--- wikisrc/ports/xen/howto.mdwn 2014/12/27 15:46:47 1.59 +++ wikisrc/ports/xen/howto.mdwn 2015/01/04 02:10:06 1.70 @@ -151,17 +151,36 @@ Build problems Ideally, all versions of Xen in pkgsrc would build on all versions of NetBSD on both i386 and amd64. However, that isn't the case. Besides aging code and aging compilers, qemu (included in xentools for HVM -support) is difficult to build. The following are known to fail: - - xenkernel3 netbsd-6 i386 - xentools42 netbsd-6 i386 - -The following are known to work: +support) is difficult to build. The following are known to work or FAIL: + xenkernel3 netbsd-5 amd64 + xentools3 netbsd-5 amd64 + xentools3=hvm netbsd-5 amd64 ???? + xenkernel33 netbsd-5 amd64 + xentools33 netbsd-5 amd64 xenkernel41 netbsd-5 amd64 xentools41 netbsd-5 amd64 + xenkernel42 netbsd-5 amd64 + xentools42 netbsd-5 amd64 + + xenkernel3 netbsd-6 i386 FAIL + xentools3 netbsd-6 i386 + xentools3-hvm netbsd-6 i386 FAIL (dependencies fail) + xenkernel33 netbsd-6 i386 + xentools33 netbsd-6 i386 xenkernel41 netbsd-6 i386 xentools41 netbsd-6 i386 + xenkernel42 netbsd-6 i386 + xentools42 netbsd-6 i386 *MIXED + + (all 3 and 33 seem to FAIL) + xenkernel41 netbsd-7 i386 + xentools41 netbsd-7 i386 + xenkernel42 netbsd-7 i386 + xentools42 netbsd-7 i386 ??FAIL + +(*On netbsd-6 i386, there is a xentools42 in the 2014Q3 official builds, +but it does not build for gdt.) NetBSD as a dom0 ================ @@ -457,7 +476,7 @@ Unprivileged domains (domU) This section describes general concepts about domUs. It does not address specific domU operating systems or how to install them. The config files for domUs are typically in /usr/pkg/etc/xen, and are -typically named so that the file anme, domU name and the domU's host +typically named so that the file name, domU name and the domU's host name match. The domU is provided with cpu and memory by Xen, configured by the @@ -856,29 +875,32 @@ NetBSD as a domU in a VPS The bulk of the HOWTO is about using NetBSD as a dom0 on your own hardware. This section explains how to deal with Xen in a domU as a virtual private server where you do not control or have access to the -dom0. +dom0. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of VPS providers; +only a few are mentioned that specifically support NetBSD. VPS operators provide varying degrees of access and mechanisms for configuration. The big issue is usually how one controls which kernel is booted, because the kernel is nominally in the dom0 filesystem (to -which VPS users do not normally have acesss). +which VPS users do not normally have acesss). A second issue is how +to install NetBSD. A VPS user may want to compile a kernel for security updates, to run npf, run IPsec, or any other reason why someone would want to change their kernel. One approach is to have an adminstrative interface to upload a kernel, -or to select from a prepopulated list. Other approaches are py-grub +or to select from a prepopulated list. Other approaches are pygrub (deprecated) and pvgrub, which are ways to have a bootloader obtain a kernel from the domU filesystem. This is closer to a regular physical computer, where someone who controls a machine can replace the kernel. -py-grub +pygrub ------- -py-grub runs in the dom0 and looks into the domU filesystem. This +pygrub runs in the dom0 and looks into the domU filesystem. This implies that the domU must have a kernel in a filesystem in a format -known to py-grub. As of 2014, py-grub seems to be of mostly historical interest. +known to pygrub. As of 2014, pygrub seems to be of mostly historical +interest. pvgrub ------ @@ -887,13 +909,23 @@ pvgrub is a version of grub that uses PV calls. It is booted from the dom0 as the domU kernel, and then reads /grub/menu.lst and loads a kernel from the domU filesystem. -[prgmr.com](http://prgmr.com/) uses this approach to let users choose -their own operating system and kernel. See then [prgmr.com NetBSD +[Panix](http://www.panix.com/) lets users use pvgrub. Panix reports +that pvgrub works with FFsv2 with default "newfs -O2" as well as +16K/2K and 32K/4K block/frag sizes. See [Panix's pvgrub +page](http://www.panix.com/v-colo/grub.html), which describes only +Linux but should be updated to cover NetBSD :-) + +[prgmr.com](http://prgmr.com/) also lets users with pvgrub to boot +their own kernel. See then [prgmr.com NetBSD HOWTO](http://wiki.prgmr.com/mediawiki/index.php/NetBSD_as_a_DomU). -Typically one has an ext2 or FAT partition for the kernel, so that -grub can understand it, which leads to /netbsd not being the actual -kernel. One must remember to update the special boot partiion. +It appears that [grub's FFS +code](http://xenbits.xensource.com/hg/xen-unstable.hg/file/bca284f67702/tools/libfsimage/ufs/fsys_ufs.c) +does not support all aspects of modern FFS, but there are also reports +that FFSv2 works fine. At prmgr, typically one has an ext2 or FAT +partition for the kernel with the intent that grub can understand it, +which leads to /netbsd not being the actual kernel. One must remember +to update the special boot partiion. Amazon ------ @@ -909,3 +941,20 @@ DOMU kernel. TODO: explain how to compile npf into a custom kernel, answering (but note that the problem was caused by not booting the right kernel): http://mail-index.netbsd.org/netbsd-users/2014/12/26/msg015576.html + +TODO items for improving NetBSD/xen +=================================== + +* Package Xen 4.4. +* Get PCI passthrough working on Xen 4.2 (or 4.4). +* Get pvgrub into pkgsrc, either via xentools or separately. +* grub + * Check/add support to pkgsrc grub2 for UFS2 and arbitrary + fragsize/blocksize (UFS2 support may be present; the point is to + make it so that with any UFS1/UFS2 filesystem setup that works + with NetBSD grub will also work). + See [pkg/40258](http://gnats.netbsd.org/40258). + * Push patches upstream. + * Get UFS2 patches into pvgrub. +* Add support for PV ops to a version of /boot, and make it usable as + a kernel in Xen, similar to pvgrub.