Re: [Xen-devel] NetBSD port

[Kip Macy <kmacy@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> In particular, Xen now supports "user-space domain buiding",
> which makes things quite a bit easier -- you get to populate the

I've read through the xi_build.c code. I believe that there isn't
much to do there except perhaps change the address that the initial page
directory gets mapped at.

> laces. We also now have something called the "minimal OS" which
> contains useful default code for all the various trap and
> interrupt handlers, which you can then override with the real

I haven't seen this, all I've had to go on is linux/arch/xeno, which
is actually fairly adequate. If you could send me a copy of that or
tell me where to look I would appreciate it. That would get me further
faster than the NetBSD port.

> code as the port progresses. It provides some useful debugging
> output rather than just having Xen terminate the domain whenever
> it attempts something illegal.

That sounds more useful than just Hacking printf to use
HYPERVISOR_console_write.

>
> I put together a rough plan for porting FreeBSD in an earlier
> email describing various possible Xen projects. I've actually

I read that. I've done step 3 and believe that I've figured out how
to do steps 4 and 5 (now 5 and 6). Having "minimal OS" would greatly
accelerate 4 (5).

> been having a read through the FreeBSD i386 source over the
> weekend. The pmap memory management interface looks very clean,

As have I, I agree. All that locore.s really needs to do is read
the contents of start_info and then call init386 (modified for xeno)
and  then mi_startup. It doesn't look like as many files need to change
for FreeBSD as did for linux.

>
> Having a FreeBSD port would be really cool, and I'd be keen to
> help it along / support it.
>

Thanks for any help you can provide. I'm fairly busy, but this and
OS checkpoint/migration are both things I'd like very much to have.
I wrote a process level checkpoint/migration facility for FreeBSD
and will probably actually end up checking it in to the DragonFly tree.
The only part of OS migration that would be genuinely difficult would
be keeping the restart latency low.


                                                -Kip


-------------------------------------------------------
This sf.net email is sponsored by:ThinkGeek
Welcome to geek heaven.
http://thinkgeek.com/sf
_______________________________________________
Xen-devel mailing list
Xen-devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/xen-devel