Re: Updating Xen 4.1.x xmexamples files (vfb line required for HVM guests)

From: "Pasi Kärkkäinen" <pasik@iki.fi>
To: Ian Campbell <Ian.Campbell@citrix.com>
Cc: "xen-devel@lists.xensource.com" <xen-devel@lists.xensource.com>,
	"xen-users@lists.xensource.com" <xen-users@lists.xensource.com>,
	jim burns <jim_burn@bellsouth.net>
Subject: Re: Updating Xen 4.1.x xmexamples files (vfb line required for HVM guests)
Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2011 20:00:27 +0300	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <20110726170027.GU32373@reaktio.net> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <1311694781.24408.57.camel@cthulhu.hellion.org.uk>

On Tue, Jul 26, 2011 at 04:39:41PM +0100, Ian Campbell wrote:
> On Mon, 2011-07-25 at 17:05 -0400, Pasi Kärkkäinen wrote:
> > On Mon, Jul 25, 2011 at 04:39:16PM -0400, jim burns wrote:
> > > On Mon July 25 2011 3:57:23 PM Pasi wrote:
> > > > On Mon, Jul 25, 2011 at 03:48:18PM -0400, jim burns wrote:
> > > > > On Mon July 25 2011 3:31:22 PM Pasi wrote:
> > > > > > On Sat, Jul 23, 2011 at 02:26:56PM -0400, jim burns wrote:
> > > > > > > Pls cc: me, as I am not subscribed.
> > > 
> > > > > > Hello,
> > > 
> > > > > Hi, Pasi! Long time no 'see'.
> > > 
> > > Btw, maybe you were following the thread '[Xen-devel] Failure to create HVM 
> > > DomU at Xen 4.1 ( kernel 3.0.0-5-generic) Ubuntu 11.10 (alpha 2)'.  In my fork 
> > > of that thread, I summarized many other threads over the last month of people 
> > > having problems starting an hvm domu under xen 4.1.x. Konrad finally provided 
> > > the solution - 4.1.x requires the pv style vfb= line, not the indidvidual 
> > > variables.
> 
> Perhaps I misunderstand this stuff but AIUI the vfb= line configures a
> Xen PV framebuffer device whereas the individual vnc*/sdl*/etc variables
> configure the backend for the emulated VGA device. IOW they are pretty
> much orthogonal and (for an HVM guest) both should work (dependent on
> the required in-guest support being available). Also I'm not sure if
> they can be used simultaneously, I expect they can.
>

Jim: Can you please post full example of working HVM cfgfile and not-working HVM cfgfile.
(including any errors you get with the latter).

> > > Which brings up my pet peev about documentation. Even something as simple as 
> > > updating the xmexample files in the /etc/xen tree would have avoided this 
> > > problem for so many people. Since you lurk around in Xen Devel, maybe you can 
> > > make people aware of the problem?
> 
> If you find areas where xm* are not accurate than patches would be very
> much appreciated.
> 

Thanks!

-- Pasi