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Due to the fact that I'm quite new in Linux and don't know the proper logging tools or how to copy-paste them from console (I'm at another computer at the moment), I can't at this moment give you the exact error because I don't see any. I can, however, tell all what I did from a fresh install and doesn't work.
Basically, some days ago I managed to install Xen and it worked fine. I wanted to passthrough my Video Card to a Windows XP VM, however, after tons of tries I wasn't able to do so, and decided to try something else. As Arch Linux was installed using old MBR with Syslinux instead of UEFI with GRUB (There are more examples for the Xen Boot Loader modifications for GRUB than Syslinux, reason why I wanted GRUB), I decided to re-install everything after having learning how to use the console a bit better to make less of a mess installing tons of extra, possibily unneeded packages or a GUI.
HARDWARE
Processor: Xeon E3-1245 V3 (Haswell)
Motherboard: Supermicro X10SAT (Chipset C226)
RAM: 32 GB (4 * 8 GB)
HD: Seagate HDD.15 4 TB
Video Card: Both integrated Intel HD Graphics 4600 and a Radeon 5770 intended for GPU passthrough on Xen
Monitors: Samsung SyncMaster 2370H and 932N+, both on the Intel HD Graphics 4600
Any option that the BIOS allows me to choose between Legacy-only or UEFI-only, is configured as UEFI-only.
Video Card order is IGP first, so the Radeon shouldn't have video output unless after an OS is loaded.
All common-sense options (VT-x, VT-d, Hyper Threading, etc) I recognized are enabled.
Additional controllers like the ASMedia for SATA-3 Ports or Intel NIC booting ROM are disabled.
SOFTWARE
archlinux-2013.12.01-dual.iso
I used dd to write it to a Pendrive to use for UEFI following these instructions
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/US … _method.29
xen from AUR (Should be 4.3.1-2)
Some misc packages.
For the fresh installation, I followed the Beginner's Guide here almost fully, booting from my Pendrive
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners%27_Guide
Checked that efivar -l gave output, confirming it was working on UEFI mode
Partitioned the HD. There are two reelevant partitions: A 512 MiB (/dev/sda1) for UEFI type ef00, and a 9.5 GiB for Arch Linux (/dev/sda2). Rest are empty and I didn't even mounted them. Actually, I didn't repartitioned on my later reinstalls, just skipped this step.
Formatted these two partitions with FAT32 and EXT4, respectively
Mounted /dev/sda2 to /mnt and /dev/sda1 to /mnt/boot
Installed Arch Linux via pacstrap with both base and base-devel packages
Using genfstab to generate fstab, checking that both partitions looked correct.
Chrooted to /mnt with /bin/bash parameters included
Configured vconsole.conf, uncommenting some lines from locale.gen, using locale-gen, exporting one of these. Symlinked appropiated timezone.
Enabled DHCP service via systemctl enable dhcpcd.service to have Internet ready on next reboot.
Used pacman to install grub, efibootmgr and dosfstools.
Installed GRUB with grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot --bootloader-id=arch_grub --recheck
Modified /etc/default/grub to add GRUB_DISABLE_SUBMENU=y to fix some errors that were popping out wit grub-mkconfig and latest Arch Linux ISO.
Generated grub.cfg with grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
Exited, umounted both partitions, rebooted.
BIOS recognizes an UEFI:arch_grub entry and boots finely, popping up with a black-and-white menu where I can choose normal Arch Linux or the initramfs-something fallback or so. Normal Arch Linux works flawlessly, until some of the next steps.
Modified /etc/pacman.conf to uncomment [multilib] and its Include lines, as it is a prerequisite for Xen.
Manually installed package-query and yaourt packages (curl -O, tar, makepkg) following the AUR wiki article to facilitate downloading packages from there.
Until this steps, there are no issues. Problem is after installing Xen following these instructions...
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xen
yaourt seems to work properly, as I can download and install xen and dependancies with it. Takes around 20 minutes downloading and compiling, and doesn't seems to complain about any error.
After installing, I check /etc/xen/grub.conf where there are two lines commented. I leave them alone.
Added a new GRUB menu option with grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg. Sucessfully recognizes Xen image.
I create the Network Bridge following the guide, start, check if it appears with brctl show (Which it does) and enable with netctl.
Start xenconsoled.service, xenstored.service and xendomains.service with systemctl enable.
Reboot.
At this point, a new option will appear in GRUB loader to start Xen Arch. Using it, monitors resets to 640x480 resolution. Text appear as it seems to be booting properly, then after one step (Which is after saying how many vCPU are available. I think its on scrubbing RAM), it black screen and nothing happens until I reset the computer. I can still boot propely with the standard Arch Linux option in GRUB.
When I use systemctl status xenstored.service, it complains it failed to start because ConditionPathExist=/proc/xen was not met. The only place I see /proc/xen is when adding a fstab line for xenfs (Which I didn't did at first because it seems to be optional), however, it causes standard Arch to send me to maintenance mode on next reboot and Arch Xen still black screens.
Any ideas?
Last edited by zir_blazer (2013-12-12 23:19:13)
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*BUMP*
I tested with most GPT capable Boot Loaders:
GRUB UEFI-GPT: Black screens
Syslinux UEFI-GPT: Black screens
Gummiboot UEFI-GPT: Black screens, through it says 4 additional lines but too fast to read them.
Syslinux BIOS-GPT: Works. Actually, its the only one that works. efivar -l says that command not found. This was the last one I installed and tested.
Additionally, for Gummiboot, I followed the install procedure that a guy posted in this forum some days ago, here
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=174226
I managed to build binutils with x86_64-pep support plus xen.efi, and boot from it (It uses a crappy text mode), but it still black screens a bit after "Dom0 has maximum 8 vCPUs" (BTW, GRUB detected only 4). It throws 4 additional lines but they're too fast to read. Its possible that it DOES work from a clean install, as I tried too many different things on the current one and possibily screwed up something else. But I want to make sure first - after two weeks of unsucessfull tries I'm tired and lazy.
The only thing that I could try is a fully clear install by formatting the EPS and UEFI AL partitions and reinstalling everything, as gummiboot was installed on top of GRUB. Currently, both Gummiboot UEFI-GPT Arch Linux and Syslinux BIOS-GPT Xen installations are working. If I let BIOS boot directly from the HD, its gets to Syslinux menu, but I also have a new option to choose Gummiboot.
Xen Mailing List Thread:
http://lists.xen.org/archives/html/xen- … 00050.html
Last edited by zir_blazer (2013-12-17 09:03:18)
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