@GHunter

 

Everything works great.  I will soon also start doing PCI Passthrough.

 

I do however, get this error when trying to register the XEN to the GUI:

 

 

Warning: file_put_contents(/boot/config/domains/Windows7.cfg): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /usr/local/emhttp/plugins/xenMan/xenman on line 97

 

Any Ideas?

 

Thanks

 

Sounds like it can't write the Windows7.cfg file to the flash drive for some reason. Maybe a bug?

 

You can create the file manually on your flash drive.

 

In the root of your flash drive, go to the config folder and create a domains folder if it does not exist. Then in the domains folder, you should have a Windows7.cfg file with the following contents:

 

# Generated settings:
autostart="yes"
configfile="/mnt/cache/VMs/Windows7/Windows7.cfg"

 

Your path might be different, so adjust it accordingly. It is pointing to the actual config file for your VM. You can also change autostart to no. Inside the domains folder, you can also have an icon file with the same name as the config file, like Windows7.png

Thanks to your guide here I created a Windows 7 VM and moved my desktop to the server.  I also used the same procedure and installed an evaluation copy of Windows 10.

 

Thank you.

Great! Glad it was helpful.

 

Gary

I successfully installed Windows 7 as a Xen VM and I can remote desktop without a problem.  I'm trying to take my Windows 7 VM a little farther and do a VGA pass through.  This will let me retire a computer that is not used much and let me use the unRAID VM capability with the VGA pass through in place of this seldom used desktop.  I can pass through the VGA pci and load the driver, but in the Windows Device Manager says the driver is disabled because it does not have enough resources.

 

unRAID v6b10a.

Asrock Z87 Extreme6 MB.

Xeon E3-1275 v3.

Integrated Intel Graphics - 4600/4700.

4GB memory for VM.

GPLPV Drivers installed first.

VT-d enabled in BIOS.

 

VM Config.

name = 'Windows7VM'
builder = 'hvm'
vcpus = '4'
memory = '4096'
boot = 'cd'
on_poweroff = 'destroy'
on_reboot = 'restart'
on_crash = 'destroy'
disk = [ 'qcow2:/mnt/cache/domains/Windows7VM/Windows7.qcow2,hda,w' , 'phy:/dev/sr0,hdc:cdrom' ]
vif = [ 'mac=00:16:3e:57:13:00,bridge=xenbr0' ]
acpi = '1'
apic = '1'
localtime = '1'

# REMOTE VNC ACCESS ONLY
# sdl = '0'
# vnc = '1'
# vnclisten = '192.168.1.3'
# stdvga = '1'
# usb = '1'
# usbdevice = 'tablet'  

pci = [ '00:02.0' ]

 

It's my understanding that there are a lot of issues with pass through.  Here's what I think I know at this point.

- VT-d must be enabled and supported by the MB and CPU.

- Intel Integrated Graphics can be passed to a VM.

- The graphics adapter must be the primary display as set in the bios.

- The passed in graphics adapter works best as a secondary display, and not the primary display.

- GPLPV drivers loaded first.

- Cannot VNC and use the graphics adapter.

 

Has anyone been successful with VGA pass through on v6b10?  I've messed with this for hours and haven't had much luck.

 

 

It's my understanding that there are a lot of issues with pass through.  Here's what I think I know at this point.

- VT-d must be enabled and supported by the MB and CPU.

- Intel Integrated Graphics can be passed to a VM.

- The graphics adapter must be the primary display as set in the bios.

- The passed in graphics adapter works best as a secondary display, and not the primary display.

- GPLPV drivers loaded first.

- Cannot VNC and use the graphics adapter.

 

Has anyone been successful with VGA pass through on v6b10?  I've messed with this for hours and haven't had much luck.

 

I've got VGA passthrough to multiple VMS on v6b10. However, you may have a few challenges;

 

-I'm not sure if integrated graphics can be successfully passed through. I've never done it and I seem to recall it being problematic.

 

-Also, people in the past have reported problems with GPU passthrough to Windows 7 whereby it works perfectly in Windows 8 (all else being equal)

 

In terms of you understanding...

 

- VT-d must be enabled and supported by the MB and CPU.

Correct

 

- Intel Integrated Graphics can be passed to a VM.

Not sure about this, I've never tried

 

- The graphics adapter must be the primary display as set in the bios.

Not true. I've got several GPUs passed through, none of which are set to primary display in bios

 

- The passed in graphics adapter works best as a secondary display, and not the primary display.

Not sure about this.

 

- GPLPV drivers loaded first.

Not necessary for GPU passthrough. GPLPV drivers relate to store and network devices.

 

- Cannot VNC and use the graphics adapter.

Not true, I've often VNC'd in to VMs which are connected to displays via passed through GPU.

 

Good luck!

 

Peter

 

After doing some research on the net, it seems that I have run into a bug in xen 4.4 with pci passthrough.  Probably related to the Intel integrated graphics adapter.

 

Guess I'll wait for the xen update in unraid.  Looks like 4.5 is imminent.

After doing some research on the net, it seems that I have run into a bug in xen 4.4 with pci passthrough.  Probably related to the Intel integrated graphics adapter.

 

Guess I'll wait for the xen update in unraid.  Looks like 4.5 is imminent.

Dlandon, can you send me a link to what you found?

Yes, it's from webvirtman (which afaik doesn't work with xen yet).  I'm running KVM now because I couldn't get my PCIe card passed through on XEN.

 

I have played around with KVM too. The only difference I have noticed so far is that without GPU pass-through, the Xen VM's seem more snappy with video than a KVM VM. But other than that, performance seems very similar. So, unless you're doing any hardware pass-through, Xen is just fine and easier to configure. I will keep playing with KVM though. I just installed dmacias' virtman and webvirtmgr plugins the other day and look forward to using it.

I would suggest vmMan over webvirtmgr.  As far as I know webvirtmgr isn't being developed for xen. It's my plugin but not my app.  I did boot into xen and try few things with vmMan (which is my app) to see if I could get anywhere but ran out of time. I'd like to finish vmMan completely first but if it's not too much trouble to add xen support that'd be a bonus.

Dlandon, can you send me a link to what you found?

 

Not sure if this is what you want.  Here is a link to the the problem I am having:

 

http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/xen/users/327269

I've got VGA passthrough to multiple VMS on v6b10. However, you may have a few challenges;

 

Can you tell me what VGA cards you have successfully passed through?  I'll get one and then work on the Windows7/8 thing.  I believe you are right about the integrated VGA.  The Xen wiki says it works, but I also read that they are waiting on Intel to get them some information about the newer integrated chip sets.

 

 

Can you tell me what VGA cards you have successfully passed through?  I'll get one and then work on the Windows7/8 thing.  I believe you are right about the integrated VGA.  The Xen wiki says it works, but I also read that they are waiting on Intel to get them some information about the newer integrated chip sets.

 

I've had success with AMD HD5xxx and HD6xxxx series cards. All 1GB silent from various vendors. You can get these for around €30. They work in slots with speeds as low as 4x and provide flawless 1080p video playback. They probably wouldn't be great for gaming though.

 

Peter

I second that AMD HD5xxx and HD6xxxx series cards pass through on windows 8.1, in fact that is the only thing I can get working. I have passed through both usb 2.0 and 3.0 and they all see a flash drive but when I attach a mouse or keyboard to them it doesn't work. Has anyone else had this problem? I need a mouse to be able to control XBMC.

 

Thanks

Scott

I have the opposite problem.  I can pass through a mouse and keyboard, but not vga.  I had to specify the usb devices by device and not bus.  The bus pass through failed for me.

 

i.e. usbdevice = [ 'tablet' , 'host:045e:0047' , 'host:05d5:0624' ]

 

I get errors in the log, but it does work.

dlandon: did you also add those usb ports to the syslinux.cfg file to be ignored?

No.

I removed those ports from being passed through in the syslinux.cfg file and added your line usbdevice=[ 'tablet','host:046d:c517','host:045e:00dd','host:03f0:0c1d' ] and its working for me. Thanks!

 

Scott

Wish it was that easy to get vga pass through working.  From what I've found on the internet, vga pass through in xen 4.4 is buggy, and a real iffy process.  I just can't get the Intel integrated graphics working, and I can't get an add on card to work.  I read where Hyperthreading can be an issue.  I'll turn that off and try again when I feel like investing more time in it.  I've already put too much time into vga pass through.  I just remote desktop into the VMs so I don't desperately need vga.  On the positive side, I have a Debian VM running ownCloud, a Windows 7 VM Media Center for TV viewing with a network cable tuner, a Windows 7 VM that is my desktop, and a Windows 10 VM evaluation.  The Windows 7 Media Center has never run better.  Xen VMs are awesome.  If the vga pass through gets worked out, its a killer.

Thanks for the guide Gary, worked perfectly for me 

 

If i want to install a second VM alongside my initial Windows7 VM, do i just follow the same process again, with a different name and appropriate paths?

 

Thank you,

 

Rich

Glad to hear it.

 

Yeah, use different file / folder names and in the config file, the first line has a name field for your VM that should be changed too.

 

Gary

Glad to hear it.

 

Yeah, use different file / folder names and in the config file, the first line has a name field for your VM that should be changed too.

 

Gary

 

What i'm trying to do is install a second Windows 7 VM to play around with, so i don't mess up the 'production' version. I want to call the 2nd VM Windows_7, but am having a few issues...

 

This is the modded cfg (same as first VM apart from name and installation path all changed to Windows_7)...

name = "Windows_7"
builder = "hvm"
# kernel = 'hvmloader' not needed.
# device_model_version = "qemu-xen-traditional" deprecated.

# You can adjust the vcpu and memory lines if you wish.
vcpus = 8
memory = 2048

# Win7x64.iso is the name of my ISO, change it to whatever yours is named.
# When your Windows 7 installation is complete, you can delete the reference to your ISO image below, which is this part:
#  , 'file:/mnt/cache/VMs/Windows7/Win7x64.iso,hdc:cdrom,r'

disk = ['qcow2:/mnt/cache/VMs/Windows_7/Windows_7.qcow2,hda,w' , 'file:/mnt/cache/VMs/win7.iso,hdc:cdrom,r']

# Note: Your bridge name (br0) needs to match the bridge name in the unRAID network settings.
vif = [ 'mac=00:16:3e:02:02:02,bridge=br0' ]

# When your Windows 7 installation is complete, change this to "c" so you don't boot with the DVD.
boot = "dc"

acpi = '1'
apic = '1'
viridian = '1'
xen_platform_pci = '1'
sdl = '0'
vnc = '1'

# This is the IP address of your unRAID server.
vnclisten = '192.168.1.100'

# vncpasswd = '' No password.
stdvga=1
usb = '1'
usbdevice = 'tablet'  
localtime = 1
on_poweroff = "destroy"
on_reboot = "restart"
on_crash = "destroy"

 

and for both VMs i have given the image a 400GB limit (on a 500GB cache SSD)...

qemu-img create -f qcow2 /mnt/cache/VMs/Windows_7/Windows_7.qcow2 400G

 

But after executing...

xl create /mnt/cache/VMs/Windows_7/Windows_7.cfg

 

I get this...

root@unRAID:~# xl create /mnt/cache/VMs/Windows_7/Windows_7.cfg
Parsing config from /mnt/cache/VMs/Windows_7/Windows_7.cfg
libxl: error: libxl_dm.c:1371:device_model_spawn_outcome: domain 3 device model: spawn failed (rc=-3)
libxl: error: libxl_create.c:1186:domcreate_devmodel_started: device model did not start: -3
libxl: error: libxl_dm.c:1475:kill_device_model: Device Model already exited

 

Is there something i've missed?

I don't see anything wrong in the config file itself. 1 thing that could be a problem is your vCPU allocation. Setting it to 8 could be conflicting with allocating CPU resources to unRAID and your currently running VM's. I don't know how Xen allocates vCPU's and if over allocating virtual from physical CPU's will cause the VM to not boot or what. I'd stick with 4 max. I'm not sure if anyone has had success with more than 4 or not either.

 

Gary

Any clue why I'm getting this in the Xen tab?  Everything works great, outside of control within the WebGUI.

 

Been at this since early this AM. Using v6b12.  I look at the webGui looks like I should be able to show path to Win7 except in my lack of knowledge don't know where that path would be on unRaid 6.  Maybe mnt/cache/VMs/Windows7/Win7x64.iso?? That's not what I've done so far, just a guess…

 

I have followed these instructions to the absolute best of my ability and this is what I end up with:

 

root@Tower2:~# xl create /mnt/cache/VMs/Windows7/Windows7.cfg

Parsing config from /mnt/cache/VMs/Windows7/Windows7.cfg

/mnt/cache/VMs/Windows7/Windows7.cfg:13: config parsing error near `'file:/mnt/cache/VMs/Windows7/Win7x64': lexical error

/mnt/cache/VMs/Windows7/Windows7.cfg:14: config parsing error near `.iso,hdc:cdrom,r']': lexical error

/mnt/cache/VMs/Windows7/Windows7.cfg:17: config parsing error near `vif': syntax error, unexpected IDENT, expecting ']'

warning: Config file looks like it contains Python code.

warning:  Arbitrary Python is no longer supported.

warning:  See http://wiki.xen.org/wiki/PythonInXlConfig

Failed to parse config: Invalid argument

 

My path doesn't show "cache", it shows "user"??

 

OK in my second attachment it shows as cache.

 

I'm over thinking somewheres???

 

 

 

Don't have any ideas, I gone over everything twice, three times, I'm lost….Time to take a break and regroup

 

Dave

I didn't see the rest of the Windows7.cfg file hidden below the box, sooo I fixed my config file and ended up with this.

 

I can't do much now I think, 'cause unraid would't let me shutdown, so I did an unclean shutdown and have a parity check in progress.

 

How should I adjust my memory??