Is there a documented approach somewhere for performing an unattended ''bare metal'' install of Xen? The Xen Users'' Manual describes an installation flow that requires a host OS on the target machine. This host OS is used for installation of Xen, but Xen does not execute "on top of" this OS (rather Xen executes directly "on top of" the hardware platform). Correct? Thanks. _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
> -----Original Message----- > From: xen-users-bounces@lists.xensource.com > [mailto:xen-users-bounces@lists.xensource.com] On Behalf Of > Brandon E Taylor > Sent: 01 June 2006 18:55 > To: xen-users@lists.xensource.com > Subject: [Xen-users] Bare Metal Installation of Xen > > Is there a documented approach somewhere for performing an > unattended ''bare metal'' install of Xen? > > The Xen Users'' Manual describes an installation flow that > requires a host OS on the target machine. This host OS is > used for installation of Xen, but Xen does not execute "on > top of" this OS (rather Xen executes directly "on top of" the > hardware platform). Correct?Yes, the Service OS (Dom0) is executing ON TOP OF Xen. But Xen in itself isn''t an operating system [1], so you do need something that will allow you to use the system living on top of Xen, and since you''d have a chicken/egg situation if you installed Xen on it''s own "first", it''s makes life much easier for the Xen developers to install a Linux distribution first, and then install the Xen files and insert a Xen-boot-line in the boot-configuration afterwards... Once you boot using this new line in the boot config, you will have Xen loaded first, then the Xen-Linux [2] on top of it. [1] Obviously, it''s sort of an OS-kernel, but it doesn''t have drivers for much of anything (serial ports, VGA-Text-mode, keyboard is about it), so you do need something that is capable of talking to disks, network, sound cards, advanced graphics cards, etc. [2]The service OS doesn''t HAVE to be Linux. As long as the service OS can talk to Xen, it''s fine to use ANY OS. It''s just much harder to modify for example Windows to match. -- Mats> > Thanks. > > _______________________________________________ > Xen-users mailing list > Xen-users@lists.xensource.com > http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users > >_______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
--- "Petersson, Mats" <Mats.Petersson@amd.com> wrote:> > Is there a documented approach somewhere for performing an > > unattended ''bare metal'' install of Xen?(...)> Yes, the Service OS (Dom0) is executing ON TOP OF Xen. But Xen in itself > isn''t an operating system [1], so you do need something that will allow > you to use the system living on top of Xen, and since you''d have a > chicken/egg situation if you installed Xen on it''s own "first", it''s > makes life much easier for the Xen developers to install a Linux > distribution first, and then install the Xen files and insert a > Xen-boot-line in the boot-configuration afterwards... Once you boot > using this new line in the boot config, you will have Xen loaded first, > then the Xen-Linux [2] on top of it. > > [1] Obviously, it''s sort of an OS-kernel, but it doesn''t have drivers > for much of anything (serial ports, VGA-Text-mode, keyboard is about > it), so you do need something that is capable of talking to disks, > network, sound cards, advanced graphics cards, etc. > > [2]The service OS doesn''t HAVE to be Linux. As long as the service OS > can talk to Xen, it''s fine to use ANY OS. It''s just much harder to > modify for example Windows to match.Great explaination. To more directly address the first question, has anyone built a "host" OS (Dom0) + Xen kernel CD for unattended bare-metal installs? That would *rock* for disaster recovery and quick server provisioning. I guess one could use the Xen LiveCD huh? _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
> To more directly address the first question, has anyone built > a "host" OS (Dom0) + Xen kernel CD for unattended bare-metal > installs? That would *rock* for disaster recovery and quick > server provisioning. I guess one could use the Xen LiveCD huh?Many of the regular distributions are starting to distribute a Xen-ified kernel version on their install kit... As there are quite a few different distros around, it would be quite a task to do something sensible with this if you start off building a CD with Xen as the basis, and then adding a distro - Xen + SuSE, Xen + RH, Xen + Fedora, Xen + Debian, Xen + Mandrake, etc, etc. It''s much better to have the distributions come with Xen itself... ;-) -- Mats _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
On 6/5/06, Petersson, Mats <Mats.Petersson@amd.com> wrote:> > As there are quite a few different distros around, it would be quite a > task to do something sensible with this if you start off building a CD > with Xen as the basis, and then adding a distro - Xen + SuSE, Xen + RH, > Xen + Fedora, Xen + Debian, Xen + Mandrake, etc, etc. It''s much better > to have the distributions come with Xen itself... ;-) >Oh yes it certainly is much better. However these distros have their own ways of implementing things. For example, i had a chance to use fedora core 5 on a live box, and i tried to use the xen version bundled along with it. Ironically they compiled xennet as a module instead of compiling it inside the kernel. Well editing the /etc/modprobe.conf and adding the alias line and doing a modprobe did the trick. However it should have worked out of the box. I guess over a period of time, these distros will fix such issues and life will be much easier ;) -- regards, Anand Gupta _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
Anand Gupta wrote:> On 6/5/06, Petersson, Mats <Mats.Petersson@amd.com > <mailto:Mats.Petersson@amd.com>> wrote: > > As there are quite a few different distros around, it would be quite a > task to do something sensible with this if you start off building a CD > with Xen as the basis, and then adding a distro - Xen + SuSE, Xen + RH, > Xen + Fedora, Xen + Debian, Xen + Mandrake, etc, etc. It''s much better > to have the distributions come with Xen itself... ;-) > > > Oh yes it certainly is much better. However these distros have their own > ways of implementing things. For example, i had a chance to use fedora > core 5 on a live box, and i tried to use the xen version bundled along > with it. Ironically they compiled xennet as a module instead of > compiling it inside the kernel. Well editing the /etc/modprobe.conf and > adding the alias line and doing a modprobe did the trick. However it > should have worked out of the box. > > I guess over a period of time, these distros will fix such issues and > life will be much easier ;)Dunno it we can talk about a ''fix'' here. Having such in the kernel versus as a module will require a complete kernel reinstall + reboot when a relatively smaller thing like your mentioned xennet changes. I''d most always prefer modularization over build-into-kernel. YMMV ;) -- Kind regards, Mogens Valentin _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
--- Javier Guerra <javier@guerrag.com> wrote:> On Saturday 03 June 2006 10:07 pm, Chris de Vidal wrote: > > To more directly address the first question, has anyone built a "host" OS > > (Dom0) + Xen kernel CD for unattended bare-metal installs? That would > > i guess any LiveCD with the right tools would work. no need to boot a xen > kernel to install one.No I mean unattended bare-metal installs. Key word is unattended, or very minimal interaction. CD TenThousandDollarOffer.com _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
On Mon, Jun 05, 2006 at 06:28:15PM -0700, Chris de Vidal wrote:> --- Javier Guerra <javier@guerrag.com> wrote: > > On Saturday 03 June 2006 10:07 pm, Chris de Vidal wrote: > > > To more directly address the first question, has anyone built a "host" OS > > > (Dom0) + Xen kernel CD for unattended bare-metal installs? That would > > > > i guess any LiveCD with the right tools would work. no need to boot a xen > > kernel to install one. > > No I mean unattended bare-metal installs. Key word is unattended, or very minimal interaction.I''ve built a customised install CD that asks for IP/netmask/gateway/DNS, and requires you run one shell script afterwards to finish things off. Based on Ubuntu Breezy via Instalinux (http://instalinux.com/). I could get rid of the manual shell script (and make it an automated part of the process) if I added asking for hostname and domain name in the install phase. I kept that out of it because the first stage install from the CD is done by non-technical bods (data centre staff). The install CD isn''t really Xen-specific, but part of what the post-install shell script does is install Puppet, which has all the rules in it such that, if I say that a particular machine is a Xen dom0, then gosh-darnit, it will be! All up, it''s about as automated as I''m really comfortable with. - Matt _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
--- Matthew Palmer <mpalmer@hezmatt.org> wrote:> > > i guess any LiveCD with the right tools would work. no need to boot a xen > > > kernel to install one. > > > > No I mean unattended bare-metal installs. Key word is unattended, or very minimal > interaction. > > I''ve built a customised install CD that asks for IP/netmask/gateway/DNS, and > requires you run one shell script afterwards to finish things off. Based on > Ubuntu Breezy via Instalinux (http://instalinux.com/).OK that''s a very nifty website... kinda like rPath?> I could get rid of the manual shell script (and make it an automated part of the process) if I > added asking for hostname and domain name in the install phase. I kept that > out of it because the first stage install from the CD is done by non-technical bods (data centre> staff).And even that could be read from the bootup options: linux host=Xen1 domain=Example.com Or like in (gag) Windows, with a file on a floppy or HD partition.> The install CD isn''t really Xen-specific, but part of what the post-install > shell script does is install Puppet, which has all the rules in it such > that, if I say that a particular machine is a Xen dom0, then gosh-darnit, it > will be! All up, it''s about as automated as I''m really comfortable with.Nifty! Care to share? CD TenThousandDollarOffer.com _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
On Mon, Jun 05, 2006 at 07:48:51PM -0700, Chris de Vidal wrote:> > Ubuntu Breezy via Instalinux (http://instalinux.com/). > > OK that''s a very nifty website... kinda like rPath?Don''t know what rPath is, but yes, it''s a very nifty website. <grin>> > I could get rid of the manual shell script (and make it an automated part of the process) if I > > added asking for hostname and domain name in the install phase. I kept that > > out of it because the first stage install from the CD is done by non-technical bods (data centre > > staff). > > And even that could be read from the bootup options: > linux host=Xen1 domain=Example.comAssuming I wanted people to stop and enter bootup options. The CD starts the install all by itself. In actual fact, the only thing stopping me from asking for the hostname/domain is two lines in the preseed file, but I haven''t gotten around to it yet.> Or like in (gag) Windows, with a file on a floppy or HD partition.That''d be a *lot* more hassle than it''s worth -- it''s easier to run the script after install than having to fiddle with a floppy every time. I''ve considered a text file lookup from a data file on the CD, but at the moment we''re not doing enough volume to warrant that sort of setup.> > The install CD isn''t really Xen-specific, but part of what the post-install > > shell script does is install Puppet, which has all the rules in it such > > that, if I say that a particular machine is a Xen dom0, then gosh-darnit, it > > will be! All up, it''s about as automated as I''m really comfortable with. > > Nifty! > > Care to share?Possibly. It''s for work, via a client, so one or both of them might not be real keen on handing out their golden eggs for free. I''m asking to open stuff as it''s done, though, so there''s a good chance it''ll end up out there eventually. - Matt _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users