Re: [Xen-devel] [PATCH 3 of 7] docs: add a document describing the xl cfg file syntax

[Ian Campbell <Ian.Campbell@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 2011-11-10 at 11:37 +0000, Stefano Stabellini wrote:
> On Mon, 7 Nov 2011, Ian Campbell wrote:
> > # HG changeset patch
> > # User Ian Campbell <ian.campbell@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > # Date 1320678758 0
> > # Node ID 291f6cb0d03e56e4edbe53c640c96dff85d9bf08
> > # Parent  705b2e659ff885379fb8b1c4aefbecfb3b8cc1eb
> > docs: add a document describing the xl cfg file syntax
> > 
> > Based on an initial version by Ian Jackson.
> > 
> > I believe that all keys are now present in the document although there are 
> > are
> > various omissions in the actual documentation of them. Hopefully however 
> > this
> > covers the majority of the most interesting keys.
> 
> I think it would be very useful as a manpage.
> If we really want to keep it in markdown rather than pod, we could still
> find a way to convert it into a manpage (using ronn, pandoc, etc.).

If there is a good markdown->man converter I'm all for using it.


> > +## Selecting Guest Type
> > +
> > + * `builder=hvm`: Specifies that this is to be an HVM domain.  That
> > +   is, a fully virtualised computer with emulated BIOS, disk and
> > +   network peripherals, etc.  The default is a PV domain, suitable for
> > +   hosting Xen-aware guest operating systems.
> 
> I think builder=[hvm|pv] would make it clearer what the options are. I
> know that the idea is that a pv guest doesn't need this key pair but I
> think that as it is can be confusing.

I remember thinking that too, I wonder why I didn't actually make the
change. I will do so now.

> 
> [...]
> 
> > +
> > +## Devices
> > +
> > +The following options define the paravirtual, emulated and physical
> > +devices which the guest will contain.
> > +
> > + * `disk=[ "DISK_SPEC_STRING", "DISK_SPEC_STRING", ...]`: Specifies
> > +   the disks (both emulated disks and Xen virtual block devices) which
> > +   are to be provided to the guest, and what objects on the they
> > +   should map to.  See `docs/misc/xl-disk-configuration.txt`.
> > +
> > + * `vif=[ "NET_SPEC_STRING", "NET_SPEC_STRING", ...]`: Specifies the
> > +   networking provision (both emulated network adapters, and Xen
> > +   virtual interfaces) to provided to the guest.  See
> > +   `docs/misc/xl-network-configuration.markdown`.
> > +
> > + * `vfb=[ "VFB_SPEC_STRING", "VFB_SPEC_STRING", ...]`: Specifies the
> > +   paravirtual framebuffer devices which should be supplied to the domain.
> > +
> > +   This options does not control the emulated graphics card presented
> > +   to an HVM guest. See "Emulated VGA Graphics Device" below for how
> > +   to configure the emulated device.
> 
> and it is only relevant for PV guests.

Really, I thought that it was possible for a PVHVM to have a PV FB too?
Perhaps only in theory?

> 
> [...]
> 
> > + * `tsc_mode=VALUE`: Specifies how the TSC (Time Stamp Counter) should
> > +   be provided to the guest.  XXX ???
> 
> see docs/misc/tscmode.txt

I just posted a patch to update this section. I hadn't noticed this doc
so the snarky comment in that patch now seems a little unwarranted...

Ian.

> 



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