Re: [Xen-users] Still un-answered: How-To build Xen (3.2) to override XenSource's linux-kernel (2.6.18) with a xenified kernel (your own or distribution)

["Todd Deshane" <deshantm@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Sun, Jul 6, 2008 at 6:55 PM, Todd Deshane <deshantm@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Sun, Jul 6, 2008 at 6:22 PM, Jithendra Bethur <bcj01@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hello,

 

I can say that I have searched the entire 'world wide web' and still haven't found 'complete  and clear answers' to the often asked question of:

Given a Xen (release) build (say 3.2.0), which by default tries to get and build and assume Linux kernel-xen 2.6.18 from the mercurial repository, HOW TO override the build and make it work with a 'different' xenified Linux source tree (kernel-xen) say Fedora Core 8 kernel-xen 2.6.23.7-3.fc8-xen.src.rpm

 

I have seen all the discussions on this topic but there are no complete and clear answers (many of them even digress from the main point and asnwer partial question!).

Some past threads are:

Re: [Xen-devel] building xen without mercury repository access
http://lists.xensource.com/archives/html/xen-devel/2008-02/msg00250.html

Re: [Xen-users] Howto compiling Xen 3.2 on Debian/Ubuntu (was: Compiling Xen-3.2.0)
http://lists.xensource.com/archives/html/xen-users/2008-01/msg00699.html

I am able to build with the default XenSource' xenified Linux kernel 2.6.18 (although there are some booting issues and xend fails).

What I (and many) want to know is, how to build the same Xen 3.2.x from source, but make it use (or point to) a different xenified Linux kernel-xen, say with the Fedora Core 8's xenified Linux kernel-xen-2.6-2.6.21.7-3.fc8.src.rpm, instead of using the default tarball (XenSource' xenified Linux kernel 2.6.18).

Note: Now I don't know how to make a tarball from this FC8 rpm though; appriciate any help on that too).

 

Here is what I have tied:

Method #1: (and a few variations of this)

- Get Xen 3.2.x source tarball and get it to build properly first with default linux-2.6.18 (from mercurial).

- Parallel to Xen-3.2.x (same parent) create linux-2.6.23.7-3.fc8-xen source tree from Fedora Core 8 repository.

- Now either edit Makefile or export to set variable KERNELS=linux-2.6.23.7-3.fc8

- make clean

- make world

RESULT: It still builds the same old linux-2.6.18 stuff.

 

Method #2:

- In addition to the KERNELS=linux-2.6.23.7-3.fc8, I also tried re-creating the symbolic link in the Xen-3.2.0 directory 'linux-2.6.18' to (wrongly) point to the linux-2.6.23.7-3.fc8 source tree.

RESULT: the link got re-created back to point at the original linux-2.6.18 during 'make world'.

 

Any clear and complete instructions would be highly appriciated.  (The README in the Xen source tarball is also not sufficient or complete).

 

For this method #2, I have had luck getting it to work by changing the file <xen tree>/buildconfigs/src.hg-clone
 
you just need to change that file to be:

# Mercurial
HG ?= hg

LINUX_SRCDIR ?= linux-$(LINUX_VER)-xen.hg

# Repository to clone.
XEN_LINUX_HGREPO ?= $$(sh buildconfigs/select-repository $(LINUX_SRCDIR) $(LINUX_SRC_PATH))

# Set XEN_LINUX_HGREV to update to a particlar revision.
XEN_LINUX_HGREV  ?= tip

$(LINUX_SRCDIR)/.valid-src: $(__XEN_LINUX_UPDATE)
    ln -snf ../linux-2.6.18-xen-3.2.0 linux-2.6.18-xen.hg
    touch $@

A reference for this:
http://xen.markmail.org/search/?q=building+3.2.1#query:building 3.2.1+page:1+mid:nqzv32jhed3uvqto+state:results

Hope that helps.

Another thing you may want to look into:
http://wiki.xensource.com/xenwiki/XenParavirtOps

It is still a work in progress, but may have some of the features that you are looking for. As this gets more mature, this is
how the standard Xen Linux kernel will work.

Cheers,
Todd


 

PS: I am not a expert but an intermediate level user in linux/kernel builds, etc.  Prefer instructions spelled out step-by-step.

 

-Thanks and regards,

Jithendra B

 

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Todd Deshane
http://todddeshane.net
check out our book: http://runningxen.com

-- 
Todd Deshane
http://todddeshane.net
check out our book: http://runningxen.com
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