Installing or Upgrading to ESXi 6.7 Update 1 on Apple Mac Pro 6,1 Fails with "Mutiboot buffer is too small"
Article ID: 325206
Updated On:
Products
VMware vSphere ESXi
Issue/Introduction
Symptoms:
Note: This can also impact other non-supported Apple Hardware
- Booting the ESXi 6.7 Update 1 installer for a new installation may fail. The installation upgrade may succeed, but booting from disk may then fail.
- The following error message in encountered:
Shutting down firmware services...
Mutiboot buffer is too small.
Unrecoverable error
Mutiboot buffer is too small.
Unrecoverable error
Note: This can also impact other non-supported Apple Hardware
Environment
VMware vSphere ESXi 6.7
Cause
Updated System Firmware is preventing the ESXi bootloader from functioning properly.
Resolution
There is currently not a workaround for upgrading to ESXi 6.7 Update 1 on Apple Mac Pro 6,1. It is currently not recommended to upgrade to ESXi 6.7 Update 1 on the Apple Mac Pro 6,1.
If an upgrade was already performed, it may be possible to restore the system with the previous working version of ESXi. If the following does not work, a re-installation of the previous version of ESXi will be required.
If an upgrade was already performed, it may be possible to restore the system with the previous working version of ESXi. If the following does not work, a re-installation of the previous version of ESXi will be required.
- Download http://downloads.sourceforge.net/refit/refit-bin-0.14.tar.gz
- Uncompress the REFIT download and transfer the files from the extracted directory to a FAT32 formatted USB key.
- Rename \efi\refit to \efi\boot
- Rename \efi\boot\refit.efi to \efi\boot\bootx64.efi
- Reboot, hold Option key, select UEFI shell (it has a terminal icon).
- Once the Shell is running, find the boot.cfg files for the two ESXi bootbanks. For example:
Shell> dir fs0:\boot.cfg
File Not Found
File Not Found
Shell> dir fs1:\boot.cfg
File Not Found
Shell> dir fs2:\boot.cfg
10/05/18 05:08p 3,173 boot.cfg
Shell> dir fs3:\boot.cfg
10/05/18 05:08p 3,173 boot.cfg
File Not Found
Shell> dir fs2:\boot.cfg
10/05/18 05:08p 3,173 boot.cfg
Shell> dir fs3:\boot.cfg
10/05/18 05:08p 3,173 boot.cfg
- Edit each file to add the line norts=1
Shell> fs2:
fs2:\> edit boot.cfg
fs2:\> fs3:
fs3:\> edit boot.cfg
The file should look similar to the below example after adding the new entry:
bootstate=0
kernel=tboot.b00
kernelopt=installerDiskDumpSlotSize=2560 no-auto-partition
modules=b.b00 --- jumpstrt.gz --- useropts.gz --- features.gz --- k.b00 --- chardevs.b00 --- a.b00 --- user.b00 --- uc_intel.b00 --- uc_amd.b00 --- sb.v00 --- s.v00 --- ata_liba.v00 --- ata_pata.v00 --- ata_pata.v01 --- ata_pata.v02 --- ata_pata.v03 --- ata_pata.v04 --- ata_pata.v05 --- ata_pata.v06 --- ata_pata.v07 --- block_cc.v00 --- bnxtnet.v00 --- brcmfcoe.v00 --- char_ran.v00 --- ehci_ehc.v00 --- elxnet.v00 --- hid_hid.v00 --- i40en.v00 --- igbn.v00 --- ima_qla4.v00 --- ipmi_ipm.v00 --- ipmi_ipm.v01 --- ipmi_ipm.v02 --- ixgben.v00 --- lpfc.v00 --- lsi_mr3.v00 --- lsi_msgp.v00 --- lsi_msgp.v01 --- lsi_msgp.v02 --- misc_cni.v00 --- misc_dri.v00 --- mtip32xx.v00 --- ne1000.v00 --- nenic.v00 --- net_bnx2.v00 --- net_bnx2.v01 --- net_cdc_.v00 --- net_cnic.v00 --- net_e100.v00 --- net_e100.v01 --- net_enic.v00 --- net_fcoe.v00 --- net_forc.v00 --- net_igb.v00 --- net_ixgb.v00 --- net_libf.v00 --- net_mlx4.v00 --- net_mlx4.v01 --- net_nx_n.v00 --- net_tg3.v00 --- net_usbn.v00 --- net_vmxn.v00 --- nhpsa.v00 --- nmlx4_co.v00 --- nmlx4_en.v00 --- nmlx4_rd.v00 --- nmlx5_co.v00 --- ntg3.v00 --- nvme.v00 --- nvmxnet3.v00 --- ohci_usb.v00 --- pvscsi.v00 --- qedentv.v00 --- qfle3.v00 --- qflge.v00 --- qlnative.v00 --- sata_ahc.v00 --- sata_ata.v00 --- sata_sat.v00 --- sata_sat.v01 --- sata_sat.v02 --- sata_sat.v03 --- sata_sat.v04 --- scsi_aac.v00 --- scsi_adp.v00 --- scsi_aic.v00 --- scsi_bnx.v00 --- scsi_bnx.v01 --- scsi_fni.v00 --- scsi_hps.v00 --- scsi_ips.v00 --- scsi_isc.v00 --- scsi_lib.v00 --- scsi_meg.v00 --- scsi_meg.v01 --- scsi_meg.v02 --- scsi_mpt.v00 --- scsi_mpt.v01 --- scsi_mpt.v02 --- scsi_qla.v00 --- shim_isc.v00 --- shim_isc.v01 --- shim_lib.v00 --- shim_lib.v01 --- shim_lib.v02 --- shim_lib.v03 --- shim_lib.v04 --- shim_lib.v05 --- shim_vmk.v00 --- shim_vmk.v01 --- shim_vmk.v02 --- smartpqi.v00 --- uhci_usb.v00 --- usb_stor.v00 --- usbcore_.v00 --- vmkata.v00 --- vmkplexe.v00 --- vmkusb_t.v00 --- vmkusb.v00 --- vmw_ahci.v00 --- xhci_xhc.v00 --- emulex_e.v00 --- btldr.t00 --- weaselin.t00 --- esx_dvfi.v00 --- esx_ui.v00 --- lsu_hp_h.v00 --- lsu_lsi_.v00 --- lsu_lsi_.v01 --- lsu_lsi_.v02 --- lsu_lsi_.v03 --- native_m.v00 --- rste.v00 --- vmware_e.v00 --- vsan.v00 --- vsanheal.v00 --- vsanmgmt.v00 --- xorg.v00 --- imgdb.tgz --- state.tgz
build=6.7.0-8169922
updated=1
norts=1
fs2:\> edit boot.cfg
fs2:\> fs3:
fs3:\> edit boot.cfg
The file should look similar to the below example after adding the new entry:
bootstate=0
kernel=tboot.b00
kernelopt=installerDiskDumpSlotSize=2560 no-auto-partition
modules=b.b00 --- jumpstrt.gz --- useropts.gz --- features.gz --- k.b00 --- chardevs.b00 --- a.b00 --- user.b00 --- uc_intel.b00 --- uc_amd.b00 --- sb.v00 --- s.v00 --- ata_liba.v00 --- ata_pata.v00 --- ata_pata.v01 --- ata_pata.v02 --- ata_pata.v03 --- ata_pata.v04 --- ata_pata.v05 --- ata_pata.v06 --- ata_pata.v07 --- block_cc.v00 --- bnxtnet.v00 --- brcmfcoe.v00 --- char_ran.v00 --- ehci_ehc.v00 --- elxnet.v00 --- hid_hid.v00 --- i40en.v00 --- igbn.v00 --- ima_qla4.v00 --- ipmi_ipm.v00 --- ipmi_ipm.v01 --- ipmi_ipm.v02 --- ixgben.v00 --- lpfc.v00 --- lsi_mr3.v00 --- lsi_msgp.v00 --- lsi_msgp.v01 --- lsi_msgp.v02 --- misc_cni.v00 --- misc_dri.v00 --- mtip32xx.v00 --- ne1000.v00 --- nenic.v00 --- net_bnx2.v00 --- net_bnx2.v01 --- net_cdc_.v00 --- net_cnic.v00 --- net_e100.v00 --- net_e100.v01 --- net_enic.v00 --- net_fcoe.v00 --- net_forc.v00 --- net_igb.v00 --- net_ixgb.v00 --- net_libf.v00 --- net_mlx4.v00 --- net_mlx4.v01 --- net_nx_n.v00 --- net_tg3.v00 --- net_usbn.v00 --- net_vmxn.v00 --- nhpsa.v00 --- nmlx4_co.v00 --- nmlx4_en.v00 --- nmlx4_rd.v00 --- nmlx5_co.v00 --- ntg3.v00 --- nvme.v00 --- nvmxnet3.v00 --- ohci_usb.v00 --- pvscsi.v00 --- qedentv.v00 --- qfle3.v00 --- qflge.v00 --- qlnative.v00 --- sata_ahc.v00 --- sata_ata.v00 --- sata_sat.v00 --- sata_sat.v01 --- sata_sat.v02 --- sata_sat.v03 --- sata_sat.v04 --- scsi_aac.v00 --- scsi_adp.v00 --- scsi_aic.v00 --- scsi_bnx.v00 --- scsi_bnx.v01 --- scsi_fni.v00 --- scsi_hps.v00 --- scsi_ips.v00 --- scsi_isc.v00 --- scsi_lib.v00 --- scsi_meg.v00 --- scsi_meg.v01 --- scsi_meg.v02 --- scsi_mpt.v00 --- scsi_mpt.v01 --- scsi_mpt.v02 --- scsi_qla.v00 --- shim_isc.v00 --- shim_isc.v01 --- shim_lib.v00 --- shim_lib.v01 --- shim_lib.v02 --- shim_lib.v03 --- shim_lib.v04 --- shim_lib.v05 --- shim_vmk.v00 --- shim_vmk.v01 --- shim_vmk.v02 --- smartpqi.v00 --- uhci_usb.v00 --- usb_stor.v00 --- usbcore_.v00 --- vmkata.v00 --- vmkplexe.v00 --- vmkusb_t.v00 --- vmkusb.v00 --- vmw_ahci.v00 --- xhci_xhc.v00 --- emulex_e.v00 --- btldr.t00 --- weaselin.t00 --- esx_dvfi.v00 --- esx_ui.v00 --- lsu_hp_h.v00 --- lsu_lsi_.v00 --- lsu_lsi_.v01 --- lsu_lsi_.v02 --- lsu_lsi_.v03 --- native_m.v00 --- rste.v00 --- vmware_e.v00 --- vsan.v00 --- vsanheal.v00 --- vsanmgmt.v00 --- xorg.v00 --- imgdb.tgz --- state.tgz
build=6.7.0-8169922
updated=1
norts=1
- Restart the system in REFIT by clicking on the "Up Arrow" icon or manually power cycling the system.
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