[Qemu-devel] Attitute and Predisposition of the List & newbie documets

["Thomas Munn" <munntj@shands.ufl.edu>]

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While I am not among those who are enlightened enought to talk about
opcodes and their proper optimization, I do have a few observations to
make, having watched this list for 2 months.
 
1.  People really don't like newcomers on this list.  
2.  QEMU-USERS would be great, if it actually worked.  I have asked on
the list TWICE now, with absolutely no comment (or way to get
qemu-users) working.  The interface fails, and messages never get
anywhere.  Unless this is a tricky INTENT, in that users will just go to
/dev/null.  Which is fine, if the project just wants to be for gear
heads.
3.  QEMU is rather DIFFICULT to use.  I have been a UNIX admin for 10
years, am fairly conversant in iptables etc.  Yet my firewalling
questions were ignored THREE times.  Firewalling a host is a cool
concept, I can have "trusted boxes" and make sure they only talk to whom
they are supposed to.  I figured out MYSELF that you have to filter on
the FORWARD chain.  No one was even kind enough to respond "RTFM" or
"You need to filter on the forward chain."  Its Not in the docs etc.
Most people wouldn't be able to do this( e.g figure out how to firewall
guest os).  Again, if you want gearheads only, then fine.  
4.  I am compiling a list of my difficulties, and will be writing
documentation to help people setting qemu for the first time.  The
existing documentation simply does not cover in high detail how to get
qemu working.  For example, I found it very confusing on what qemu-fast
is for.  A simple "QEMU-FAST ONLY works with linux at this time.  You
must install a working GUEST image, apply the appropriate patch to the
GUEST kernel, and then run qemu-fast.  DO NOT TRY to use QEMU-FAST
otherwise.  It will simply segfault!  
 
I will be posting the document to this list.  If anyone else has any
suggestions, I will incorporate them into a professional, and complete
document designed for the newcomer.
 
My perspective of this document, will, alas, only be from the linux
corner, as I do not use QEMU in windows......(as a host os)
 
Something akin to the GENTOO install handbook would be the caliber I
would be shooting for.
 
Sincerely,
 
Thomas J. Munn

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