Setting up a xen server

oh, have fun.

to screate the parent server

install the freegeek-xen-server which includes some custom hooks for xen at freegeek.

apt-get install freegeek-xen-server

symlink the kernel and initrd images, otherwise we'll have to manually update each xen instance's configuration file on upgrade:

ln -s /boot/vmlinuz-MOST-RECENT-VERSION /boot/vmlinuz-xen
ln -s /boot/initrd.img-MOST-RECENT-VERSION /boot/initrd.img-xen

edit /etc/xen-tools/xen-tools.conf:

kernel = /boot/vmlinuz-xen
initrd = /boot/initrd.img-xen
debootstrap = 1
lvm = vg
dist = etch
passwd = 1
mirror = http://apt.freegeek.org:9999/debian/

modify /etc/xen/xend-config.sxp:

(network-script freegeek-network-script)

Controlling the amount of memory dom0 uses

• In /boot/grub/menu.lst add to the line # xenhopt=dom0_mem=256M then run update-grub

to create an instance on the parent server

Create new xen instances with:

xen-create-image --hostname SERVERNAME --ip 192.168.?.? --netmask 255.255.255.0 --gateway 192.168.?.1

Make sure SERVERNAME and the chosen ip address don't exist already.

Prepare to wait awhile while this all installs. Kill your time by editing the appropriate dns files and the purpose file in the ass svn project, check your work, and then commit the changes. Then ssh into dns1 and:

cd /var/cache/bind
svn update
/etc/init.d/bind9 reload
sudo /etc/init.d/bind9 reload

Continue waiting for your install to happen. Go help out at the Front Desk or something.

It will ask for a root password. Have one prepared and ready to go.

Your configuration file will be in:

/etc/xen/NAME.cfg

Check to see that it is there.

To start the xen instance:

xm create /etc/xen/NAME.cfg

To list the running xen instances and how much resources they're using:

xm list

To get to a login screen on the vm, either ssh in, or:

xm console NAME

To get out of the instance, the secret keystroke is Ctrl-].

log into the xen instance (either with ssh or xm console), and ensure the freegeek-xen-instance package is installed:

apt-get install freegeek-xen-instance

problems

4gb seg fixup messages

Try installing libc6-xen (and rebooting)

If that fails, then do this: (and reboot)

echo 'hwcap 0 nosegneg' > /etc/ld.so.conf.d/libc6-xen.conf && ldconfig