RE: [Xen-devel] [PATCH][HVMLOADER][DISCUSS] 8 way default rombios

["Wang, Winston L" <winston.l.wang@xxxxxxxxx>]

Tom,

On latest xen-unstable, when installing Windows XP, it'll loop forever
at Windows setup.  Then we found this is  caused by your
'xen-8-way-bios.patch' in changset 10191, your patch added an 8 vcpu MPS
table (pnp mode) to the HVM BIOS,  This is probably fine for Linux SMP
Guest but is screwing up Windows because Windows do not understand what
kind of platform it is and then install the wrong HAL for it.

Here is my suggestion for you:
If you want to add SMP support for MPS table, you need to check HVM
guest configuration file for the switches for acpi and vcpu =number:

   if (vcpu !=1 &acpi=0)
     build xen-(vcpu number)-way-bios
     ...
Just as Jun pointed out  MPS table is used for old guest OS (plug and
play mode +APM) mode, not for ACPI,


Here is a method how to  install guest Windows XP (using you patch) by
telling Windows what kind of platform at Windows setup (this is true for
Win2k, 2003 and XP):

After passing the 1st screen of windows setup of install XP, the first
thing you'll see at the bottom of the screen is the option to press F6
if you need to install a SCSI or RAID controller. Don't press F6. Press
F5 instead. This will take you to a separate menu of Hardware
Abstraction Layer's where you can choose an appropriate HAL .The choices
are:

ACPI Multiprocessor PC 
ACPI Uniprocessor PC 
Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC 
Compaq SystemPro Multiprocessor or 100% Compatible PC 
MPS Uniprocessor PC 
MPS Multiprocessor PC 
Standard PC 
Standard PC with C-Step i486 
Other

Select "Standard PC". This will allow the installation to complete in
about 20 minutes. 

If we revert your patch, we don't need the above press F5 to get guest
Windows installed.

Regards,

Winston,

>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: xen-devel-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> [mailto:xen-devel-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
>>> Nakajima, Jun Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2006 4:01 PM
>>> To: Woller, Thomas; xen-devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> Subject: RE: [Xen-devel] [PATCH][HVMLOADER][DISCUSS] 8 way default
>>> rombios 
>>> 
>>> ACPI MADT is sufficient for getting >1 vcpus (just add vcpus=N at xm
>>> create time) for modern OSes, but the mp config table would be
>>> required for old guests. So I think the patch is sensible.
>>> 
>>> Jun
>>> ---
>>> Intel Open Source Technology Center
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: xen-devel-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> [mailto:xen-devel-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Woller,
>>> Thomas Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2006 3:01 PM
>>> To: xen-devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> Subject: [Xen-devel] [PATCH][HVMLOADER][DISCUSS] 8 way default
>>> rombios 
>>> 
>>> Attached simple patch modifies the rombios and hvmloader Makefiles
>>> to default to an 8-way bochs bios for the hvmloader.
>>> 
>>> Is there a reason to not define the mp config table by default for
>>> >1 processors (8), in the repository?
>>> 
>>> Seems like using the hvm guest config file can the methodolody to
>>> describe a UP guest regardless of the mptables.
>>> Defaulting the rombios to MP would allow users to experiment with
>>> SMP guests, while allowing UP guests to work.
>>> 
>>> Thanks
>>> Tom
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Xen-devel mailing list
>>> Xen-devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> http://lists.xensource.com/xen-devel

_______________________________________________
Xen-devel mailing list
Xen-devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.xensource.com/xen-devel