[GOAD] [Feature Request] Add vmware_esxi Provider to Extensions

[A1ux]

Please add vmware_esxi as a supported provider in GOAD’s extensions by reusing the existing VMware codebase (similar to how vmware is implemented). This would allow users to deploy GOAD on ESXi hosts without requiring additional major changes.

The existing vmware provider’s logic (e.g., VM creation, networking) can likely be adapted with minimal modifications (e.g., API tweaks for ESXi [compatibility).

[Marshall-Hallenbeck]

ESXI was added at the end of 2024 as a provider.

[A1ux]

For the labs, yes, but not for the GOAD extensions :(

[Marshall-Hallenbeck]

Ah, you are right. I might take a shot at this.

[Marshall-Hallenbeck]

@A1ux can you test #443 for me?

[cmacd88]

I can deploy the basic GOAD lab with vmware_esxi but it's clearly wonky. I have to get my own ovftool, and out of the box it only supports ESXI 6.7 and it has no template support for windows 2019 server. My ESXI is 8.X, but you can power down servers, upgrade compatability and set the device template to 2019 on those servers that are.

Not tried extensions or the other labs yet, so can't vouch for those, but good esxi support would be great, even as they who shall not be named are making it worse, many still use it.

[Marshall-Hallenbeck]

@cmacd88 thanks for the reminder, I actually made a ton of changes, I'll try to sort them out and make a PR if you want to test it. I got it working pretty cleanly.

[cmacd88]

Right now i'm trying to spin it up as-is from latest release, and had to do a lot of manual tinkering to get it to sort-of work, but I'd be interested in trying the changes at some point. Just not today, hehe.