Comment Re: Why use VMWare? (Score 1) 162
Sorry, but no. ESXi runs a custom proprietary kernel called "vmkernel" and has been this way since 1.0. You may be confused by the fact that up to v4.1 there was a Linux virtual machine running on top of it dubbed the "service console". Since v5.0 it has been removed. But even before, the Linux OS you mention is not the one that runs on the metal.
Nowadays ESXi has no Linux running whatsoever, but there is a busybox shell that may make it look like so.
Please note that I am not taking sides on whether the GPL has been infringed. Just saying that the Linux kernel is positively not there.