Question: why pvops seldom build modules drivers

Question: why pvops seldom build modules drivers

[Liu, Jinsong]

Jeremy,

Recently I install pvops/xen at a new platform, 
However, I meet troubles, it need manually enable&install some driver like Lsi scsi controller (to find root device which is a SAS disk connect to Lsi controller) & Intel 82576 nic to access network.
I check pvops .config, it seldom build module driver.
Just curious why pvops does so? it make trouble when install pvops at various platform ..., while at native linux it config most device driver as module.

Thanks,
Jinsong

Re: Question: why pvops seldom build modules drivers

[Jeremy Fitzhardinge]

On 07/08/2010 04:10 AM, Liu, Jinsong wrote:
> Recently I install pvops/xen at a new platform, 
> However, I meet troubles, it need manually enable&install some driver like Lsi scsi controller (to find root device which is a SAS disk connect to Lsi controller) & Intel 82576 nic to access network.
> I check pvops .config, it seldom build module driver.
> Just curious why pvops does so? it make trouble when install pvops at various platform ..., while at native linux it config most device driver as module.
>   

I usually build modular kernels without problem.  The tricky part is
making sure all the right drivers end up in your initrd.  What distro
are you using?

    J

Re: Question: why pvops seldom build modules drivers

[Pasi Kärkkäinen]

On Thu, Jul 08, 2010 at 07:10:47PM +0800, Liu, Jinsong wrote:
> Jeremy,
> 
> Recently I install pvops/xen at a new platform, 
> However, I meet troubles, it need manually enable&install some driver like Lsi scsi controller (to find root device which is a SAS disk connect to Lsi controller) & Intel 82576 nic to access network.
> I check pvops .config, it seldom build module driver.
> Just curious why pvops does so? it make trouble when install pvops at various platform ..., while at native linux it config most device driver as module.
> 

Take a look at my example .config files mentioned on troubleshooting section on:
http://wiki.xensource.com/xenwiki/XenParavirtOps 

For example:
http://pasik.reaktio.net/xen/pv_ops-dom0-debug/config-2.6.32.15-pvops-dom0-xen-stable-x86_64

That's (originally) based on Fedora 11/12 default kernel .config, so it has most stuff as modules..

-- Pasi

RE: Question: why pvops seldom build modules drivers

[Liu, Jinsong]

Pasi Kärkkäinen wrote:
> On Thu, Jul 08, 2010 at 07:10:47PM +0800, Liu, Jinsong wrote:
>> Jeremy,
>> 
>> Recently I install pvops/xen at a new platform,
>> However, I meet troubles, it need manually enable&install some
>> driver like Lsi scsi controller (to find root device which is a SAS
>> disk connect to Lsi controller) & Intel 82576 nic to access network.
>> I check pvops .config, it seldom build module driver.  
>> Just curious why pvops does so? it make trouble when install pvops
>> at various platform ..., while at native linux it config most device
>> driver as module.  
>> 
> 
> Take a look at my example .config files mentioned on troubleshooting
> section on: http://wiki.xensource.com/xenwiki/XenParavirtOps
> 
> For example:
> http://pasik.reaktio.net/xen/pv_ops-dom0-debug/config-2.6.32.15-pvops-dom0-xen-stable-x86_64
> 
> That's (originally) based on Fedora 11/12 default kernel .config, so
> it has most stuff as modules.. 
> 
> -- Pasi

Pasi and Jeremy,

Thanks for suggestion!
Yes, it's OK to download .config which suitable for installation at most platform.

However, I'm curious why we didn't set proper Kconfig and then produce proper .config?
In current pvops Kconfig, it only produce .config with less then 10 driver as module driver, 
while native linux Kconfig produce hundreds of driver as module driver suitable for installation at most platform.
If we set proper pvops Kconfig (say, set most drivers =m), user can do 'make menuconfig' without change anything and then produce a 'good' pvops .config. This would be helpful for most user build & installation pvops at different platform.

Thanks,
Jinsong

RE: Question: why pvops seldom build modules drivers

[Ian Campbell]

On Mon, 2010-07-12 at 07:52 +0100, Liu, Jinsong wrote:
> Pasi Kärkkäinen wrote:
> > On Thu, Jul 08, 2010 at 07:10:47PM +0800, Liu, Jinsong wrote:
> >> Jeremy,
> >> 
> >> Recently I install pvops/xen at a new platform,
> >> However, I meet troubles, it need manually enable&install some
> >> driver like Lsi scsi controller (to find root device which is a SAS
> >> disk connect to Lsi controller) & Intel 82576 nic to access network.
> >> I check pvops .config, it seldom build module driver.  
> >> Just curious why pvops does so? it make trouble when install pvops
> >> at various platform ..., while at native linux it config most device
> >> driver as module.  
> >> 
> > 
> > Take a look at my example .config files mentioned on troubleshooting
> > section on: http://wiki.xensource.com/xenwiki/XenParavirtOps
> > 
> > For example:
> > http://pasik.reaktio.net/xen/pv_ops-dom0-debug/config-2.6.32.15-pvops-dom0-xen-stable-x86_64
> > 
> > That's (originally) based on Fedora 11/12 default kernel .config, so
> > it has most stuff as modules.. 
> > 
> > -- Pasi
> 
> Pasi and Jeremy,
> 
> Thanks for suggestion!
> Yes, it's OK to download .config which suitable for installation at most platform.
> 
> However, I'm curious why we didn't set proper Kconfig and then produce proper .config?

> In current pvops Kconfig, it only produce .config with less then 10 driver as module driver, 

You are talking about the kernel built by the xen build system? (e.g.
from "make world" or similar)

For pvops kernels this leverages the upstream "make defconfig" target
with tweaks to enable the Xen stuff. If you think the defconfig is wrong
you should perhaps take this up with upstream.

However, I largely consider the xen build system integration for kernel
building to be a convenience for things like automated test and the
config (or rather buildconfigs/enable-xen-config) to be an example of
the sorts of things which should be enabled on top of your normal
configuration to enable operation under Xen.

I believe xen.org will shortly be publishing daily builds of kernel .rpm
and .deb packages built with a more distro like configuration, I expect
this will be the most convenient and best thing for many users to
consume.

Ian.