Re: [Xen-users] Nvidia drivers in Dom0 results in blank screen

[Michael D Labriola <mlabriol@xxxxxxxx>]

xen-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote on 12/16/2009 02:16:27 AM:

> On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 03:24:30PM -0600, Brandon Turner wrote:
> > 
> > On 12/15/2009 12:58 PM, Andrew Lyon wrote:
> > > On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 4:40 PM, Brandon Turner <bturner@bltweb.
> net> wrote:
> > > 
> > >> I am trying
> > >> to get the Nvidia binary drivers working on my Ubuntu Dom0.
> > >>
> > >> I used the kernel sources at
> > >> git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jeremy/xen.git to 
build my
> > >> kernel
> > > Nvidia binary drivers do not work with pv_ops dom0 kernel, it is
> > > possible to get them working with a "classic" dom0 kernel (i.e 
forward
> > > ported 2.6.18 patches) but it requires some kludges and only works 
on
> > > certain kernel versions.
> > >

Oh, bugger.  I hadn't gotten to testing this yet...  :-(

> > > Andy
> > > 
> > 
> > Thank you.  I'm not sure how I missed this.  It was even discussed on
> > this list back in July:
> > 
http://lists.xensource.com/archives/html/xen-users/2009-07/msg00333.html
> > 
> > I read on the Xen Wiki
> > (http://wiki.xensource.com/xenwiki/XenDom0Kernels) that future Xen
> > versions (3.5/4.0) will default to the pv_ops dom0 kernel.  As most of
> > the Nvidia drivers are distributed in binary format, does this mean 
that
> > Nvidia would have to modify their driver code (aka specifically 
support
> > Xen pv_ops dom0) for this to work with future Xen versions?  In this
> > case it probably wouldn't be wise for me to go down the binary drivers
> > path and should either try something else or settle on nv.
> > 
> > Does anyone know how long the "old-style" dom0 kernel will be
> > supported?  Will Xen 3.5/4.0 support both, with pv-ops as the default,
> > or is the idea to eventually drop the old-style kernel.  As a noob to
> > Xen, what is the significance of kernel version 2.6.18?  Did something
> > in the kernel change that doesn't allow for an older style dom0 
kernels,
> > or is it just more effort then its worth to branch the newer releases
> > (especially with all the pv_ops success).
> > 
> 
> Xen 4.0 will have the pv_ops dom0 as the default kernel, but 2.6.18-xen
> will be supported aswell, afaik.
> 
> 2.6.18-xen has been the default for so long because that's what Citrix
> uses in their commercial Citrix XenServer products.
> 
> Another reason is the fact that the 2.6.18-xen patches had to be
> rewritten to be acceptable into upstream Linux.. and that has taken
> long, first the general pv_ops framework had to be written, then the
> domU support for pv_ops, and now finally dom0 support.
> 

Anyone have any idea when/if the NVIDIA drivers will work with a pv_ops 
dom0?

What if I manage to get VGA passthrough to a domU?  Will the NVIDIA 
drivers work there?

How about alternatives video cards...  The only feature of the NVIDIA 
driver that we really required was enabling a second monitor, which didn't 
work with the opensource 'nv' driver.  Would an ATI card fare better here?

-Mike


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