WARNING - OLD ARCHIVES

This is an archived copy of the Xen.org mailing list, which we have preserved to ensure that existing links to archives are not broken. The live archive, which contains the latest emails, can be found at http://lists.xen.org/
   
 
 
Xen 
 
Home Products Support Community News
 
   
 

xen-users

Re: [Xen-users] how to start X in the guest domain

Assuming you guys are having problems with X in the domu...

3.0.3 doesn't have support for a graphical framebuffer.  The most 
straightforward way to get graphical apps to run would be to connect to the 
domain from dom0 using ssh -X so that graphical apps are displayed within 
your dom0 desktop.  This is just treating the domUs as if they were separate 
machines.

3.0.4 contains support for a graphical framebuffer so you can run X within the 
guest directly.

I've written some instructions below for you guys, in case you want to try 
this.  There might be mistakes, or omissions, so please please exercise 
caution!  Feel free to ask on anything you're not sure about.

You'd need to upgrade to 3.0.4, edit Config.mk to change XENFB_TOOLS to =y and 
do a make-install tools.  This'll give you the dom0 components for accessing 
the framebuffer.

The, compile a domU kernel with framebuffer support in (it's selectable in the 
kernel menuconfig).  If you want to be able to run virtual terminals on the 
framebuffer, you'd also need to select the generic Linux options for the 
framebuffer console.  I'd recommend you do this.

Configure the domain to run a getty on /dev/ttyS0, add the following line 
to /etc/inittab, just after the lines starting the other gettys on your 
system:
S0:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty ttyS0

add ttyS0 to /etc/securetty or /etc/securettys (whichever you have).  This is 
to enable root login on ttyS0.

Once this is done, change your config file for the domain to include the 
following:

add "xencons=ttyS0 console=ttyS0 video=xenfb"

This redirects your console to go through ttyS0, where you're now running a 
getty.

Now add the following to the domain's config file:
vfb=['type=sdl']
to get a local display of the domain's framebuffer

*or*

vfb=['type=vnc']
to export the display over VNC.  Change this to:
vfb=['type=vnc,vnclisten=ipaddr']
substituting the ip address of an interface, if you want the VNC server to 
listen to connections on some network (default is to listen on localhost).

Now try booting the domain and see if it works :-)  For VNC, the display will 
be exported on port 5900 + domain_id.

If anything doesn't work and you want to get back into the guest in 
the "normal" way, just remove the "xencons=ttyS0 console=ttyS0 video=xenfb" 
and the vfb= line from its config file and you should be able to boot it 
normally.  Otherwise, you could mount the guest's filesystem directly (after 
shutting it down!!!!!) and fix config there.

Again, these instructions might include mistakes, or omissions, so please 
please exercise caution!  Feel free to ask on anything you're not sure about.

If you try it, please let us know how it works (or if it doesn't!)

Hope that helps you some.

Cheers,
Mark

On Thursday 04 January 2007 09:47, Andrew McGregor wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Are you saying a DomU cannot load X or the Dom0?
>
> Andy
>
> Thomas Miller wrote:
> > I am having the same problem on openSuse 10.2 .  Hope someone can help
> > us out ;-)
> >
> > chenbin wrote:
> >> I installed xen-3.0.3 in Fedora Core 6, the guest OS can be boot up,
> >> but it can not enter the KDE or GNOME though I set the run level to 5
> >> in the configuration file.
> >>  The kernel is 2.6.16-xen0 in domain0 and 2.6.16-xenU in guest
> >> domain. The disk of the guest OS is a img file which containes the
> >> whole copy of the Fedora Core 6 installed in the host.
> >>
> >> Is there any way to solve this problem?  It's not comfortable for me
> >> without the GUI environment.
> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Xen-users mailing list
> >> Xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
> >>
> >> __________ NOD32 1924 (20061215) Information __________
> >>
> >> This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.
> >> http://www.eset.com
> >
> > --
> > Thomas Miller
> > Chrome Portal Project Manager
> > CPCUG Programmers SIG Chairperson (formally Delphi)
> > Delphi Client/Server Certified Developer
> > BSS Accounting & Distribution Software
> > BSS Enterprise Accounting FrameWork
> >
> > http://www.bss-software.com
> > http://programmers.cpcug.org/
> > http://sourceforge.net/projects/chromeportal/
> > http://sourceforge.net/projects/uopl/
> > http://sourceforge.net/projects/dbexpressplus
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Xen-users mailing list
> > Xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
>
> _______________________________________________
> Xen-users mailing list
> Xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users

-- 
Dave: Just a question. What use is a unicyle with no seat?  And no pedals!
Mark: To answer a question with a question: What use is a skateboard?
Dave: Skateboards have wheels.
Mark: My wheel has a wheel!

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