RE: [Xen-users] Issues running WinXP using hvmloader

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

> -----Original Message-----
> From: xen-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> [mailto:xen-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 
> Mark Cave-Ayland
> Sent: 05 October 2006 14:12
> To: xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [Xen-users] Issues running WinXP using hvmloader
> 
> Hi everyone,
> 
> I'm experiencing a couple of issues running WinXP under Xen 
> 3.0.2 with a
> dual-core AMD64 with SVM support and wondered if anyone could help me
> out. I use Ubuntu Linux as my main OS but often need to use 
> Windows for
> development purposes, so installing WinXP under Xen seemed almost too
> good to be true - Xen is a great piece of software :)
> 
> Here are the issues I have found whilst working on a MingW development
> environment under WinXP running as domU:
> 
> 
>       1) If I try and start the WinXP dom with vcpus > 1 in my
>       /etc/xen/winxp then the dom fails to start (this was an
>       attempt to see if I could debug multi-threaded code under Xen)

This may be to do with old version of Xen - or perhaps you haven't got
APIC and/or ACPI enabled in the config?
See below about trying a later release of Xen. 

> 
>       2) If I run a compiled C program that causes a crash (such as
>       referencing a NULL pointer) then Windows brings up its normal
>       crash dialog box offering to send the information to MS. However
>       when I try and continue after the crash, the WinXP dom reboots
>       again. This occurs even when I have attached MingW's gdb to the
>       process to try and catch the exception - is there a way to catch
>       this so it doesn't reboot the dom?

Hmm. So something like:
        void main(void)
        {
                int *p = NULL;
                p = 47;
        }
Causes WinXP to reboot? It shouldn't, that's for sure. Any chance you
can try this in 3.0.3-RC2?

> 
>       3) Normally I terminate WinXP running in my dom by using the
>       Start -> Shutdown option and then closing the hvmloader window
>       when the "It is safe to turn off your computer" notice appears.
>       Unfortunately this still leaves a Zombie dom which shows up
>       under "xm list". Trying "xm destroy" or "xm shutdown" doesn't
>       remove the zombie dom. The state flags for these zombies are
>       listed as "----cd".

ACPI disabled or enabled?
> 
>       4) If I have started a WinXP dom during my session and
>       shutdown my dom0 PC using "shutdown -h now" then Xen crashes. It
>       appears that all applications have shut down, and the Xen
>       console output appears back on the screen, but instead of
>       completing the shutdown, Xen crashes and emits a
>       stack trace on screen before immediately rebooting my PC.
>       Unfortunately the reboot happens too quickly to write down
>       the offending information, but if someone could talk me through
>       how to capture it then I would be happy to help.

If you have the ability to connect a serial port to the Xen-machine, you
can capture it in a terminal program on another machine by adding a
serial output to the Xen-line in grub.conf:
        com1=115200,8n1 console=com1 sync_console
Alternatively, you can probably write it down by adding "noreboot" to
the Xen-line in grub.conf.

I hope this is of some help. 

--
Mats
> 
> 
> If anyone could help me solve these issues, or point me towards any
> relevant patches/resources then it would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> 
> Many thanks,
> 
> Mark.
> 
> 
> 
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