Installing Xen on Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon Server

Submitted by thijs on 1 September, 2008 - 13:54 This install guide is based on the HowToForge article. First, install Ubuntu Server. Then, install xen like this:

• apt-get install ubuntu-xen-server

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

• comment out (network-script network-dummy)
• add (network-script network-bridge)

Edit /etc/modules to increase the number of available loop-devices:

• loop max_loop=64

create a dir for the images:

• mkdir /data/xen

The version of xen-tools installed by apt is outdated (3.5), so get a new version from Steve Kemp's apt-get repository In my case, I used xen-tools_3.8-2etch1_all.deb

• dpkg -i xen-tools_3.8-2etch1_all.deb
  It will complain about libtext-template-perl not being installed, so
• apt-get install libtext-template-perl

Edit /etc/xen-tools/xen-tools.conf

• dir = /data/xen
• memory = 512Mb
• swap = 512Mb
• gateway = 192.168.x.x adjust to your own situation
• netmask = 255.255.255.0
• broadcast = 192.168.x.255 adjust to your own situation
• passwd = 1 but maybe better to leave this out
• mirror = http://ftp.nl.debian.org/debian/
• serial_device = xvc0 we seem to be using a 'newer' kernel (>2.6.20)
• disk_device = xvda

Reboot. There seems to be a problem with the hwclock on Debian DomU. Which figures as there is no hw. Copy hwclock.sh to the skeleton-dir and edit it:

• mkdir /etc/xen-tools/skel/etc/init.d
• cp /etc/init.d/hwclock.sh /etc/xen-tools/skel/etc/init.d
• vi /etc/xen-tools/skel/etc/init.d/hwclock.sh
• put exit 0 below the #!/bin/sh line to disable the script altogether

Optionally, put your public ssh-key in /etc/xen-tools/skel/root/.ssh/authorized_keys. Don't forget to chmod 600 it, and chmod 700 the .ssh-dir. Create an image with:

• xen-create-image --hostname=virt01.func.nl --role=udev (this takes a while)

Edit the configfile /etc/xen/virt01.func.nl.cfg to get the right console:

• put extra 'xencons=xvc console=xvc0' below the memory = '512' line.
• put vcpus = '2' to get more cpu's for your vm.

Even better: edit /etc/xen-tools/xm.tmpl and put the two lines below the memory-declaration there. Start the DomU:

• xm create -c /etc/xen/virt01.func.nl
• ssh 192.168.x.x

Extra packages: If you complete the above, you'll be left with a very minimal system. Things like ntp, locales, and less are not installed by default. Luckily xen-tools provides for a way to install arbitrary packages. Scripts are provided in /etc/xen-tools/role.d. Just copy the udev script, which only installs udev, and adjust it as you see fit. For me. it came down to adding a few lines: installDebianPackage ${prefix} vim installDebianPackage ${prefix} less installDebianPackage ${prefix} postfix installDebianPackage ${prefix} rsync Now, just add the name(s) of the script(s) you need to the --role parameter, separating them with comma's.