Re: [Xen-ia64-devel] PLEASE REPLY: Poll for xen-ia64-devel readers on elilo naming

[Matt Chapman <matthewc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

B

IMHO it makes more sense for the initrd to be the initrd, and
the Linux kernel is an additional executable module to load.
C is Xen-specific terminology.

The other option would be to have a Xen tool that rolls a
kernel and initrd into a single image.

Matt


On Mon, Sep 05, 2005 at 04:43:07PM -0700, Magenheimer, Dan (HP Labs Fort 
Collins) wrote:
> There are now over 70 people on the xen-ia64-devel mailing
> list, but very few actively participate.  THIS IS YOUR
> CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE!  Please reply-to-all to the following
> with one of: A, B, C+A, C+B
> 
> BALLOT:
> 
> A) label=xen
>    image=xen
>    initrd=xenlinux
>    module=xenlinux-initrd.img
> 
> B) label=xen
>    image=xen
>    module=xenlinux
>    initrd=xenlinux-initrd.img
> 
> C) label=xen
>    image=xen
>    domain0=xenlinux
>    initrd=xenlinux-initrd.img
> 
> (NOTE: If voting for C, please also vote for a second
> choice (e.g. C+A or C+B) as C may not be acceptable to
> the elilo developers.)
> 
> DETAILED EXPLANATION:
> 
> Xen/ia64 (like Linux/ia64) is started from elilo.efi
> according to instructions in elilo.conf.  A recent
> change to elilo.efi (not yet in the official release)
> allows additional files to be loaded by using the
> "module=" paramter in elilo.conf.
> 
> Elilo.conf, when booting Linux, has a syntax like:
> 
>    label=linux2613
>    image=linux-2.6.13
>    #no initrd necessary here
> 
>    label=rhel4
>    image=rhel-linux.gz
>    initrd=rhel-initrd.img
> 
> where label is what you specify at the elilo prompt
> to select which elilo.conf entry to use.  Some
> linux distributions (notably RHEL 4) require an
> initrd (initial ram disk) file to successfully boot,
> while others (e.g. RHEL 3) do not.
> 
> With the current version of elilo.efi (no modules), Xen
> is booted using an elilo.conf as follows:
> 
>    label=xen
>    image=xen
>    initrd=xenlinux # booted as domain0
> 
> and there is NO WAY to specify an initial ram disk
> for xenlinux. That means current Xen CANNOT boot RHEL4
> with the currently released version of elilo.efi.
> 
> As you have probably seen on the list, some developers
> are working on modifications to elilo.efi and Xen/ia64
> to allow Xen to boot RHEL4.   To do so, a new
> parameter to elilo.conf is required.  "module=" has
> meaning to other bootloaders so the elilo developers have
> agreed to add that parameter.  However, everyone wanting
> to boot RHEL4 (or any distribution that requires an
> initrd) as a domain0 on Xen/ia64 will need to update to
> a new elilo.efi.
> 
> This change is also an opportunity to revisit how the
> various images are specified in elilo.conf.
> 
> Choice A is backwards compatible with current Xen/ia64
> but initrd= specifies a linux image when booting Xen,
> whereas initrd= specifies an initrd image when booting
> Linux.  Some may consider this confusing.
> 
> A) label=xen
>    image=xen
>    initrd=xenlinux
>    module=xenlinux-initrd.img
> 
> Choice B is not backwards compatible; all existing
> Xen elilo.conf files will have to change.  However,
> initrd= means the same thing whether booting Xen
> or Linux. 
> 
> B) label=xen
>    image=xen
>    module=xenlinux
>    initrd=xenlinux-initrd.img
> 
> Choice C utilizes a new parameter name "domain0=".
> This is probably the clearest to Xen/ia64 users,
> but there's no guarantee that the elilo.efi
> developers will allow this change, which is very
> Xen-specific.  Even if they do, it may be some time
> before it appears in a released elilo.
> 
> C) label=xen
>    image=xen
>    domain0=xenlinux
>    initrd=xenlinux-initrd.img
> 
> If you prefer C, please vote also for a second choice,
> as in C+A or C+B.
> 
> Now please hit reply-to-all and vote!
> 
> Thanks,
> Dan
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Xen-ia64-devel mailing list
> Xen-ia64-devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://lists.xensource.com/xen-ia64-devel

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