[Xen-users] Importing Windows XP installation

flinco\@libero\.it
Thu, 19 Jun 2008 07:08:50 -0000

Hi,

I''m using a little workstation with the following configuration:
- CPU Intel Q6600
- 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM
- 250GB SATA2 HD

- Win XP SP3 32bit on /dev/sda1 (NTFS)
- Fedora 8 32bit on /dev/sda2 (ETX3)
- Extended /dev/sda3 with:
  + a shared /dev/sda5 (NTFS)
  + 2 GB linux swap /dev/sda6

I would like to know if it is possible to take the pre-installed WinXP
installation (sda1) and to run "as it is" on a xen paravirtual domain.
I would like to do this way because I cannot make a new installation of Windows
(I''m doing this on my office machine that runs a XP downgraded from
Vista, and there''s no XP recover/install CD).

It''s my first time with xen and (para)virtualization.
I followed Xen User Manual and "How to Install Windows on Xen 3.0".
To be able to experiment without damaging the original XP installation I made a
primary unformatted /dev/sda4 (same size of sda1) where I created a Volume Group
called VG_Guests. Then I filled VG_Guests with a Logical Volume I called
win_xp_sp3.
I tried to copy the physical partition sda1 into the logical volume win_xp_sp3
(dd if=/dev/sda1 of=/dev/VG_Guests/win_xp_sp3).

I use the following win_xp_sp3.hvm:

#===================================================import os, re
arch = os.uname()[4]
if re.search(''64'', arch):
    arch_libdir = ''lib64''
else:
    arch_libdir = ''lib''

kernel = "/usr/lib/xen/boot/hvmloader"
builder=''hvm''
memory = 768
name = "win_xp_sp3"
#vcpus=1
#acpi=1
#apic=1
pae=1
cpus = "2,3"
vif = [ ''type=ioemu, mac=00:1A:4D:5C:69:7B, bridge=xenbr0'' ]
disk = [
''phy:/dev/VG_Guests/win_xp_sp3,ioemu:hda,w'',''phy:/dev/sr0,ioemu:hdc:cdrom,r''
]
device_model = ''/usr/'' + arch_libdir +
''/xen/bin/qemu-dm''
cdrom="/dev/sr0"
boot="dc"
#snapshot=1
#sdl=1
vnc=1
vncviewer=1
#vncviewer=0
#nographic=0
#serial=''pty''
ne2000=0
#usb=1
#usbdevice=''tablet''
audio=1
#localtime=1
#full-screen=1
#stdvga=0

I can boot from cdrom, but I cannot boot the copied XP, because paravirtual
system hangs after showing "Booting From Hard Disk".
Then I tried booting a "non genuine" XP CD to access the Recovery
Console; i run FIXBOOT C: but the system still doesn''t boot.

There''s something else I can try?

Thanks

L.B.