Getting Started: Difference between revisions
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= Introduction = |
== Introduction == |
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The aim of this document is to guide a new user through the decisions needed in order to get a Xen system up and running and to provide a jumping off point for more specific documentation to meet their aims. |
The aim of this document is to guide a new user through the decisions needed in order to get a Xen system up and running and to provide a jumping off point for more specific documentation to meet their aims. |
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= Getting Xen = |
== Getting Xen == |
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The recommended way for most people to get Xen is to install via your distribution whereever possible. There are many distros which have good support for Xen included right out of the box. This option is generally much simpler than the alternatives since many of the common pitfalls are eliminated by consuming existing tested packages. You will also benefit from being able to ask the distribution community for help which will often result in responses which are more specific to the distribution in question. |
The recommended way for most people to get Xen is to install via your distribution whereever possible. There are many distros which have good support for Xen included right out of the box. This option is generally much simpler than the alternatives since many of the common pitfalls are eliminated by consuming existing tested packages. You will also benefit from being able to ask the distribution community for help which will often result in responses which are more specific to the distribution in question. |
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== Selecting Domain 0 Operating System / Distro == |
=== Selecting Domain 0 Operating System / Distro === |
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The selection of a domain 0 operating system is largely one of personal preference and/or existing skillset. If you are already familiar with a particular distribution in a non-Xen context then this is likely to be the best choice for you, assuming that the distribution has support for Xen. |
The selection of a domain 0 operating system is largely one of personal preference and/or existing skillset. If you are already familiar with a particular distribution in a non-Xen context then this is likely to be the best choice for you, assuming that the distribution has support for Xen. |
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You can find articles on how to install Xen on various distributions in [[:Category:Host Install]]. |
You can find articles on how to install Xen on various distributions in [[:Category:Host Install]]. |
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== Installing Xen From Source == |
=== Installing Xen From Source === |
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If you are planning to develop on Xen or you require a bleeding edge feature which is not yet available in the distributions then you may find that you need to build from source. |
If you are planning to develop on Xen or you require a bleeding edge feature which is not yet available in the distributions then you may find that you need to build from source. |
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'''TODO link to a suitable guide''' |
'''TODO link to a suitable guide''' |
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== Selecting a Domain 0 Kernel == |
=== Selecting a Domain 0 Kernel === |
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Xen no longer ships with a particular kernel which is recommend for domain 0 usage (nor domain U for that matter). This is because Xen support in distributions and in mainline kernels is now more than sufficient for most use cases. |
Xen no longer ships with a particular kernel which is recommend for domain 0 usage (nor domain U for that matter). This is because Xen support in distributions and in mainline kernels is now more than sufficient for most use cases. |
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'''TODO link to a suitable guide for building from source''' |
'''TODO link to a suitable guide for building from source''' |
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= Selecting Toolstack = |
== Selecting Toolstack == |
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There are several toolstacks which can be used with Xen. [[Choice of Toolstacks]] discusses the features of the various toolstacks and the various use cases where they may be appropriate. |
There are several toolstacks which can be used with Xen. [[Choice of Toolstacks]] discusses the features of the various toolstacks and the various use cases where they may be appropriate. |
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= Installing a Guest = |
== Installing a Guest == |
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[[:Category:Guest Install]] contains guides on how to install a variety of guests. [[Guest VM Images]] provides pointers to various preinstalled guest images. |
[[:Category:Guest Install]] contains guides on how to install a variety of guests. [[Guest VM Images]] provides pointers to various preinstalled guest images. |
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Revision as of 14:42, 23 April 2012
Introduction
The aim of this document is to guide a new user through the decisions needed in order to get a Xen system up and running and to provide a jumping off point for more specific documentation to meet their aims.
Getting Xen
The recommended way for most people to get Xen is to install via your distribution whereever possible. There are many distros which have good support for Xen included right out of the box. This option is generally much simpler than the alternatives since many of the common pitfalls are eliminated by consuming existing tested packages. You will also benefit from being able to ask the distribution community for help which will often result in responses which are more specific to the distribution in question.
Selecting Domain 0 Operating System / Distro
The selection of a domain 0 operating system is largely one of personal preference and/or existing skillset. If you are already familiar with a particular distribution in a non-Xen context then this is likely to be the best choice for you, assuming that the distribution has support for Xen.
Debian, Ubuntu, OpenSuSE, SLES, XCP, Oracle VM, Fedora, NetBSD are all known to have good support for Xen in their current releases.
You can find articles on how to install Xen on various distributions in Category:Host Install.
Installing Xen From Source
If you are planning to develop on Xen or you require a bleeding edge feature which is not yet available in the distributions then you may find that you need to build from source.
TODO link to a suitable guide
Selecting a Domain 0 Kernel
Xen no longer ships with a particular kernel which is recommend for domain 0 usage (nor domain U for that matter). This is because Xen support in distributions and in mainline kernels is now more than sufficient for most use cases.
As with instalation of Xen itself the best option is generally to use your distribution kernel.
As of Linux v3.0 everything which is needed for a functional domain 0 is included in the mainline Linux tree and this has lead to renewed support for Xen domain 0 by distributions. See above for a list of distributions which have good support for Xen.
Dom0 Kernels for Xen lists the various domain 0 kernels which are available. For a comparison of the features of various kernels you can see Xen Kernel Feature Matrix.
TODO link to a suitable guide for building from source
Selecting Toolstack
There are several toolstacks which can be used with Xen. Choice of Toolstacks discusses the features of the various toolstacks and the various use cases where they may be appropriate.
Installing a Guest
Category:Guest Install contains guides on how to install a variety of guests. Guest VM Images provides pointers to various preinstalled guest images.
