On Fri, 2007-01-12 at 14:25 +0000, Nico Kadel-Garcia wrote:
[snip]
> >
> > I don't think the 3.0.4 RPM's would do very well on a Debian etch
> > dom-0 :) Alien may be able to (sort of) prop the Xen binaries themselves
> > in place, but I wouldn't trust the kernels.
> >
>
> Ahh. I no longer had the original in place. Good point! I suppose that
> unbunding and installing the RPM's would be silly, wouldn't it?
>
> I'm seeing Debian packages at
> http://www.backports.org/debian/pool/main/x/xen-3.0/, though.
>
I've had a bit of luck with those. I like to build a few kernels when I
install, one for each variant of guest I'm going to be using.
Typically I'm installing for one of two groups of people each having
very particular needs :
* Web hosts
* Scientists
You would think web hosts were harder to plan around given the fact that
they have no idea what their users will be uploading.. not the case.
Science geeks are hell on servers, more so than half of the script
kiddies I find leaving calling cards on the hosting guests. It used to
be Xen was a tool in my toolbox, now I have a whole toolbox named 'Xen'.
I force myself to rely on aptitude / yum as little as possible because I
get a better understanding of how everything works. I'll use aptitude to
install packages to build things (in most cases) but prefer to build
kernels and applications myself. I found that if I hadn't, I would have
been ill equipped to deal with breakage when it happens.
> > Unless of course, you mis read the post. His guest is a RHEL-ish distro,
> > not dom-0.
> >
> > Building from mercurial has always been a (very) safe bet for success in
> > my experience, regardless of the distribution. It [Xen] builds *very*
> > easily on GNU systems, especially Ubuntu.
> >
> Hmm. I've had a lot of problems for a *long* time with various
> open-source module and software integrations, from harsh experience
> integrating desired features into some very odd environments. Subtle
> changes in compiler, glibc, and other packages can do real oddness to a
> previously stable build environment, so I tend to avoid building myself
> except in a really managed system.
Completely understandable, especially with glibc, and I have a feeling
its going to get worse before it gets better.
I look at it this way .. by using GNU Linux and Xen, I'm putting
hundreds of thousands of free man hours to work for me. Xen is being
adopted by so many distributions, packaging it so many ways .. and the
bulk of the errors and questions I've seen as of late more relate to how
the packagers packages than xen itself.
I figure by using it, I kind of 'owe it' to Xen to build from source and
help find / document bugs as I go, the same goes for the Linux kernel,
X11, VLC, etc.
By taking some time and installing the way the authors, not packagers
intended, you're helping make it better for everyone (including the
packagers of various distros).
You also equip yourself to better participate in the documentation and
support effort (i.e. this list) by learning more about Xen beyond
apt-get and yum, enjoy a greater sense of accomplishment and can boast
that you *really* know the systems you support inside and out.
I can also say that prior to using Xen, I considered myself pretty much
an expert on Linux and how it attaches itself to a microprocessor....
after using it 10+ years. I was wrong, and I learned more in the last
year or so working with Xen than I did during my entire career.
Open source has always been the motto of "Take it, use it and help if
you can." so I don't expect everyone would share my mentality .. but
figured I'd offer it :) IMHO, your eating the wrapper and leaving the
chewing gum behind by *not* really exploring it from the source level
up.
Best,
--Tim
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