/dev/md

Short Xen w/ Ubuntu Routed Hostonly Network HowTo

- install latest Ubuntu server
- install Xen 3.3
- get Xen kernel from Ubuntu Hardy Heron repos
- add hostonly network:

brctl addbr hostonly

- set dom0 IP for hostonly network:

ifconfig hostonly 10.0.0.1 netmask 255.255.255.0

- start Xen daemon:

/etc/init.d/xend start

- start domU:

xm create xxxx.xen [-c]

- access console on paravirtualized domU:

xm console domU-name

- close Xen console: “Ctrl”+”]” (on german macbook pro keyboard: ctrl+alt+6, on german windows keyboard: Ctrl+Alt Gr+9)

- forward Microsoft Windows Remote Desktop using iptables:

echo "1" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -p tcp -i eth0 -d 78.46.104.242 --dport 3389 -j DNAT --to 10.0.0.10:3389
iptables -A FORWARD -p tcp -i eth0 -d 10.0.0.10 --dport 3389 -j ACCEPT

- to allow ping to Windows domU, check ICMP settings in Windows Firewall

Installing the GPLPV drivers on a Windows 2008 R2 domU

To speed up a Windows domU, the GPLPV drivers do a great job in paravirtualising essential parts of the system. The latest Windows versions require drivers to be signed in order to be installed. When trying to run gplpv_Vista2008x64_0.11.0.188.msi on a Windows 2008 R2 domU, the installer shows a message about activating “test signing” mode.

This is done via:

bcdedit.exe /set TESTSIGNING ON

The registry key “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\CurrentControlSet\Control\SystemStartOptions” will be changed to “TESTSIGNING etc.”. The domU has to be restarted after the change.

However, the GPLPV installer will still complain about activating “test signing”. This is a bug in the installer, which is looking for “/TESTSIGNING” in the according registry key. Just temporarily edit the registy key and add the slash, this way the install should work. Don’t forget to revert the change afterwards.