Re: [Xen-users] Xen 3.0 on Ubuntu Dapper

Re: [Xen-users] Xen 3.0 on Ubuntu Dapper

[Anthony Liguori]

(Moving to xen-devel)

Tom Marshall wrote:
>> In case anyone is interested, I'm trying to port the the Ubuntu Dapper
>> kernel to Xen.  I can see two options: (1) revert the kernel back to 3.0.1
>> compatibility, or (2) update the tools to tip.  Both seem to be nontrivial. 
>> I'm currently attempting the former because Dapper uses 2.6.15 as a base,
>> but I have a feeling that the latter may prove a better course.
>>     
>
> Just a quick update (sorry for the spam, I'm hoping at least a couple folks
> are interested in Xen 3.x on Dapper...)
>
> I got kernel 2.6.15 up and running on Dapper using version 16045
> (16045:7b8ab50c2b04) with the Xen 3.0.1 tools.  I'm not really familiar with
> driving Mercurial, nor the Xen history.  So I would like to ask if this is a
> good version to start with, or whether a later version (compatible with
> 3.0.1 and based on 2.6.15 if possible) would be a better starting point.
>   
Which tree did you base this on?  16045 is a local version number (only 
has meaning in your repository).  7b8ab50c2b04 doesn't appear to be in 
-unstable.

In general, if you're building a domU kernel, it should be safe to use 
older changesets.  If you're building a dom0 kernel, you really want to 
use a set of tools that is matched with the dom0 kernel.  I don't think 
there have been any huge changes in the tools so I think it would be 
fine to pull the tools from the same snapshot that you took 2.6.15 from 
(which I assume is around 8740:3d7ea7972b39).
> I'll be trying to merge this with the Dapper changes.  If there is any
> interest in this project, I can send out another message with a link to my
> merged code when I'm done.  If not, please accept my apologies for the
> interruption.
>   
I tried running -unstable on Dapper a couple of weeks ago and Xend 
wouldn't start.  I only run Dapper on my laptop so I haven't 
investigated much further.  Have you had any problems with Xend?

Regards,

Anthony Liguori
> _______________________________________________
> Xen-users mailing list
> Xen-users@lists.xensource.com
> http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
>   

Re: Re: [Xen-users] Xen 3.0 on Ubuntu Dapper

[Tom Marshall]

> >I got kernel 2.6.15 up and running on Dapper using version 16045
> >(16045:7b8ab50c2b04) with the Xen 3.0.1 tools.  I'm not really familiar
> >with driving Mercurial, nor the Xen history.  So I would like to ask if
> >this is a good version to start with, or whether a later version
> >(compatible with 3.0.1 and based on 2.6.15 if possible) would be a better
> >starting point.
> 
> Which tree did you base this on?  16045 is a local version number (only 
> has meaning in your repository).  7b8ab50c2b04 doesn't appear to be in 
> -unstable.

I used this tree:

  http://xenbits.xensource.com/linux-2.6-xen.hg

Perhaps I should be using unstable, I don't know.  I would appreciate
recommendations.  My current goal (and I appreciate any input on this also)
is to use Xen 3.0 hypervisor and tools with the Dapperized 2.6.15 kernel. 
The alternative is to go with Xen unstable (3.1?) but that makes me a bit
nervous since I don't know how far along 3.1 is (that is, how unstable is it
in practice and when is it expected to be released).

Either way, the issue of which way to merge arises: is it better to merge
the Xen 2.6.16 changes back to the Dapper 2.6.15 kernel or merge the Dapper
changes forward to the Xen 2.6.16 kernel?  This is probably the single most
important issue.  I've been thinking that the former is a better strategy,
mostly because the Xen changes seem to be relatively small an inobtrusive
compared to the Dapper changes.

Since I wrote this message, I realized that I probably did the initial diff
backwards -- I posted the Dapper diff to an old Mercurial snap when I really
srhould be posting a Xen diff to the current Dapper git tree.

> In general, if you're building a domU kernel, it should be safe to use 
> older changesets.  If you're building a dom0 kernel, you really want to 
> use a set of tools that is matched with the dom0 kernel.  I don't think 
> there have been any huge changes in the tools so I think it would be 
> fine to pull the tools from the same snapshot that you took 2.6.15 from 
> (which I assume is around 8740:3d7ea7972b39).

I'm building a dom0 kernel.

> I tried running -unstable on Dapper a couple of weeks ago and Xend 
> wouldn't start.  I only run Dapper on my laptop so I haven't 
> investigated much further.  Have you had any problems with Xend?

I have had some minor issues with Xend but mostly are n00b related.  For
example, I had to figure out that "xm create" won't autoload the loop
module.  But then again, I'm using Xend 3.0.1, not unstable.

-- 
In Seattle, Washington, it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon that
is over six feet in length.

Re: Re: [Xen-users] Xen 3.0 on Ubuntu Dapper

[Anthony Liguori]

Tom Marshall wrote:
> I used this tree:
>
>   http://xenbits.xensource.com/linux-2.6-xen.hg
>
> Perhaps I should be using unstable, I don't know.  I would appreciate
> recommendations.  My current goal (and I appreciate any input on this also)
> is to use Xen 3.0 hypervisor and tools with the Dapperized 2.6.15 kernel. 
>   
The way the release process works is that unstable becomes releases 
(hopefully in a time frame of 4-6 weeks).

There was a point in unstable (the change set I previously mentioned) 
where the kernel was at 2.6.15.  Starting from that would probably be a 
good way to go.
>> I tried running -unstable on Dapper a couple of weeks ago and Xend 
>> wouldn't start.  I only run Dapper on my laptop so I haven't 
>> investigated much further.  Have you had any problems with Xend?
>>     
>
> I have had some minor issues with Xend but mostly are n00b related.  For
> example, I had to figure out that "xm create" won't autoload the loop
> module.  But then again, I'm using Xend 3.0.1, not unstable.
>   
Ah, it probably was just my system then :-)

Regards,

Anthony Liguori