Re: [Xen-devel] mgag200 driver does not work properly with Xen

[Fernando Luiz Chaves Xavier Matos <fernando@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I would like to inform that this motherboard uses UEFI.

And, obviously, I'm using legacy boot.

This requires some video emulation, right?

There is any known issue with Xen about motherboards that uses UEFI? If I
install an UEFI-aware bootloader, like rEFInd or grub-efi, can I boot the
hypervisor?

Big observations made since last message sent:
- BIOS-aware bootloaders (GRUB Legacy, GRUB 2, ISOLINUX, PXELINUX) have a
slower keyboard response AND very slow screen refresh. keystrokes under those
bootloaders have a ~500ms response delay. Also screen refresh is [much] slower,
when entering submenus. This is caused by the "EFI legacy boot" of course.
- All behaviors previously mentioned disappears when plugging a video card.
Tested with a 12 year-old ATI Rage XL 16MB PCI and a Geforce 7200LE.


2013/1/2 Fernando Luiz Chaves Xavier Matos <fernando@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> When using Xen Hypervisor, the video goes very slow after module load in 
> console.
> Xorg does not run.
>
> My boot process (in kernel 3.7.1 from elrepo, my default kernel.):
> 1. Hypervisor is loaded (from here, the screen resolution is 640x480 - text 
> scrolling fast)
> 2. Kernel is loaded
> 3. mgag200 module is loaded
> 4. Screens enter native resolution (from here, the screen resolution is 
> 1280x768 - text scrolling is slow..).
> 5. Starting Xorg gives me: "failed to activate core devices".
>
> Without Xen, the video works great, Xorg starts, everything works fast and 
> good.
>
> Hardware:
> Motherboard: S1200BTLR
> Onboard video: ServerEngines LLC Pilot III (as written in manual)
> CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1270v2
>
> Software:
> OS: Centos 6.3 64-bit
> Xen: 4.2.1
>
> Kernels tested (all with Xen Hypervisor Loaded - except 2.6.32):
>
> Kernel 2.6.32-279 (shipped with CentOS - does not support XEN_DOM0):
> - Screen is fast, but with 640x480 resolution.
> - Xorg starts with mga driver
>
> Kernel 3.0.57-1.el6.elrepo.x86_64 (from elrepo.org - with XEN_DOM0 support)
> - "CONFIG_DRM_MGAG200" does not exist.
> - Xorg starts with mga driver
>
> Kernel 3.7.1-3.el6xen.x86_64 (from here: 
> https://www.crc.id.au/xen-on-rhel6-scientific-linux-6-centos-6-howto/ [^] )
> - Since "CONFIG_DRM_MGAG200 is not set", screen is fast, but with 640x480 
> resolution.
> - Xorg does not start. "Failed to activate core devices".
>
> Kernel 3.7.1-1.el6.elrepo.x86_64 (My favorite kernel - from elrepo.org)
> - "CONFIG_DRM_MGAG200=m"
> - Native resolution
> - Screen refresh is slow
> - Xorg does not start: "Failed to activate core devices."
>
>
> UPDATE:
> Tested Xen 4.2.1 with Ubuntu 12.10 32-bit kernel 3.7.1 and I got the 
> following results:
>
> - Xorg with Unity works with poor performance with Xen hypervisor loaded.
> - Xorg with Unity is very nice without Xen hypervisor loaded.
>
> - Text-based console performance is bad (as in Centos). Screen refresh is 
> very slow, text scrolling also slow.
> - Text-based console performance is normal without Xen.
>
> Exactly the same issues as in CentOS.
>
> Content from "lspci -vv" of video card
>
> 04:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Matrox Electronics Systems Ltd. MGA G200e 
> [Pilot] ServerEngines (SEP1) (rev 07) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
>         Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device 0102
>         Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 23
>         Memory at c0000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
>         Memory at c1810000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
>         Memory at c1000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=8M]
>         Expansion ROM at c1800000 [disabled] [size=64K]
>         Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 2
>         Capabilities: [e4] Express Legacy Endpoint, MSI 00
>         Capabilities: [54] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
>         Kernel driver in use: mgag200
>         Kernel modules: mgag200
>
>
> Thanks and sorry for the [very] bad english.

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