Re: can't get guests other than netbsd working

[Manuel Bouyer <bouyer%antioche.eu.org@localhost>]

On Sun, Jan 26, 2020 at 12:48:22PM -0600, Edgar Pettijohn wrote:
> I have tried:
> 
> alpine linux
> debian linux
> freebsd
> 
> I am able to install all three, however trying to boot the installed system
> seems impossible. I was able to get the furthest with alpine. I compiled
> grub2 manually and used it to create `grub-x86_64-xen.bin' to use as the
> `kernel = ' line in the config. However, this brings me to a grub> prompt.
> Of which I am able to find the kernel and initrd and get it to load.
> 
> grub> linux (xen/xvda,msdos1)/boot/vmlinuz-virt
> grub> initrd (xen/xvda,msdos1)/boot/initramfs-virt
> grub> boot
> 
> lots of output...
> Alpine Init 3.4.5-r0
> [    1.723909] random: fast init done
>  * Loading boot drivers: [    1.729482] loop: module loaded
> ok.
>  * Mounting boot media: failed.
> initramfs emergency recovery shell launched. Type 'exit' to continue boot
> sh: can't access tty; job control turned off
> / # exit
> switch_root: can't execute '/sbin/init': No such file or directory
> [   45.845042] Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill init!
> exitcode=0x00000100
> [   45.845052] CPU: 0 PID: 1 Comm: busybox Not tainted 5.4.12-1-virt
> #2-Alpine
> [   45.845057] Call Trace:
> [   45.845075]  dump_stack+0x66/0x90
> [   45.845081]  panic+0xfc/0x2c0
> [   45.845088]  do_exit.cold+0x20/0xbb
> [   45.845094]  ? vfs_write+0x16a/0x190
> [   45.845097]  do_group_exit+0x35/0xa0
> [   45.845101]  __x64_sys_exit_group+0xf/0x10
> [   45.845105]  do_syscall_64+0x49/0x120
> [   45.845110]  entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xa9
> [   45.845114] RIP: 0033:0x7f34ee8f472d
> [   45.845118] Code: eb ef 48 8b 76 28 e9 e2 37 00 00 64 48 8b 04 25 00 00
> 00 00 48 8b b0 b0 00 00 00 e9 af ff ff ff 48 63 ff b8 e7 00 00 00 0f 05 <ba>
> 3c 00 00 00 48 89 d0 0f 05 eb f9 48 83 ec 38 bf 06 00 00 00 e8
> [   45.845126] RSP: 002b:00007fffa9d2b8e8 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX:
> 00000000000000e7
> [   45.845131] RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 00007fffa9d2bc38 RCX:
> 00007f34ee8f472d
> [   45.845135] RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI:
> 0000000000000001
> [   45.845138] RBP: 0000556ef0eceb55 R08: 0000000000000000 R09:
> 0000000000000000
> [   45.845142] R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000246 R12:
> 0000000000000002
> [   45.845147] R13: 00007fffa9d2bc50 R14: 0400000100003e00 R15:
> 0000000000000000
> [   45.845154] Kernel Offset: disabled
> 
> There is probably some other grub command I need to issue, but either way
> this would be a horrible way to have to start it each time.
> 
> Attempting to use pygrub as the bootloader gets me the following:
> 
> libxl: error: libxl_bootloader.c:649:bootloader_finished: Domain
> 5:bootloader failed - consult logfile /var/log/xen/bootloader.5.log
>          libxl: error: libxl_exec.c:118:libxl_report_child_exitstatus:
> bootloader [7302] exited with error status 1
>                                 libxl: error:
> libxl_create.c:1267:domcreate_rebuild_done: Domain 5:cannot (re-)build
> domain: -3
>                                             libxl: error:
> libxl_domain.c:1034:libxl__destroy_domid: Domain 5:Non-existant domain
> libxl: error: libxl_domain.c:993:domain_destroy_callback: Domain 5:Unable to
> destroy guest
> libxl: error: libxl_domain.c:920:domain_destroy_cb: Domain 5:Destruction of
> domain failed
> 
> I'm guessing I could probably get the same results with debian, but I didn't
> try as hard. FreeBSD was difficult to install and ended with an unbootable
> system as well.
> 
> I'm guessing it is possible to install other guests, but I can't seem to
> find the magical incantation to do so.

In my experience recent linux distribution (or not so recent - e.g. RHEL 7)
dropped plain PV Xen support, and relies on HVM.

I've no problems with RHEL6 and loading either kernel/initrd from
the Xen config file, or using pygrub.

-- 
Manuel Bouyer <bouyer%antioche.eu.org@localhost>
     NetBSD: 26 ans d'experience feront toujours la difference
--