Has anyone experimented with installing XCP from a USB thumb drive? Is it possible? How was the installation media installed to the USB thumb drive (e.g., dd)? Eric Pretorious Truckee, CA _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xen.org http://lists.xen.org/xen-users
Is CD-ROM/DVD-ROM the only way to install XCP? Eric Pretorious Truckee, CA>________________________________ > From: Eric <epretorious@yahoo.com> >To: "xen-users@lists.xen.org" <xen-users@lists.xen.org> >Sent: Saturday, June 16, 2012 4:28 PM >Subject: [Xen-users] Installing XCP from USB thumb drive > > >Has anyone experimented with installing XCP from a USB thumb drive? Is it possible? How was the installation media installed to the USB thumb drive (e.g., dd)? > > > >Eric Pretorious >Truckee, CA > >_______________________________________________ >Xen-users mailing list >Xen-users@lists.xen.org >http://lists.xen.org/xen-users > >_______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xen.org http://lists.xen.org/xen-users
Well, we usually ran it from IP-KVM with ISO -> CD emulation. But I think it too complicated to turn installer in usb-drive. You can try to use some kind of PXE boot with XCP if you have problems with CD attaching, but this is not very easy task. PS Debian/Ubuntu xcp-xapi package is still unstable, but it gonna be the main package in the future (I think), so this problem is gonna disappear soon. On 21.06.2012 03:05, Eric wrote:> Is CD-ROM/DVD-ROM the only way to install XCP? > > Eric Pretorious > Truckee, CA > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > *From:* Eric <epretorious@yahoo.com> > *To:* "xen-users@lists.xen.org" <xen-users@lists.xen.org> > *Sent:* Saturday, June 16, 2012 4:28 PM > *Subject:* [Xen-users] Installing XCP from USB thumb drive > > Has anyone experimented with installing XCP from a USB thumb > drive? Is it possible? How was the installation media installed to > the USB thumb drive (e.g., dd)? > > Eric Pretorious > Truckee, CA > > _______________________________________________ > Xen-users mailing list > Xen-users@lists.xen.org <mailto:Xen-users@lists.xen.org> > http://lists.xen.org/xen-users > > > > _______________________________________________ > Xen-users mailing list > Xen-users@lists.xen.org > http://lists.xen.org/xen-users_______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xen.org http://lists.xen.org/xen-users
I guess to throw my two cents in. I am also trying to get away from using CDs much anymore for installing anything with the advent of bootable USB drives, BUT XCP is, as far as i know, not possible to make it USB. It was just not made to run on a USB drive. I have tried to use a program such as UNetbootin, LinuxLive USB Creator, and even Universal USB Installer that you can use to put pretty much any Linux ISO onto a USB, BUT none of them worked. It would never boot XCP. I also searched online for a while and could not find a way to make XCP bootable off USB. On 6/20/2012 7:23 PM, George Shuklin wrote:> Well, we usually ran it from IP-KVM with ISO -> CD emulation. > > But I think it too complicated to turn installer in usb-drive. You can > try to use some kind of PXE boot with XCP if you have problems with CD > attaching, but this is not very easy task. > > PS Debian/Ubuntu xcp-xapi package is still unstable, but it gonna be > the main package in the future (I think), so this problem is gonna > disappear soon. > > On 21.06.2012 03:05, Eric wrote: >> Is CD-ROM/DVD-ROM the only way to install XCP? >> >> Eric Pretorious >> Truckee, CA >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> *From:* Eric <epretorious@yahoo.com> >> *To:* "xen-users@lists.xen.org" <xen-users@lists.xen.org> >> *Sent:* Saturday, June 16, 2012 4:28 PM >> *Subject:* [Xen-users] Installing XCP from USB thumb drive >> >> Has anyone experimented with installing XCP from a USB thumb >> drive? Is it possible? How was the installation media installed >> to the USB thumb drive (e.g., dd)? >> >> Eric Pretorious >> Truckee, CA >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Xen-users mailing list >> Xen-users@lists.xen.org <mailto:Xen-users@lists.xen.org> >> http://lists.xen.org/xen-users >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Xen-users mailing list >> Xen-users@lists.xen.org >> http://lists.xen.org/xen-users > > > _______________________________________________ > Xen-users mailing list > Xen-users@lists.xen.org > http://lists.xen.org/xen-users_______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xen.org http://lists.xen.org/xen-users
El 20/06/12 18:05, Eric escribió:> Is CD-ROM/DVD-ROM the only way to install XCP?Not the only. I use PXE boot to run the installation process. Can provide my "private" documented procedure, but it''s very contextual and surely very confusing for anyone else. I used this reference: #### # customize installation initrd: #### #http://community.spiceworks.com/how_to/show/1168 #http://blog.mybox.ro/2010/05/12/how-to-change-files-in-a-initrd-image/ (maybe not too relevant for you, I installed XCP *on* a USB drive, not *from* USB drive) #### # prepare answers file: #### #http://docs.vmd.citrix.com/XenServer/4.0.1/installation/apcs02.html #http://blog.vhowto.info/2010/10/06/installation-of-xenserver-5-6-via-pxe-part-2/ #http://scnr.net/blog/index.php/archives/177 #### # configure pxe boot: #### #http://docs.vmd.citrix.com/XenServer/4.0.1/installation/apc.html #http://docs.vmd.citrix.com/XenServer/6.0.0/1.0/en_gb/installation.html#pxe_boot_install-pxe_answerfile -- Alexandre Kouznetsov
We have it installing fine from a USB stick. Let me write up some instructions on what we use and I will send it out. From: "cyberhawk001@gmail.com<mailto:cyberhawk001@gmail.com>" <cyberhawk001@gmail.com<mailto:cyberhawk001@gmail.com>> Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2012 18:59:48 -0500 To: "xen-users@lists.xen.org<mailto:xen-users@lists.xen.org>" <xen-users@lists.xen.org<mailto:xen-users@lists.xen.org>> Subject: Re: [Xen-users] Installing XCP from USB thumb drive I guess to throw my two cents in. I am also trying to get away from using CDs much anymore for installing anything with the advent of bootable USB drives, BUT XCP is, as far as i know, not possible to make it USB. It was just not made to run on a USB drive. I have tried to use a program such as UNetbootin, LinuxLive USB Creator, and even Universal USB Installer that you can use to put pretty much any Linux ISO onto a USB, BUT none of them worked. It would never boot XCP. I also searched online for a while and could not find a way to make XCP bootable off USB. On 6/20/2012 7:23 PM, George Shuklin wrote: Well, we usually ran it from IP-KVM with ISO -> CD emulation. But I think it too complicated to turn installer in usb-drive. You can try to use some kind of PXE boot with XCP if you have problems with CD attaching, but this is not very easy task. PS Debian/Ubuntu xcp-xapi package is still unstable, but it gonna be the main package in the future (I think), so this problem is gonna disappear soon. On 21.06.2012 03:05, Eric wrote: Is CD-ROM/DVD-ROM the only way to install XCP? Eric Pretorious Truckee, CA ________________________________ From: Eric <epretorious@yahoo.com><mailto:epretorious@yahoo.com> To: "xen-users@lists.xen.org"<mailto:xen-users@lists.xen.org> <xen-users@lists.xen.org><mailto:xen-users@lists.xen.org> Sent: Saturday, June 16, 2012 4:28 PM Subject: [Xen-users] Installing XCP from USB thumb drive Has anyone experimented with installing XCP from a USB thumb drive? Is it possible? How was the installation media installed to the USB thumb drive (e.g., dd)? Eric Pretorious Truckee, CA _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xen.org<mailto:Xen-users@lists.xen.org> http://lists.xen.org/xen-users _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xen.org<mailto:Xen-users@lists.xen.org>http://lists.xen.org/xen-users _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xen.org<mailto:Xen-users@lists.xen.org>http://lists.xen.org/xen-users _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xen.org http://lists.xen.org/xen-users
Yes, by all means, please share your instructions. I would very much like to have XCP 1.5 on a bootable USB drive. I have bought a bunch of 2GB flash cards a short while ago cause now they are really cheap and just for the purpose of keeping different things on them so i can boot when needed. Thank you in advance....> We have it installing fine from a USB stick. Let me write up some > instructions on what we use and I will send it out. > > From: "cyberhawk001@gmail.com <mailto:cyberhawk001@gmail.com>" > <cyberhawk001@gmail.com <mailto:cyberhawk001@gmail.com>> > Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2012 18:59:48 -0500 > To: "xen-users@lists.xen.org <mailto:xen-users@lists.xen.org>" > <xen-users@lists.xen.org <mailto:xen-users@lists.xen.org>> > Subject: Re: [Xen-users] Installing XCP from USB thumb drive > > I guess to throw my two cents in. I am also trying to get away from > using CDs much anymore for installing anything with the advent of > bootable USB drives, BUT XCP is, as far as i know, not possible to > make it USB. It was just not made to run on a USB drive. > > I have tried to use a program such as UNetbootin, LinuxLive USB > Creator, and even Universal USB Installer that you can use to put > pretty much any Linux ISO onto a USB, BUT none of them worked. It > would never boot XCP. > > I also searched online for a while and could not find a way to make > XCP bootable off USB. > > > On 6/20/2012 7:23 PM, George Shuklin wrote: >> Well, we usually ran it from IP-KVM with ISO -> CD emulation. >> >> But I think it too complicated to turn installer in usb-drive. You >> can try to use some kind of PXE boot with XCP if you have problems >> with CD attaching, but this is not very easy task. >> >> PS Debian/Ubuntu xcp-xapi package is still unstable, but it gonna be >> the main package in the future (I think), so this problem is gonna >> disappear soon. >> >> On 21.06.2012 03:05, Eric wrote: >>> Is CD-ROM/DVD-ROM the only way to install XCP? >>> >>> Eric Pretorious >>> Truckee, CA >>> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >>> *From:* Eric <epretorious@yahoo.com> >>> *To:* "xen-users@lists.xen.org" <xen-users@lists.xen.org> >>> *Sent:* Saturday, June 16, 2012 4:28 PM >>> *Subject:* [Xen-users] Installing XCP from USB thumb drive >>> >>> Has anyone experimented with installing XCP from a USB thumb >>> drive? Is it possible? How was the installation media installed >>> to the USB thumb drive (e.g., dd)? >>> >>> Eric Pretorious >>> Truckee, CA >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Xen-users mailing list >>> Xen-users@lists.xen.org <mailto:Xen-users@lists.xen.org> >>> http://lists.xen.org/xen-users >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Xen-users mailing list >>> Xen-users@lists.xen.orghttp://lists.xen.org/xen-users >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Xen-users mailing list >> Xen-users@lists.xen.orghttp://lists.xen.org/xen-users >_______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xen.org http://lists.xen.org/xen-users
On 21/06/12 00:05, Eric wrote:> Is CD-ROM/DVD-ROM the only way to install XCP?I''m sure you could dd the iso to a thumb drive in the same way you would any other OS. We install XCP and XenServer by pxeboot, which is ideal if you have a large infrastructure to deploy to. Don''t ask me for help with pxeboot setup, though ;) Mike
On Fri, Jun 22, 2012 at 2:25 AM, <cyberhawk001@gmail.com> wrote:> Yes, by all means, please share your instructions. I would very much like to > have XCP 1.5 on a bootable USB drive. I have bought a bunch of 2GB flash > cards a short while ago cause now they are really cheap and just for the > purpose of keeping different things on them so i can boot when needed. > > Thank you in advance.... >I''ve followed http://xenthusiast.blogspot.com/2010/02/install-xenserver-from-usb-drive.html in the past, and it worked. The first screen of text that pops up when it boots is for some reason very dark blue on black and at first I thought it was just a black screen doing nothing, but it turned out to be a sort of boot prompt. Hitting enter a few times got me through.
On Fri, 2012-06-22 at 11:27 +0100, Mike McClurg wrote:> On 21/06/12 00:05, Eric wrote: > > Is CD-ROM/DVD-ROM the only way to install XCP? > > I''m sure you could dd the iso to a thumb drive in the same way you would > any other OS.This depends on the iso having being created with special options though -- is that done for XCP isos? Ian.
On 22/06/12 11:59, Ian Campbell wrote:> On Fri, 2012-06-22 at 11:27 +0100, Mike McClurg wrote: >> On 21/06/12 00:05, Eric wrote: >>> Is CD-ROM/DVD-ROM the only way to install XCP? >> >> I''m sure you could dd the iso to a thumb drive in the same way you would >> any other OS. > > This depends on the iso having being created with special options though > -- is that done for XCP isos?I have no idea, what options does an ISO need to be created with? Can you repackage an ISO with those options?
On Fri, 2012-06-22 at 12:12 +0100, Mike McClurg wrote:> On 22/06/12 11:59, Ian Campbell wrote: > > On Fri, 2012-06-22 at 11:27 +0100, Mike McClurg wrote: > >> On 21/06/12 00:05, Eric wrote: > >>> Is CD-ROM/DVD-ROM the only way to install XCP? > >> > >> I''m sure you could dd the iso to a thumb drive in the same way you would > >> any other OS. > > > > This depends on the iso having being created with special options though > > -- is that done for XCP isos? > > I have no idea, what options does an ISO need to be created with?I dunno eithr, I just know that they exist.> Can you repackage an ISO with those options?That might be what isohybrid, from the syslinux suite, does? Ian.
I can confirm that I have successfully created XCP bootable USB stick from official iso with http://www.linuxliveusb.com/. Br Peter 2012/6/22 Ian Campbell <Ian.Campbell@citrix.com>:> On Fri, 2012-06-22 at 12:12 +0100, Mike McClurg wrote: >> On 22/06/12 11:59, Ian Campbell wrote: >> > On Fri, 2012-06-22 at 11:27 +0100, Mike McClurg wrote: >> >> On 21/06/12 00:05, Eric wrote: >> >>> Is CD-ROM/DVD-ROM the only way to install XCP? >> >> >> >> I''m sure you could dd the iso to a thumb drive in the same way you would >> >> any other OS. >> > >> > This depends on the iso having being created with special options though >> > -- is that done for XCP isos? >> >> I have no idea, what options does an ISO need to be created with? > > I dunno eithr, I just know that they exist. > >> Can you repackage an ISO with those options? > > That might be what isohybrid, from the syslinux suite, does? > > Ian. > > > > _______________________________________________ > Xen-users mailing list > Xen-users@lists.xen.org > http://lists.xen.org/xen-users
On 22/06/12 12:18, Anil Madhavapeddy wrote:> On 22 Jun 2012, at 12:12, Mike McClurg wrote: > >> On 22/06/12 11:59, Ian Campbell wrote: >>> On Fri, 2012-06-22 at 11:27 +0100, Mike McClurg wrote: >>>> On 21/06/12 00:05, Eric wrote: >>>>> Is CD-ROM/DVD-ROM the only way to install XCP? >>>> >>>> I''m sure you could dd the iso to a thumb drive in the same way you would >>>> any other OS. >>> >>> This depends on the iso having being created with special options though >>> -- is that done for XCP isos? >> >> I have no idea, what options does an ISO need to be created with? Can >> you repackage an ISO with those options? > > If it still exists, packaging.hg creates the XenServer ISO with the correct > options for PXE boot. XCP probably uses the same build scripts...are they > open-source?Those scripts don''t contain any license information that I can see, and we haven''t published them publicly. I''m all for making XCP easier to build outside of Citrix, but I don''t think that thrusting our build system on the world is the right way to do it ;) Anyway, here is the blurb that generates the iso: mkisofs -joliet -joliet-long -r \ -b boot/isolinux/isolinux.bin -c boot/isolinux/boot.cat \ -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table \ -sort $(MY_OBJ_DIR)/sort.main.list \ -V "$(PLATFORM_NAME)-$(PLATFORM_VERSION) $(LABEL_main)" \ -o $@ $(STAGING_main); Does that look like it''ll generate a thumb-drive-bootable ISO? Mike
On Fri, 2012-06-22 at 12:51 +0100, Mike McClurg wrote:> On 22/06/12 12:18, Anil Madhavapeddy wrote: > > On 22 Jun 2012, at 12:12, Mike McClurg wrote: > > > >> On 22/06/12 11:59, Ian Campbell wrote: > >>> On Fri, 2012-06-22 at 11:27 +0100, Mike McClurg wrote: > >>>> On 21/06/12 00:05, Eric wrote: > >>>>> Is CD-ROM/DVD-ROM the only way to install XCP? > >>>> > >>>> I''m sure you could dd the iso to a thumb drive in the same way you would > >>>> any other OS. > >>> > >>> This depends on the iso having being created with special options though > >>> -- is that done for XCP isos? > >> > >> I have no idea, what options does an ISO need to be created with? Can > >> you repackage an ISO with those options? > > > > If it still exists, packaging.hg creates the XenServer ISO with the correct > > options for PXE boot. XCP probably uses the same build scripts...are they > > open-source? > > Those scripts don''t contain any license information that I can see, and > we haven''t published them publicly. I''m all for making XCP easier to > build outside of Citrix, but I don''t think that thrusting our build > system on the world is the right way to do it ;) > > Anyway, here is the blurb that generates the iso: > > mkisofs -joliet -joliet-long -r \ > -b boot/isolinux/isolinux.bin -c boot/isolinux/boot.cat \ > -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table \ > -sort $(MY_OBJ_DIR)/sort.main.list \ > -V "$(PLATFORM_NAME)-$(PLATFORM_VERSION) $(LABEL_main)" \ > -o $@ $(STAGING_main); > > Does that look like it''ll generate a thumb-drive-bootable ISO?The scripts which create the Debian CD sets use case "$MKISOFS" in *xorriso*) add_mkisofs_opt $CDDIR/../$N.mkisofs_opts "-isohybrid-mbr syslinux/usr/lib/syslinux/isohdpfx.bin" add_mkisofs_opt $CDDIR/../$N.mkisofs_opts "-partition_offset 16" which I think is related to this. I think it is basically doing isohybrid at creation time instead of post processing. It seems (and this corresponds with my vague memory of seeing the discussion on debian-cd) like it needs xorriso rather than mkisofs (which IIRC is deprecated). Ian.
Here''s how we did it (from my engineer): What we did to get XCP install from a USB stick. Step #1) Download all the things YUMI. (I used 0.0.5.8 but any version should work) - http://www.pendrivelinux.com/yumi-multiboot-usb-creator/ XCP install ISO - http://www.xen.org/download/xcp/index.html Step #2) Plug in your USB stick (the rest assumes the drive is assigned a letter of D:) Step #3a) Run YUMI Step #3b) Agree to the license Agreement Step #3c) Select D: for YUMI Step 1 Step #3d) Select the option “Try an Unlisted ISO” for YUMI Step 2 Step #3e) Browse to the downloaded XCP ISO from step 1 and select it for YUMI Step 3 Step #3f) Mash create and wait. At this point it is going to bloat things a little by having the full iso on the USB stuck but who cares right? Step #4) Open the ISO downloaded in Step 1 using your favorite archive program. (I use 7-zip) Copy the folders packages.main and packages.transfer-vm to the root of d:\ and finally copy the file XS-REPOSITORY-LIST to the root of D:\ Step #5) PROFIT? ________________________________________ From: xen-api-bounces@lists.xen.org [xen-api-bounces@lists.xen.org] On Behalf Of Ian Campbell [Ian.Campbell@citrix.com] Sent: Friday, June 22, 2012 7:04 AM To: Mike McClurg Cc: xen-api@lists.xen.org; xen-users@lists.xen.org; Eric Subject: Re: [Xen-API] [Xen-users] Installing XCP from USB thumb drive On Fri, 2012-06-22 at 12:51 +0100, Mike McClurg wrote:> On 22/06/12 12:18, Anil Madhavapeddy wrote: > > On 22 Jun 2012, at 12:12, Mike McClurg wrote: > > > >> On 22/06/12 11:59, Ian Campbell wrote: > >>> On Fri, 2012-06-22 at 11:27 +0100, Mike McClurg wrote: > >>>> On 21/06/12 00:05, Eric wrote: > >>>>> Is CD-ROM/DVD-ROM the only way to install XCP? > >>>> > >>>> I''m sure you could dd the iso to a thumb drive in the same way you would > >>>> any other OS. > >>> > >>> This depends on the iso having being created with special options though > >>> -- is that done for XCP isos? > >> > >> I have no idea, what options does an ISO need to be created with? Can > >> you repackage an ISO with those options? > > > > If it still exists, packaging.hg creates the XenServer ISO with the correct > > options for PXE boot. XCP probably uses the same build scripts...are they > > open-source? > > Those scripts don''t contain any license information that I can see, and > we haven''t published them publicly. I''m all for making XCP easier to > build outside of Citrix, but I don''t think that thrusting our build > system on the world is the right way to do it ;) > > Anyway, here is the blurb that generates the iso: > > mkisofs -joliet -joliet-long -r \ > -b boot/isolinux/isolinux.bin -c boot/isolinux/boot.cat \ > -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table \ > -sort $(MY_OBJ_DIR)/sort.main.list \ > -V "$(PLATFORM_NAME)-$(PLATFORM_VERSION) $(LABEL_main)" \ > -o $@ $(STAGING_main); > > Does that look like it''ll generate a thumb-drive-bootable ISO?The scripts which create the Debian CD sets use case "$MKISOFS" in *xorriso*) add_mkisofs_opt $CDDIR/../$N.mkisofs_opts "-isohybrid-mbr syslinux/usr/lib/syslinux/isohdpfx.bin" add_mkisofs_opt $CDDIR/../$N.mkisofs_opts "-partition_offset 16" which I think is related to this. I think it is basically doing isohybrid at creation time instead of post processing. It seems (and this corresponds with my vague memory of seeing the discussion on debian-cd) like it needs xorriso rather than mkisofs (which IIRC is deprecated). Ian. _______________________________________________ Xen-api mailing list Xen-api@lists.xen.org http://lists.xen.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/xen-api