skill Does
Automates Debian 13 VM deployment on VMware ESXi 8 with no manual interaction. Builds a custom preseed ISO, creates a VM with NVMe disk and vmxnet3 NIC, and runs the installer unattended in about 8 minutes. Each VM gets a serial port accessible via telnet for headless console access.
Eliminates manual ESXi UI and Debian installer steps by embedding a preseed config into a custom ISO and driving the entire lifecycle, from VM creation to post-install cleanup, through govc and SSH.
When to use it
- Provisioning multiple Debian VMs on a home lab ESXi server
- Rebuilding test VMs without touching the ESXi web UI
- Setting up headless servers with telnet serial console access
- Automating VM provisioning in a scripted deployment pipeline
- Bootstrapping dev environments with consistent Debian base images
Example Workflow
Here's how your AI assistant might use this skill in practice.
User asks: Deploy a 4-vCPU, 8GB RAM Debian VM named 'webserver' with a 50GB disk on my ESXi host
- 1Sets ESXI_HOST and ESXI_PASS environment variables with the target host credentials
- 2Runs esxi-deploy.sh with hostname 'webserver', 4 CPUs, 4096 MB RAM, and 50 GB disk parameters
- 3Generates preseed.cfg with locale, network config, and a random root password
- 4Builds a custom Debian netinst ISO with the preseed embedded and uploads it to the ESXi datastore
- 5Creates the VM, boots from ISO for unattended install, then ejects ISO and removes the installer NIC
VM 'webserver' is running; SSH credentials and telnet serial console address printed to stdout
Requirements
Accounts, API keys, or tools you or your AI assistant may need to set up while using this skill.