understanding kernel version and pve-qemu-kvm mix

m.ardito

Active Member
Feb 17, 2010
1,473
16
38
Torino, Italy
Hi,


i need to understand what is causing troubles on a kvm that works on 2.6.18 but fails with blue screen on 2.6.32. it is nt4server. ok i know it's old, but i need to run this for a transition step, then it will go.

meanwhile, i wish to understand how kvm is configured here.

it is my testing machine, standard lenny + proxmox . i've always run the base kernel 2.6.18, but recently installed higher kernels, and was running 2.6.32 when discovered that the nt4 kvm wouldn't boot anymore. after struggling a bit, decided to revert to the old kernel 2.6.18 and there nt4 boots perfectly.

here is pveversion -v

dadmin@debian:~$ pveversion -v
pve-manager: 1.5-10 (pve-manager/1.5/4822)
running kernel: 2.6.18-2-pve
proxmox-ve-2.6.32: 1.5-7
pve-kernel-2.6.18-1-pve: 2.6.18-4
pve-kernel-2.6.32-2-pve: 2.6.32-7
pve-kernel-2.6.24-11-pve: 2.6.24-23
pve-kernel-2.6.18-2-pve: 2.6.18-5
qemu-server: 1.1-16
pve-firmware: 1.0-5
libpve-storage-perl: 1.0-13
vncterm: 0.9-2
vzctl: 3.0.23-1pve11
vzdump: 1.2-5
vzprocps: 2.0.11-1dso2
vzquota: 3.0.11-1
pve-qemu-kvm: 0.12.4-1
ksm-control-daemon: 1.0-3

i'm i but puzzled because on production server, standard pve 1.5 with only 2.6.18 installed, where the nt4 vm is going to end, has

proxmox1:~# pveversion -v
pve-manager: 1.5-10 (pve-manager/1.5/4822)
running kernel: 2.6.18-2-pve
proxmox-ve-2.6.18: 1.5-5
pve-kernel-2.6.18-2-pve: 2.6.18-5
qemu-server: 1.1-16
pve-firmware: 1.0-5
libpve-storage-perl: 1.0-13
vncterm: 0.9-2
vzctl: 3.0.23-1pve11
vzdump: 1.2-5
vzprocps: 2.0.11-1dso2
vzquota: 3.0.11-1
pve-qemu-kvm-2.6.18: 0.9.1-5

so i see that the test machine has
running kernel: 2.6.18-2-pve and
pve-qemu-kvm: 0.12.4-1

and the prod pve has

running kernel: 2.6.18-2-pve
pve-qemu-kvm-2.6.18: 0.9.1-5

... am i doing something wrong?

what could cause that nt4 to fail on 2.6.32 kernel? i thought of a newer kvm, but it appears, as i understand it, that also 2.618 is now running 0.12.4-1 (test machine)... so.. what should i test to run that nt4?

Marco
 
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you cannot run kvm 0.12.4 on a 2.6.18 kernel, this mix is not supported!
 
i know that, but the result of pveversion shows only pve-qemu-kvm: 0.12.4-1

i mean: first i ran 2.6.18, then i installed the other kernels, and tested 2.6.32.

now i was thinking to be able to choose kernel version at boot (testing machine), but don't know if should I always configure other pve parts to run with the running kernel...

should i reinstall 2.6.18 (or any) kernel instead of choose it at boot? (i.e: would reinstalling "align" all other pve software to be compatibile con the "latest installed" kernel?) i have no experience, until now always used 2.6.18... :confused:

Marco
 
if you want to change the kernel branch you need to install the right virtual packages, e.g.

Code:
apt-get install proxmox-ve-2.6.32
this make sure you get all packages for 2.6.32.

btw, I never managed to get nt4 on 2.6.18 working, but I got it with 2.6.32.

see my vmid.conf:

Code:
name: nt-3-migrated-from-vmwareWS71
ide2: none,media=cdrom
vlan0: ne2k_pci=42:D5:A5:66:D4:49
ostype: other
memory: 512
vga: std
sockets: 1
args: -cpu qemu32,level=1
boot: ca
freeze: 0
cpuunits: 1000
acpi: 1
kvm: 1
ide0: local:120/Windows.vmdk
bootdisk: ide0
 
ok, so if i want to _switch_ to another kernel i must really _install_ it, even if it is already there, so that every other related package is aligned?

however, it seems that this nt4 pdc:

Code:
dadmin@debian:~$ cat /etc/qemu-server/103.conf
name: ntcopy
ide2: iso_qnap:iso/ubuntu-10.04-desktop-i386.iso,media=cdrom
bootdisk: ide0
ostype: other
memory: 512
vlan10: rtl8139=3A:EA:D2:45:0D:24
sockets: 1
ide0: local:103/ntcopy.raw
runs with no problems on 2.6.18-2, although with the wrong mix of packages due to kernel switch without reinstalling...

Marco
 
....
ide0: local:103/ntcopy.raw[/CODE]runs with no problems on 2.6.18-2, although with the wrong mix of packages due to kernel switch without reinstalling...

Marco

are you sure if it runs on KVM? or just qemu.
 
in any case, 2.6.18 with kvm 0.12.4 is non-working team, you can expect a lot of issues. Some parts can work, some not. We should not waste time in debugging obviously wrong combination.
 
Ok, i now reinstalled 2.6.18:

dadmin@debian:~$ pveversion -v
pve-manager: 1.5-10 (pve-manager/1.5/4822)
running kernel: 2.6.18-2-pve
proxmox-ve-2.6.18: 1.5-5
pve-kernel-2.6.18-1-pve: 2.6.18-4
pve-kernel-2.6.32-2-pve: 2.6.32-7
pve-kernel-2.6.24-11-pve: 2.6.24-23
pve-kernel-2.6.18-2-pve: 2.6.18-5
qemu-server: 1.1-16
pve-firmware: 1.0-5
libpve-storage-perl: 1.0-13
vncterm: 0.9-2
vzctl: 3.0.23-1pve11
vzdump: 1.2-5
vzprocps: 2.0.11-1dso2
vzquota: 3.0.11-1
pve-qemu-kvm-2.6.18: 0.9.1-5

is it now ok?

still, my nt4 box run perfectly*, while in 2.6.32 does not, crashing at boot with bsod

Marco

* = well in 2.6.18 with pve-qemu-kvm: 0.12.4-1 (wrong mix) at least the mouse cursor was aligned, while in "pure" 2.6.18 does not align automatically
 
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