Hi all, I’m running Xen 4.1 on a couple of NetBSD dom0s and NetBSD’s pkgsrc provides both the xl and xm tools for working with Xen 4.1. I understand that xl is the new way of doing things, but I can’t get it to create my guests the way I want and the main symptom of this is that the text console isn’t available. When I create a guest with xl it starts up qemu-dm (which xm doesn’t do) and I get messages in the logs about frame buffers. I do not want a frame buffer. Neither a paravirtualised one, nor an emulated one. With xm my guests have hvc0 as a console and that works perfectly for me. Xen obviously doesn’t need qemu-dm and I don’t need qemu-dm, so how do I convince xl to start a guest without trying to emulate some hardware with qmeu-dm? Thanks, Lloyd p.s. For reference, here is my guest configuration. The “builder” line is commented out when I use xm of course. builder = “generic" kernel = "/netbsd-612-XEN3_DOMU.gz" memory = 1024 name = “domu" vcpus = 1 vif = [ ''bridge=bridge0'' ] disk = [ ‘file:/disk-image,0x1,w'' ] root = “xbd0"
On Thu, 2013-10-31 at 13:41 +1300, Lloyd Parkes wrote:> disk = [ ‘file:/disk-image,0x1,w' ]This is why you are getting a qemu -- it is being used to provide the "qdisk" PV disk backend. It is not being used to provide any emulated devices. I don't think this should result in any VFBs being created, but qemu may be noisy about this while not creating them (you didn't quote the actual message so I can't say for sure). If you want to avoid qemu altogether then you will need to use the kernel backend, which is enabled via phy:/... pointing to whatever the BSD equivalent of Linux's /dev/loop is (I knew once, but can't remember right now). I think someone (Roger) was trying to make this loop setup happen automatically. xl was a bit "tech preview" in 4.1. This may have improved by 4.3. Ian.> root = “xbd0" > > > _______________________________________________ > Xen-users mailing list > Xen-users@lists.xen.org > http://lists.xen.org/xen-users_______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xen.org http://lists.xen.org/xen-users
On 31/10/13 01:41, Lloyd Parkes wrote:> Hi all, > I’m running Xen 4.1 on a couple of NetBSD dom0s and NetBSD’s pkgsrc provides both the xl and xm tools for working with Xen 4.1. I understand that xl is the new way of doing things, but I can’t get it to create my guests the way I want and the main symptom of this is that the text console isn’t available.If you want to use xl on NetBSD you need to use at least Xen 4.2, on Xen 4.1 xl is not usable on NetBSD.
On 1/11/2013, at 5:32 am, Ian Campbell <Ian.Campbell@citrix.com> wrote:> On Thu, 2013-10-31 at 13:41 +1300, Lloyd Parkes wrote: >> disk = [ ‘file:/disk-image,0x1,w'' ] > > This is why you are getting a qemu -- it is being used to provide the > "qdisk" PV disk backend. It is not being used to provide any emulated > devices.That’s the magic I was missing.> I don''t think this should result in any VFBs being created, but qemu may > be noisy about this while not creating them (you didn''t quote the actual > message so I can''t say for sure).It turns that it does change something in how the console works. Once I got rid of qemu the command “xl console” started to work. The command "xenstore-ls -f” shows that console/type is now “xenconsoled” instead of “ioemu”. I’ve also noticed that console/tty is no longer empty.> If you want to avoid qemu altogether then you will need to use the > kernel backend, which is enabled via phy:/... pointing to whatever the > BSD equivalent of Linux''s /dev/loop is (I knew once, but can''t remember > right now).I’ve been using NetBSD long enough that you’ve given me all the information I need. Thanks for the help, Lloyd
On Fri, 2013-11-01 at 11:51 +1300, Lloyd Parkes wrote:> On 1/11/2013, at 5:32 am, Ian Campbell <Ian.Campbell@citrix.com> wrote: > > > On Thu, 2013-10-31 at 13:41 +1300, Lloyd Parkes wrote: > >> disk = [ ‘file:/disk-image,0x1,w' ] > > > > This is why you are getting a qemu -- it is being used to provide the > > "qdisk" PV disk backend. It is not being used to provide any emulated > > devices. > > That’s the magic I was missing. > > > I don't think this should result in any VFBs being created, but qemu may > > be noisy about this while not creating them (you didn't quote the actual > > message so I can't say for sure). > > It turns that it does change something in how the console works. Once > I got rid of qemu the command “xl console” started to work. The > command "xenstore-ls -f” shows that console/type is now “xenconsoled” > instead of “ioemu”. I’ve also noticed that console/tty is no longer > empty.Stefano/Anthony, is this a bug in qemu-xen that it doesn't correctly provide the necessary console services for PV domains or a bug in libxl because it is configuring the console via qmeu in the first place? (Or some third bug...)> > > If you want to avoid qemu altogether then you will need to use the > > kernel backend, which is enabled via phy:/... pointing to whatever the > > BSD equivalent of Linux's /dev/loop is (I knew once, but can't remember > > right now). > > I’ve been using NetBSD long enough that you’ve given me all the information I need.Great! Ian.> > Thanks for the help, > Lloyd > > > _______________________________________________ > Xen-users mailing list > Xen-users@lists.xen.org > http://lists.xen.org/xen-users_______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xen.org http://lists.xen.org/xen-users
On Mon, Nov 04, 2013 at 10:26:38AM +0000, Ian Campbell wrote:> On Fri, 2013-11-01 at 11:51 +1300, Lloyd Parkes wrote: > > On 1/11/2013, at 5:32 am, Ian Campbell <Ian.Campbell@citrix.com> wrote: > > > > > On Thu, 2013-10-31 at 13:41 +1300, Lloyd Parkes wrote: > > >> disk = [ ‘file:/disk-image,0x1,w' ] > > > > > > This is why you are getting a qemu -- it is being used to provide the > > > "qdisk" PV disk backend. It is not being used to provide any emulated > > > devices. > > > > That’s the magic I was missing. > > > > > I don't think this should result in any VFBs being created, but qemu may > > > be noisy about this while not creating them (you didn't quote the actual > > > message so I can't say for sure). > > > > It turns that it does change something in how the console works. Once > > I got rid of qemu the command “xl console” started to work. The > > command "xenstore-ls -f” shows that console/type is now “xenconsoled” > > instead of “ioemu”. I’ve also noticed that console/tty is no longer > > empty. > > Stefano/Anthony, is this a bug in qemu-xen that it doesn't correctly > provide the necessary console services for PV domains or a bug in libxl > because it is configuring the console via qmeu in the first place? (Or > some third bug...):(, I don't know. I've tried to start a random Linux guest in PV mod, with a qdisk provided, and it't look like "console/type = xenconsoled", and nothing about a vfb. -- Anthony PERARD _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xen.org http://lists.xen.org/xen-users
On Tue, 2013-11-05 at 11:40 +0000, Anthony PERARD wrote:> On Mon, Nov 04, 2013 at 10:26:38AM +0000, Ian Campbell wrote: > > On Fri, 2013-11-01 at 11:51 +1300, Lloyd Parkes wrote: > > > On 1/11/2013, at 5:32 am, Ian Campbell <Ian.Campbell@citrix.com> wrote: > > > > > > > On Thu, 2013-10-31 at 13:41 +1300, Lloyd Parkes wrote: > > > >> disk = [ ‘file:/disk-image,0x1,w' ] > > > > > > > > This is why you are getting a qemu -- it is being used to provide the > > > > "qdisk" PV disk backend. It is not being used to provide any emulated > > > > devices. > > > > > > That’s the magic I was missing. > > > > > > > I don't think this should result in any VFBs being created, but qemu may > > > > be noisy about this while not creating them (you didn't quote the actual > > > > message so I can't say for sure). > > > > > > It turns that it does change something in how the console works. Once > > > I got rid of qemu the command “xl console” started to work. The > > > command "xenstore-ls -f” shows that console/type is now “xenconsoled” > > > instead of “ioemu”. I’ve also noticed that console/tty is no longer > > > empty. > > > > Stefano/Anthony, is this a bug in qemu-xen that it doesn't correctly > > provide the necessary console services for PV domains or a bug in libxl > > because it is configuring the console via qmeu in the first place? (Or > > some third bug...) > > :(, I don't know. I've tried to start a random Linux guest in PV mod, > with a qdisk provided, and it't look like "console/type = xenconsoled", > and nothing about a vfb.Oh wait, Lloyd is running 4.1 -- I can well believe xl in that release did something dumb here and we've since fixed it (I have a vague memory of such a thing...) Ian. _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xen.org http://lists.xen.org/xen-users
On 6/11/2013, at 12:57 am, Ian Campbell <Ian.Campbell@citrix.com> wrote:> On Tue, 2013-11-05 at 11:40 +0000, Anthony PERARD wrote: >> :(, I don''t know. I''ve tried to start a random Linux guest in PV mod, >> with a qdisk provided, and it''t look like "console/type = xenconsoled", >> and nothing about a vfb. > > Oh wait, Lloyd is running 4.1 -- I can well believe xl in that release > did something dumb here and we''ve since fixed it (I have a vague memory > of such a thing...)I’ve just tested xen tools 4.2 on NetBSD 6.1.2 and it’s certainly working much better than the first time I tried 4.2. I can confirm that 1) loopback devices are created automatically for raw files on NetBSD and 2) when I force the use of qemu by using a qcow2 image, I do not get get the broken console configuration that I got in 4.1. Looks like xl in 4.1 was indeed doing something dumb and it got fixed. Cheers, Lloyd