Re: [Xen-users] boot MS Windows installed natively in its own partition

[Aggelos <marmango@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

on 04/21/2010 12:08 PM Fajar A. Nugraha wrote the following:
> 2010/4/21 Aggelos <marmango@xxxxxxxxxxx>:
>> I think I am beginning to get the idea...
>> Suppose, before changing any drivers in the native Windows (7)
>> installation, I want to give it a trial, how do I start it? I mean, the
>> xen configuration, what it should look like, for a Windows native
>> installation in /dev/sda[X]?
> 
> I highly suggest you do not try it.
> For one thing, most Windows version will detect a hardware change when
> you run it under virtualization (the same way it'd detect a change if
> you move the disk and put it on different computer). That would
> usually result in having to reactivate Windows. 

I must say I was aware of it, thanks for the warning, though.

> The only exceptions that I know if is when using Windows XP/2003 with 
> corporate volume
> license key.

Yes, you could say my case is like that. But, on a second thought, I
think I will try installing first on a 20GB disk image file.

> 
> Second, you might accidently chose to run dom0 OS under the virtual
> environment (example: when Linux entry is set to default, and you
> didn't get to domU console in time to choose Windows entry), making
> the same disk/partition mounted twice (in dom0 and in domU). That
> would lead to data corruption.

Hmm. Sounds like a dangerous situation, anyone could get in, if he is
not careful enough and aware of it.
Would you mind elaborating a bit?

> 
> If you're aware of those, and want to try it anyway, you need to have
> IDE drivers installed first. Otherwise you'd just get blue screen. See
> http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Migrate_Windows for explanation
> (applies to Xen as well).
> 
> Once you have IDE drivers installed, you can use a domU config similar to 
> this:
> 
> ########################
> memory = 1024
> 
> vif = [ '' ]
> disk =        [
>       'phy:/dev/sda,hda,w!',
>       ]
> 
> boot="c"
> 
> device_model = '/usr/lib64/xen/bin/qemu-dm'
> kernel = "/usr/lib/xen/boot/hvmloader"
> builder='hvm'
> 
> sdl=0
> vnc=1
> vnclisten="0.0.0.0"
> #vncunused=0
> vncpasswd=''
> stdvga=0
> serial='pty'
> localtime=1
> 
> usbdevice='tablet'
> acpi=1
> apic=1
> pae=1
> 
> vcpus=1
> #########################################
> 
Thanks.

I also found this page with step by step instructions on installing
Windows 7 as a Xen HVM domainU Guest:

http://www.virtuatopia.com/index.php/Installing_and_Running_Windows_7_as_a_Xen_HVM_domainU_Guest
;-)

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