There''s not a simple answer to this.
First of all, this will not work with currently available hardware, at least not
with Xen, because the current implementation of Xen on currently available
hardware relies on Xen-friendly code in the OS, which is relatively easy on
Linux and other Open Source OS''s, but becomes near impossible on closed
source OS''s.
With future hardware (processors), yes it''s possible to run Windows,
OS/2 or Linux from unmodified source code using Virtualization hardware
extensions, such as AMD''s SVM (aka Pacifica) and Intel''s VTX
(aka Vanderpool) technologies. This obviously also requires support in the Xen
software to intercept and interpret the special functionality that Xen needs to
care about (such as writes to special registers, accesses to certain hardware,
etc, etc).
With this technology in place (hw+sw), you should be able to run WinXP on top of
Xen (with Linux as Dom0), and if you want to, run further copies of Linux on the
same machine. If you really wanted to, you should be able to run DOS or Solaris
for X86 on the same machine too.
Regarding licenses, I think you''re referring to the fact that the Xen
developers did a Windows port of Xen, but it relies on a "Universtiy
license", which is a limited source-access license to Microsoft, which does
NOT allow any redistribution of the resulting binaries. So, basicly, there is
some version of Windows that would run on top of Xen with modified source code,
but it''s NOT available unless you''ve already got source code
license to Windows [which microsoft do not give away easily].
--
Mats
________________________________
From: xen-users-bounces@lists.xensource.com
[mailto:xen-users-bounces@lists.xensource.com] On Behalf Of dclemen@eresmas.com
Sent: 25 October 2005 09:59
To: xen-users@lists.xensource.com
Subject: [Xen-users] Run xen with a dual boot system
Hi, I have a system with Debian and Wxp. I like debian, but sometimes I need to
run wxp (work issues), and I have to stop debin, reboot and select wxp in grub
to start it.
I will like to get wxp on a "virtual machine" over my debian. I
don''t want a 100% virtual wxp, because, I maybe need to reboor and
start only with wxp.
Is this posible with Xen?. I read some problems with windows licences, but in
this case, I have my own windows licence installed, so I think this is not a
problem.
Thanks.
¡Todo tu Wanadoo estés dónde estés! Descarga GRATIS el nuevo miniWanadoo
<http://busca.wanadoo.es/toolbar2>
_______________________________________________
Xen-users mailing list
Xen-users@lists.xensource.com
http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
