xen discuss - Nov 2007 - no console output when booting i86xpv on an Ultra 20 M2

This should be a simple one....

I have an Ultra 20 M2 (BIOS 1.45) with Nevada 78 installed.  It happily 
boots i86pc, get a console on the vga output, all''s well.

On booting i86xpv with the following config:

   title Solaris xVM
   root (hd0,0,a)
   kernel$ /boot/$ISADIR/xen.gz
   module$ /platform/i86xpv/kernel/$ISADIR/unix
/platform/i86xpv/kernel/$ISADIR/unix
   module$ /platform/i86pc/$ISADIR/boot_archive

I get rather different behaviour - *no* output in the console, nothing
from either the hypervisor or Solaris, just a flashing cursor.
Eventually X will startup.  It has booted the "right thing":

   ok uname -a
   SunOS beep 5.11 snv_77 i86pc i386 i86xpv

I also tried specifying

   kernel$ /boot/$ISADIR/xen.gz console=vga

but still no output.

Next, I thought, it would be nice to hook up something to the serial 
port to see if we get anything.  One slight problem, no serial port
on an Ultra 20.

Went a-hunting in the BIOS for anything that smelt like console
redirection, but nothing of interest.

Following a suggestion from a colleague I hooked up a monitor to the 
motherboard''s onboard VGA output (as opposed to the PCIe nVidia Quadro 
FX 560), but still no joy.

Using mdb I can have a look at the kernel''s message buffer, but nothing
interesting....

Oh, and eeprom reports "console=screen".  Had the same problem with 
snv_77, It has previously worked fine on this system running a bfu based 
on snv_65(?).

Are there any other magic incantations that I can pass down to the
hypervisor to see what''s up?

Many Thanks

-- 
Rhodri

Rhodri Davies - Sun UK wrote:
> This should be a simple one....
> 
> I have an Ultra 20 M2 (BIOS 1.45) with Nevada 78 installed.  It happily 
> boots i86pc, get a console on the vga output, all''s well.
> 
> On booting i86xpv with the following config:
> 
>    title Solaris xVM
>    root (hd0,0,a)
>    kernel$ /boot/$ISADIR/xen.gz
>    module$ /platform/i86xpv/kernel/$ISADIR/unix
> /platform/i86xpv/kernel/$ISADIR/unix
>    module$ /platform/i86pc/$ISADIR/boot_archive
> 
> I get rather different behaviour - *no* output in the console, nothing
> from either the hypervisor or Solaris, just a flashing cursor.
> Eventually X will startup.  It has booted the "right thing":
> 
>    ok uname -a
>    SunOS beep 5.11 snv_77 i86pc i386 i86xpv
> 
> I also tried specifying
> 
>    kernel$ /boot/$ISADIR/xen.gz console=vga
> 
> but still no output.
> 
> Next, I thought, it would be nice to hook up something to the serial 
> port to see if we get anything.  One slight problem, no serial port
> on an Ultra 20.
> 
> Went a-hunting in the BIOS for anything that smelt like console
> redirection, but nothing of interest.
> 
> Following a suggestion from a colleague I hooked up a monitor to the 
> motherboard''s onboard VGA output (as opposed to the PCIe nVidia
Quadro
> FX 560), but still no joy.
> 
> Using mdb I can have a look at the kernel''s message buffer, but
nothing
> interesting....
> 
> Oh, and eeprom reports "console=screen".  Had the same problem
with
> snv_77, It has previously worked fine on this system running a bfu based 
> on snv_65(?).
> 
> Are there any other magic incantations that I can pass down to the
> hypervisor to see what''s up?

You can do a xm dmesg to see what the Hypervisor boot output.

Try sending the xen console to ttya and leave the solaris
console on text (vga).

e.g.
   kernel$ /boot/$ISADIR/xen.gz dom0_mem=2048M com1=9600,8n1 console=com1
   module$ /platform/i86xpv/kernel/$ISADIR/unix
/platform/i86xpv/kernel/$ISADIR/unix



Thanks,

MRJ

Hi Mark,

Mark Johnson wrote:
> Try sending the xen console to ttya and leave the solaris
> console on text (vga).
> 
> e.g.
>   kernel$ /boot/$ISADIR/xen.gz dom0_mem=2048M com1=9600,8n1 console=com1
>   module$ /platform/i86xpv/kernel/$ISADIR/unix 
> /platform/i86xpv/kernel/$ISADIR/unix
Yep, that did the trick!  The hypervisor is, possibly, outputting to a 
non-existent com1 on the U20 - no way to verify that.  I do get a couple 
of lines of output prior to the SunOS banner - a reference to the 
hypervisor changeset version, and a CPU erratum (not seen on an i86pc boot).

Am I right in assuming that this is not the expected behaviour?  If so 
should I raise a CR?  Or is there any other way to get the hypervisor on 
the vga console?

Many Thanks

-- 
Rhodri

I advise a CR on this, I have an Ultra-20 also, and basically the same  
issue.  If I hadn''t lent one of my good friends my Keyspan US-19HS USB
serial adapter, it''d probably be another route to get it working.

James
On Nov 24, 2007, at 3:03 PM, Rhodri Davies - Sun UK wrote:
> Hi Mark,
>
> Mark Johnson wrote:
>> Try sending the xen console to ttya and leave the solaris
>> console on text (vga).
>>
>> e.g.
>>  kernel$ /boot/$ISADIR/xen.gz dom0_mem=2048M com1=9600,8n1  
>> console=com1
>>  module$ /platform/i86xpv/kernel/$ISADIR/unix
>> /platform/i86xpv/kernel/$ISADIR/unix
>
> Yep, that did the trick!  The hypervisor is, possibly, outputting to a
> non-existent com1 on the U20 - no way to verify that.  I do get a  
> couple
> of lines of output prior to the SunOS banner - a reference to the
> hypervisor changeset version, and a CPU erratum (not seen on an  
> i86pc boot).
>
> Am I right in assuming that this is not the expected behaviour?  If so
> should I raise a CR?  Or is there any other way to get the  
> hypervisor on
> the vga console?
>
> Many Thanks
>
> -- 
> Rhodri
> _______________________________________________
> xen-discuss mailing list
> xen-discuss@opensolaris.org

Rhodri Davies - Sun UK wrote:
> Hi Mark,
> 
> Mark Johnson wrote:
>> Try sending the xen console to ttya and leave the solaris
>> console on text (vga).
>>
>> e.g.
>>   kernel$ /boot/$ISADIR/xen.gz dom0_mem=2048M com1=9600,8n1
console=com1
>>   module$ /platform/i86xpv/kernel/$ISADIR/unix 
>> /platform/i86xpv/kernel/$ISADIR/unix
> 
> Yep, that did the trick!  The hypervisor is, possibly, outputting to a 
> non-existent com1 on the U20 - no way to verify that.  I do get a couple 
> of lines of output prior to the SunOS banner - a reference to the 
> hypervisor changeset version, and a CPU erratum (not seen on an i86pc
boot).
> 
> Am I right in assuming that this is not the expected behaviour?  If so 
> should I raise a CR?  Or is there any other way to get the hypervisor on 
> the vga console?
It''s not clear if this is a bug in Xen or with the H/W
platform''s BIOS/acpi tables (i.e. since other platforms
don''t see this problem).

I''m not sure if there is a bug filed.  If you don''t
see one, please file a p3 with the workaround listed.

BTW, the hypervisor console is useless when it''s on
VGA. Once it hands off to dom0, you can''t get back
to the hypervisor.

xm dmesg after you''ve booted dom0 will show you
everything it printed out during boot.




MRJ

Mark Johnson wrote:
> It''s not clear if this is a bug in Xen or with the H/W
> platform''s BIOS/acpi tables (i.e. since other platforms
> don''t see this problem).
> 
> I''m not sure if there is a bug filed.  If you don''t
> see one, please file a p3 with the workaround listed.
Couldn''t find one, so I''ve raised

6633788 no console output when booting i86xpv on an Ultra 20 M2

Many Thanks.

-- 
Rhodri