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RE: [Xen-devel] RE: GPL Win PV driver issues

To: "Luciano Rocha" <strange@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Stefan de Konink" <skinkie@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: [Xen-devel] RE: GPL Win PV driver issues
From: "James Harper" <james.harper@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2007 09:19:05 +1100
Cc: Steve Ofsthun <sofsthun@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Andy Grover <andy.grover@xxxxxxxxxx>, cgriffin@xxxxxxxxxx, xen-devel <xen-devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
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Thread-topic: [Xen-devel] RE: GPL Win PV driver issues
> 
> Let's see if I can make it clear:
> 
> I'm not sure of the current type of devices emulated by qemu, but lets
> suppose PIIXn for hard-disks/cdroms and ne2k for network.

That's pretty much right.

> What I suggest is develop drivers for windows for those devices. The
> drivers would work with bare hardware, but when running under Xen (how
> to check that, I currently don't know), it would inform the
> hypervisor/dom0 that it will switch then to the fast-path method
> (ring-buffers, direct hypercalls, etc., instead of emulated PIO).
> 
> So there would be no need to hide the "qemu" devices, nor toggle
> switches for when the para-virtualized drivers are installed or not.

The other problem with this is that Windows always likes to use 'signed'
drivers over 'unsigned' drivers, regardless of version numbers, so
keeping them installed is a pain.

James

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