Hi list, New to xen, eager to try it out. From what I can see, a distro needs to be xen aware or needs to be compatible in various ways in order to be used as a guest, right? I decided to give it a try using a qmail distro. I copied a distro to a location on the xen host. I went through the new virtual server configuration. The default install path is; /var/lib/xen/images/mynewinstall.img When I try to install, I keep getting; Invalid install location Mike _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
Hi Mike, On Tue, May 13, 2008 at 1:59 PM, isplist@logicore.net <isplist@logicore.net> wrote:> Hi list, > > New to xen, eager to try it out. >Welcome :)> > From what I can see, a distro needs to be xen aware or needs to be > compatible in various ways in order to be used as a guest, right? >This is true from paravirtualized (PV) guests. But if you have the right hardware support (VT-x or AMD-V) you can run unmodified guests> > I decided to give it a try using a qmail distro. >I don''t know much about this one, so I won''t be of help right away. Is it Linux based?> > I copied a distro to a location on the xen host. > I went through the new virtual server configuration. > The default install path is; /var/lib/xen/images/mynewinstall.img > When I try to install, I keep getting; Invalid install location >Sounds like you are using virt-manager, maybe on Fedora? you should take a look here: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Docs/Fedora8VirtQuickStart I am also a co-author on a book called Running Xen, so I will recommed it, but if you are not interested, you still might find the references on our book website (runningxen.com) useful. Give us some more information (your distro, Xen version, goals) and we can give some more tips and pointers. Cheers, Todd _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
> Welcome :)Thanks.> This is true from paravirtualized (PV) guests. But if you have the right > hardware support (VT-x or AMD-V) you can run unmodified guestsIn this case, it''s an IBM x445. I thought I had the right hardware but the Fully Virtualized option isn''t available, it''s grayed out. Perhaps I need to change a setting to allow it''s use?>> I decided to give it a try using a qmail distro. > I don''t know much about this one, so I won''t be > of help right away. Is it Linux based?Yes, it''s a pre-installed qmail system and it is indeed Linux.> Sounds like you are using virt-manager, maybe on Fedora? > you should take a look here: > http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Docs/Fedora8VirtQuickStartIt''s actually a CentOS 5.1 OS with default Virtualization installation.> I am also a co-author on a book called Running Xen, so I will recommed it, > but if you are not interested, you still might find the references on > our book website (runningxen.com) useful.Oh I''ll be needing some reading material once I get my hands dirty on this. Thanks for the lead.> Give us some more information (your distro, Xen version, goals) > and we can give some more tips and pointers.As noted above, Virt manager is 0.4.0, kernel xen now updating to 2.6.18-53.1.19.el5.i686. And, xen, seems to be xen-3.0.3-41. Basically, I, like everyone else who is interested in Virtualization, would like to move all of my low requirement machines onto Xen so that I can shut down physical servers, save power, save cooling, simplify things, etc. I''ve consolidated pretty much all of my storage to aggregated virtual (NAS/SAN) pools on the LAN, and wish to start getting rid of physical drives in machines, etc. So initially, my goal is simple, now that I see the VirtMan running, I''d like to install an OS, play around with it, start learning how it works along with all of the crazy new terminology I need to learn. Mike _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
On Wed, May 14, 2008 at 12:22 PM, isplist@logicore.net <isplist@logicore.net> wrote:> In this case, it''s an IBM x445. I thought I had the right hardware but the Fully Virtualized option isn''t available, it''s grayed out. Perhaps I need to change a setting to allow it''s use?Nothing to change. You''re gonna need much newer hardware if you want HVM. The x445 is pretty old and the processors and BIOS on those systems do not support hardware virtualization. -- ------------------> Jeffrey Lane - W4KDH <------------------- www.jefflane.org Another cog in the great Corporate Wheel The internet has no government, no constitution, no laws, no rights, no police, no courts. Don''t talk about fairness or innocence, and don''t talk about what should be done. Instead, talk about what is being done and what will be done by the amorphous unreachable undefinable blob called "the internet user base." -Paul Vixie _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
On Tue, May 13, 2008 at 3:40 PM, Todd Deshane <deshantm@gmail.com> wrote:> I am also a co-author on a book called Running Xen, so I will recommed it, > but if you are not interested, you still might find the references on > our book website (runningxen.com) useful.Hey Todd... I thought your name looked familiar. I''m sitting here at my desk and Running Xen is right in front of me ;-) Since you IDd yourself, could you pass along to the rest of your Band of Merry Virtualizers that I enjoyed the book, it seems to be well thought out, and is actually useful. Most of it is stuff I already know, having been in the test business since Xen debuted in RHEL and SLES, but I''ve learned a few tricks from the book already, and it''s nice having a cohesive reference to go to when things dont run the way I''d like them to. So good job on the book! I appreciate it greatly! And for everyone else on the list: I recommend the book Running Xen. They really did do a good job of putting together a LOT of Xen installation and configuration information, as well as some good history on virtualization and even some info on other methods/software. Cheers Jeff _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
> > > This is true from paravirtualized (PV) guests. But if you have the right > > hardware support (VT-x or AMD-V) you can run unmodified guests > > In this case, it''s an IBM x445. I thought I had the right hardware but the > Fully Virtualized option isn''t available, it''s grayed out. Perhaps I need to > change a setting to allow it''s use? >The easy way to check is to check for the vmx cpu flag (since it is an Intel chip) in /proc/cpuinfo (for AMD that flag is svm) You may just need to turn on virutalization support in the BIOS. UPDATE: Thanks Jeff Jane for knowing that hardware for sure.> >> I decided to give it a try using a qmail distro. > > I don''t know much about this one, so I won''t be > > of help right away. Is it Linux based? > > Yes, it''s a pre-installed qmail system and it is indeed Linux. > >For a Linux guest you may simply be able to make a custom PV guest config file manually. save the following in a file and store it in /etc/xen kernel = "/boot/<dom0 kernel>" ramdisk = "/boot/<dom0 initrd>" disk = [''tap:aio:/path/to/qmail-disk-image,hda,w''] memory=<number in megabytes> vif = ['' ''] If it is a disk partition already (not mounted) change the disk line to: disk = [''phy:/path/to/qmail-partition,hda1,w''] see the details of the config file here http://linux.die.net/man/5/xmdomain.cfg Then you can try to run: xm create -c <configuration file name> Note the -c is to see an initial console, that will show you a boot process and then the qmail guest if all goes well. Cheers, Todd _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
> Nothing to change. You''re gonna need much newer hardware if you want > HVM. The x445 is pretty old and the processors and BIOS on those > systems do not support hardware virtualization.Strange, I received your reply 4 times if not more and Todd''s twice. Anyhow, I''ve got these machines sitting idle so thought they might be perfect for this from what I''ve read. Seems that others have been able to use them, I''ll have to ask about I guess. So, From Todd''s reply;>The easy way to check is to check for the vmx cpu flag (since it is an Intel chip) in >/proc/cpuinfo >(for AMD that flag is svm)The CPUs are XEON and I don''t see any mention of vmx in cpuinfo.>You may just need to turn on virutalization support in the BIOS.I don''t recall that option in the BIOS? I''ll have to go take another look then. Perhaps I need to flash the newest BIOS for the machine? Anyone else using this hardware who might have some input? I''ll start another thread on this.>For a Linux guest you may simply be able to make a custom PV guest config file manually. >save the following in a file and store it in /etc/xen>kernel = "/boot/<dom0 kernel>" >ramdisk = "/boot/<dom0 initrd>" >disk = [''tap:aio:/path/to/qmail-disk-image,hda,w''] >memory=<number in megabytes> >vif = ['' '']Saved as pvguest then, have copied your config and will look at the docs shortly.>disk = [''tap:aio:/path/to/qmail-disk-image,hda,w''] >disk = [''phy:/path/to/qmail-partition,hda1,w'']One thing that interests me about virtualizing is that I can keep guests as files, right? If that''s the case, I''d like to create a file which would be the guests ''drive''. I''ll have to go read some more to find out how I can do this since this would be my first guest os. Mike _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users