Flatcar is a container linux system which do some optimization for docker with thinner size than normal linux systems.

firstly,
we need download the OVA file, from kinvolk.io.
here is the download link

1, https://stable.release.flatcar-linux.net/amd64-usr/current/flatcar_production_vmware_ova.ova

2, generate your ssh key .

ssh-keygen -t rsa -f $HOME/Desktop/flatcar

ssh-add xxxx

secondly,
login to esxi and click create register vm, choose deploy a virtual machine from an OVF or OVA file

type the virtual machine name you prefer
and drag the flatcar ova file into this area.

you will see a lot of paramaters need to fill
dont worry
because it is an uncompleted , we need create an ignition file to enable some features to access it

{
  "ignition": {
    "config": {},
    "security": {
      "tls": {}
    },
    "timeouts": {},
    "version": "2.2.0"
  },
  "networkd": {},
  "passwd": {
    "users": [
      {
        "name": "core",
        "sshAuthorizedKeys": [
          "paste ssh key here"
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "storage": {
    "files": [
      {
        "filesystem": "root",
        "path": "/etc/hostname",
        "mode": 420,
        "contents": {
          "source": "data:,flatcar"
        }
      }
    ]
  },
  "systemd": {
    "units": [
      {
        "enabled": true,
        "name": "docker.service"
      }
    ]
  }
}

or you can covert it online : https://www.base64encode.org/enc/ignition/

then convert it in to base64 by sublime by shift+command+p , then choose base encoding: base64 encode

then done!

Install docker-compose
Flatcar

sudo su - mkdir -p /opt/bin curl -L https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/1.28.6/docker-compose-uname -s-uname -m > /opt/bin/docker-compose chmod +x /opt/bin/docker-compose