Xen users - Mar 2009 - hvm install through serial console

Hello,

I am trying to install a debian hardware virtual machine using console port -
not vnc - hoping to be able to do the installation with xm console domid.
Dom0 is a debian etch server, Xen version 3.2.1.
First of all I''m trying to customize debian netinst cdrom in order to
make it talk through serial line. I suppose my mistake starts here, for I
don''t know if this is really possible to achieve.
    
I edit isolinux.cfg (maybe there is more to be edited to make it work,initrd.gz
too?) :

/isolinux/isolinux.cfg

SERIAL 0
CONSOLE 0
DISPLAY boot.txt

F1 f1.txt
F2 f2.txt
F3 f3.txt
F4 f4.txt
F5 f5.txt
F6 f6.txt
F7 f7.txt
F8 f8.txt
F9 f9.txt
F0 f10.txt

DEFAULT install

LABEL install
        kernel /install.amd/vmlinuz
        APPEND console=tty0 console=ttyS0,115200n8 initrd=/install.amd/initrd.gz
--
...


then I create the iso image :

mkisofs -pad -l -r -J -v -V "Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 r4a" -no-emul-boot
-boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table -b isolinux/isolinux.bin -c isolinux/boot.cat
-hide-rr-moved -o /tmp/hvm01/debian-40r4a-amd64-netinst-console.iso
/tmp/hvm01/cdrom


and finally try to start it :

xm create /etc/xen/hvm01.cfg

kernel = "/usr/lib/xen-3.2-1/boot/hvmloader"
builder=''hvm''
memory = 512
name = "hvm01"
pae=0
acpi=0
apic=0
vif = [ ''type=ioemu, bridge=eth0, model=ne2k_pci'' ]
disk = [
''file:/tmp/hvm01/disk.img,hda,w'',''file:/tmp/hvm01/debian-40r4a-amd64-netinst-console.iso,hdc:cdrom,r''
]
on_poweroff = ''destroy''
on_reboot   = ''restart''
on_crash    = ''destroy''
device_model = ''/usr/lib/xen-3.2-1/bin/qemu-dm''
boot="dca"
sdl=0
vnc=0
vncpasswd=''''
nographic=1
stdvga=0
serial=''pty''


xend unpauses the DomU after a minute or so, but console doesn''t show
anything.
''xm list'' says I have a DomU running ... and ''xm
top'' says that this domu uses 100% CPU.

NAME  STATE   CPU(sec) CPU(%)     MEM(k) MEM(%)  MAXMEM(k) MAXMEM(%)VCPUS NETS
NETTX(k) NETRX(k) VBDS   VBD_OO   VBD_RD   VBD_WR SSID
Domain-0 -----r      50809   37.4     524460    3.1   no limit      n/a     8   
4        0        0    0        0        0        0 2149957044
hvm01 -----r         12  100.0     532348    3.2     540672      3.2     1    0 
0        0    2        0        0        0 2149957044


As I think the problem must be in the debian iso image I have searched the web
for a already customized image with no success.
Anyone already tried this?

Thanks for reading,
regards,
Sergi


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On Thu, Mar 5, 2009 at 12:40 AM, Sergi Seira <s.seira@cdmon.com>
wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I am trying to install a debian hardware virtual machine using console port
- not vnc - hoping to be able to do the installation with xm console domid.
> Dom0 is a debian etch server, Xen version 3.2.1.
> First of all I''m trying to customize debian netinst cdrom in order
to make it talk through serial line. I suppose my mistake starts here, for I
don''t know if this is really possible to achieve.
You should ask Debian experts about the serial console then :)

What I for RHEL HVM (some of this might be relevant for you):
- Use CD1 for installation and create config file to boot from CD.
This is easier (for me).
- setup HVM config file enabling serial console
(serial=''pty''), with
vnc still enabled
- startup domU, output will be on vnc console
- type "linux askmethod console=ttyS0"

To pinpoint cause of error, you might want to enable vnc console and
see what comes out. What I did for vnc is include these lines

sdl=0
vnc=1
vnclisten="0.0.0.0"
vncpasswd=''''

so I can connect using vncviewer from another host.

Regards,

Fajar

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