Re: [Xen-users] Install ubuntu/fedora like DomU under Slack12 Dom0.

[Mark Williamson <mark.williamson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ubuntu / Debian / similar can be fairly easily installed by using 
the "debootstrap" program to populate a filesystem.  e.g. create a virtual 
disk, mount it in dom0, populate it using debootstrap, unmount it, create a 
domU config file pointed at that virtual disk, boot.

You could either just use your dom0 kernel to boot the domain (although you 
may still need to use a debian initrd), or you could chroot into the 
filesystem before you unmount it and use apt-get to install a debian Xenified 
kernel image / initrd.

As for installing fedora, you could try using the rpmstrap program, which 
performs a similar function to debootstrap for rpm distros.  There is a 
patched version of rpmstrap (IIRC) that is Xen-aware and will also spit out a 
Xen config file for you, etc.

If you ever want to install Gentoo, I think the standard tarball based install 
method for that ought to also be fairly easy to do from dom0 using chroot, 
although I've not verified this personally.

Another approach you could try is to make a native install of the OS into a 
spare partition, by booting the host machine with the install CD.  Then boot 
back into your preferred dom0 OS, obtain a suitable domU kernel and use the 
newly installed partition as its virtual block device.

For some of my paravirt domUs, I just installed the OS natively into QEmu to 
generate an installed disk image.  Then I built a suitable kernel and initrd 
for that OS, and built a config file that would load that kernel and boot 
from the disk image.  This worked for me.  I've heard that there can be 
issues installing an OS under QEmu then trying to use that disk image under 
HVM.

Does this help?

Cheers,
Mark

-- 
Dave: Just a question. What use is a unicyle with no seat?  And no pedals!
Mark: To answer a question with a question: What use is a skateboard?
Dave: Skateboards have wheels.
Mark: My wheel has a wheel!

_______________________________________________
Xen-users mailing list
Xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users