kernel panic with .ova

[alainbron]

Hello,

The .ova file downloaded (juny 2025) for vmware ESXi run in panic kernel at the boot time.
I'm using ESXi 7.0.u3

Any workaround ?

[run74909]

If you can capture the exact panic message, it can help narrow down whether it’s:

Missing CPU feature (like SSE4 or AES-NI)

Incompatible initrd/kernel drivers

Filesystem not mounting
fnaf 1
Send me a screenshot or the panic message if you'd like me to help decode it.

[Mikasa23]

Hello,

The .ova file downloaded (juny 2025) for vmware ESXi run in panic kernel at the boot time.
I'm using ESXi 7.0.u3 Slope Game

Any workaround ?

Hey Alain, I’ve seen this happen when the OVA’s kernel doesn’t play nice with the ESXi version. You can try setting the right Linux OS type in the VM settings and, if that fails, repackage the OVA with a newer hardware version using ovftool.