RE: [Xen-users] Xen on K6 processors

["Petersson, Mats" <Mats.Petersson@xxxxxxx>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Florian Fainelli [mailto:florian@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
> Sent: 13 February 2007 20:20
> To: Petersson, Mats
> Cc: xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [Xen-users] Xen on K6 processors
> 
> Hi Mats,
> 
> Le mardi 13 février 2007, Petersson, Mats a écrit :
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: xen-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > [mailto:xen-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
> > > Florian Fainelli
> > > Sent: 12 February 2007 21:12
> > > To: xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > Subject: [Xen-users] Xen on K6 processors
> > >
> > > Hi all,
> > >
> > > I am currently trying to make Xen work on a Cobalt Raq4 box.
> > > The hypervisor as
> > > well as the dom0 kernel works, unfortunately, it silently
> > > crashes and reboot
> > > back to cobalt-rom.
> > >
> > > I read somewhere that Xen is not compatible with non i686
> > > capable processors,
> > > is that true, and if so, how could we adress this limitation ?
> >
> > Whilst the "not compatible with non-i686 processor" may 
> well be true,
> > that's certainly not the reason for your crashes - as the 
> K6 is a i686
> > compatible processor.
> 
> I compiled Xen by myself using march=k6-3, to match the 
> processor. I am sure 
> K7 is i686 compatible, but not about K6-III.

I'm 99.9% sure that K6 is a i686 compatible processor, as the K6 is essentially 
similar to Pentium Pro/Pentium II, whilst K7 is a PIII/4 compatible product. 

> 
> >
> > Do you by any chance have a serial port - in which case you 
> should add
> > "console=com1 com1=115200,8n1" to the kernel line in 
> grub.conf. (that's
> > the line with xen.gz on it).
> > If not, perhaps you can get more info with the "noreboot" 
> option on the
> > kernel line for Xen - that way it won't just get back to 
> the boot-rom
> > when it crashes.
> 
> I actually have a serial console, what I forgot to mention in 
> my previous 
> email, is that, the box crashes when it attempts to start a 
> dom0. To be more 
> specific, I use a modified cobalt-rom, which is the 
> bootloader which had not 
> multiboot capabilities before (thus my post some weeks ago), 
> but is now able 
> to run the xen hypervisor + dom0 kernel.
> 
> >
> > Adding "sync_console" may also help, particularly if you're 
> using serial
> > port (as will "noreboot").
> 
> I was not aware of that options, but I will have a try to see 
> whether it 
> improves the stability of the box.

Just to clarify, the stability shouldn't change with this. But "sync_console" 
means that console messages are sent out before the processing continues, 
rather than "put it in a buffer and continue, then let the buffer drain as and 
when the serial port is free" method of serial output that is normally used. 

"noreboot" is just meaning that the system doesn't automatically reboot when it 
finds a fault that would normally cause a reboot - such as kernel panics. If 
you are using serial output, it's not really that necessary to have "noreboot" 
(at least not if you're logging the serial output to a file) - but it stops the 
system from filling your serial log with more stuff when it's failed the first 
time [assuming it's not a triple-fault, in which case no "option" will stop it 
from rebooting]. 

--
Mats
> 
> >
> > --
> > Mats
> >
> > > Thank you very much in advance for your answer.
> > >
> > > Best regards, Florian
> 
> 
> 



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