Re: [Xen-users] X server in a domU, with pci access and no X in dom0

[Adam Seering <aseering@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,
	Right now, in order for graphics cards to work properly, their X  
drivers have to be modified to recognize Xen.  I don't think this has  
been done for any open-source graphics card drivers; there is a way  
to get the NVidia binary module to work, but it requires a fair bit  
of Googling and kernel and module patching, and things like that.  I  
was able to follow the instructions at <http://www.nvnews.net/ 
vbulletin/showthread.php?t=68703>, and with some tweaking I did get a  
graphics card to work.
	Note that the domU doesn't have physical access to your hardware.   
This means, No keyboard and mouse, unless you have a PCI USB card and  
you export that card to your domU as well, and configure X to use them.
Adam


On Aug 22, 2006, at 11:02 AM, nicko.koinkoin@xxxxxxx wrote:

> Hi everybody
>
> I try to have a running X server in a domU.
>
> What I want is not to have an X server in dom0, for security  
> purposes. I know
> that it is not an easy thing, but I need it. First I hide the video  
> card from
> dom0, what is working fine. Indeed, lspci in dom0 doesn't show the  
> video card.
> I give direct access to the video card to my domU, thanks to its  
> configuration
> file. But in fact I can't launch my X server. Indeed, during the  
> boot of my
> domU, I got the following error message :
>
>  * Loading key mappings ...assuming iso-8859-1 cedilla
> assuming iso-8859-1 acute
> assuming iso-8859-1 diaeresis
> assuming iso-8859-1 brokenbar
> assuming iso-8859-1 threequarters
> assuming iso-8859-1 currency
> assuming iso-8859-1 onehalf
> assuming iso-8859-1 onequarter
> assuming iso-8859-1 currency
> Couldnt get a file descriptor referring to the console
>
>  * Error loading key mappings
>                                                                        
>     [ !! ]
>  * Setting terminal encoding to  
> ASCII ...                                 [ ok ]
>  * Setting user font ...Couldnt open //dev/vc/1
> Couldnt open //dev/vc/2
> Couldnt open //dev/vc/3
> Couldnt open //dev/vc/4
> Couldnt open //dev/vc/5
> Couldnt open //dev/vc/6
> Couldnt open //dev/vc/7
> Couldnt open //dev/vc/8
> Couldnt open //dev/vc/9
> Couldnt open //dev/vc/10
> Couldnt open //dev/vc/11
>
>  * Failed to set user font
>                                                                        
>     [ !! ]
> So of course when typing startx, I got :
>
> Fatal server error:
> xf86OpenConsole: Cannot open /dev/tty0 (No such device)
>
> I use Gentoo Linux with kernel 2.4.30 as my domU (the same for  
> dom0, but there
> is no error messages during dom0 boot), the configuration file of  
> my domU is:
> kernel  = "/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.30-xenU-basic"
>
> memory  = 128
>
> name    = "domU"
>
> nics    = 1
>
> vif = ['mac=aa:00:00:00:00:d2, bridge=xen-br0']
>
> disk = ['phy:/dev/hda5,hda1,w',
>         'phy:/dev/hda6,hda2,w']
>
> root = "/dev/hda1 ro";
>
> #extra="xencons=ttyS console=tty0"
> extra="console=tty0"
>
> pci=['02,00,0']
>
> I also try to append the same options to my domU kernel as the ones  
> of dom0, but
> thus no console is available during boot, so no display at all.
> Please let's me know if what I try is a crazy thing, or if someone  
> has already
> suceeded in having a running and usable X server in a domU with no  
> X in dom0,
> or if it can be a Gentoo specific error due to devfs.
>
> Thanks a lot.
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
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