Pkg xen devel - Feb 2012 - Bug#660882: Atalkd fails in Xen DomU - "Can't configure multicast"

Package: xen-hypervisor-4.0-amd64
Version: 4.0.1-4

Severity: normal

See also, bug 660768
http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=660768


atalkd appears to be unable to open virtual network interfaces when 
run in a Xen PV guest.

With nothing set in atalkd.conf, it reports :
   eth0: disabled.
   atalkd: zero interfaces, exiting.

Adding "eth0" to atalkd.conf results in :
   eth0: Invalid argument
   Can't configure multicast.
   eth0: disabled.
   atalkd: zero interfaces, exiting.


If the entire VM is moved to a physical host (ie running native with 
no virtualisation), then atalkd works as expected. This physical 
machine has a GeForce chipset and the forcedeth network driver. the 
only changes were to use eth1 instead of eth0, and make the system 
bootable with GRUB.

Suggestion from netatalk maintainer is that atalkd requires multicast 
support - but this is not provided by Xen virtual NIC/driver.



For the Xen host :

Debian: Squeeze

Kernel :
Linux serge 2.6.32-5-xen-amd64 #1 SMP Mon Jan 16 20:48:30 UTC 2012 
x86_64 GNU/Linux

LibC6: 2.11.3-2

libxenstore3.0           4.0.1-4
xen-hypervisor-4.0-amd64 4.0.1-4
xen-utils-4.0            4.0.1-4
xen-utils-common         4.0.0-1
xenstore-utils           4.0.1-4



For the guest (DomU)

Debian: Squeeze

Kernel :
Linux newpatsy 2.6.32-5-xen-amd64 #1 SMP Mon Jan 16 20:48:30 UTC 2012 
x86_64 GNU/Linux

LibC6: 2.11.3-2

-- 
Simon Hobson

Visit http://www.magpiesnestpublishing.co.uk/ for books by acclaimed
author Gladys Hobson. Novels - poetry - short stories - ideal as
Christmas stocking fillers. Some available as e-books.

I have now built a test host with Wheezy & Xen 4.1. With the same 
Squeeze guest, the problem persists.

Host is now :
Debian Wheezy

Kernel :
Linux saffy 3.2.0-1-amd64 #1 SMP Fri Feb 17 05:17:36 UTC 2012 x86_64 GNU/Linux

libc6: 2.13-27


libxen-4.1               4.1.2-2
libxenstore3.0           4.1.2-2
xen-hypervisor-4.1-amd64 4.1.2-2
xen-tools                4.2.1-1
xen-utils-4.1            4.1.2-2
xen-utils-common         4.1.2-1
xenstore-utils           4.1.2-2

Further update.
I've upgraded the client to Wheezy as well (same kernel and libc6 as 
host). Still no change.

-- 
Simon Hobson

Visit http://www.magpiesnestpublishing.co.uk/ for books by acclaimed
author Gladys Hobson. Novels - poetry - short stories - ideal as
Christmas stocking fillers. Some available as e-books.