Subject: Re: Xen3/PAE problems with domainU
To: Todd Vierling <tv@duh.org>
From: Jonathan A. Kollasch <jakllsch@kollasch.net>
List: port-xen
Date: 08/05/2006 00:46:23
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On Fri, Aug 04, 2006 at 09:00:31PM -0400, Todd Vierling wrote:
> This is Bcc:'d to port-i386 as it also concerns PAE, which may be required
> to get things working correctly.  The main thread should remain on port-x=
en.
>=20
> So I am in contact with the proprietor of a hosting company that is offer=
ing
> Xen-based hosting, and is moving to Xen 3.  We had a pretty well working
> NetBSD domU setup for Xen2.  But for PAE and other things, this host has =
to
> move to Xen3.
>
> I got the 20060803 build of the Xen3 kernels, and the host ran into this
> when creating the domain.  The host has Linux kernel 2.6.16 compiled
> directly from xensource + distro sources, and has xentools 3.0.2-2
> installed.
>=20
>~snip~<
>=20
> I found the following very vague post about a problem just like this when
> the dom0 has PAE enabled but the domU doesn't:
>=20
>     http://lists.xensource.com/archives/html/xen-users/2006-06/msg00077.h=
tml
>=20
> Is there any PAE support in work for i386 (not just amd64)?  Looks like t=
he
> Xen folks aren't going to emulate non-PAE domU environments on a PAE dom0
> anytime soon, so this has become a requirement.
>=20

See the "x86-32 PAE" thread at http://mail-index.netbsd.org/port-i386/2005/=
07/.
General drift I get of it is that PAE is a ugly hack.

That being said, it appears that it may be doable (if much of the work
hasn't been done already).  But perhaps NetBSD/amd64/xen should be the prio=
rity.

Or, we just run plain NetBSD/i386 or amd64 like one would Windows on a
Vanderpool or Pacifica-enabled chip.

> (As to the host in question, the proprietor has asked me not to mention i=
ts
> name until the NetBSD configuration is actually working and they're ready=
 to
> advertise that fact.  Let me just say that this would be a *very* cost
> effective way to get a dedicated-like NetBSD hosting plan, and well worth
> whatever effort is needed to get it working.  ;)

Hey, I know of at least two other places that are still running Xen 2,
and advertise NetBSD as a choice.

	Jonathan Kollasch

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