Hi,
I’m trying to install OpenSuSE 11.0 (paravirtualized) on a Xen Host running an OpenSuSE 10.1.
When i try to start the VM YaST says:
“Failed to extract the kernel from the installation source. Please check that your installation source is accesible”
this happens with both DVD iso and Newtwork Source.
Any Hints???
Thanks
Giuseppe
PS: No, i cannot update my Xen Host! 
Same issue: we got confused with the different help tools consulted. We don’t know if we need domU ready kernels or if we could “simply” use distribution .iso files and just specify to the dom0 where to boot them… at least it seems more complicated than expected, if anybody have more informations about creating virtual machines using xen, they are welcome…
Thank you in advance
Hi,
Assuming you have installed the Xen enabled kernel and Xen tool packages in the system and that you have rebooted the system in hypervisor mode by selecting the grub stanza corresponding to Xen, one of the simpler ways to create a Xen VM guest is via the graphic tool available in Yast: ‘Create Virtual Machines’.
Before creating the VM, check that you are running the xen hypervisor and that the dom0 is running. Do that by running:
2.6.22.18-0.2-xen
Name ID Mem VCPUs State Time(s)
Domain-0 0 1833 2 r----- 70.5
vm1 384 1 0.0
vm2 600 1 302.6
vm3-sles10 300 1 41.1
vm4-sles10sp2 300 1 1.6
At least the domain whose id is 0 (dom0) should be running.
Check also that the xend daemon is up and running:
Checking status of xend (pid 3850 3854 4248) running
Now, for the guest creation process.
If you haven’t done it before, I suggest you use the Open Suse 11 DVD disk as the install source. It is also likely to perform a network install by providing additional network URL parameters in the section OS.
If you choosed 'Run an OS installation program, then you have to add to your machine a disk from where it can fetch the installation sources, normally a DVD drive. If you don’t want to use a source DVD but want to use a network install respository, then you have to type the exact url and the path name to the installation sources in the section ‘Operating System Installations’. If you are getting those errors then, something is wrong in the url or path, or the installation sources are no there.
In order to have Yast use a local dvd as the installation source, you have to mount it locally and then register it with Yast as an available repository beforehand.
Then, at guest VM creation time, you will have to check that it is added to the Disk section of the VM machine components.
If it is not there, you will have to add it manually by using the CD-ROM button.
There is no much more about it.
Anyway, take a look at the Chapter 17 of the Sles 10 reference guide, available in the next url, where the process is well documented:
The process is not different from that in Open Suse.
By the way, you also has a Xen wiki full of information here:
Regards.
One thing I forgot to mention.
Appart from the standard creation process provided by the graphic tool, there are quite a few ways out there to provision Xen domU guests: yum, yast (installing on a directory), for rpm based distros, debootstrap for deb based ones (Debian, Ubuntu, Knoppix…), and even, manually by using the command line: cp, dd, etc.
Regarding the domU kernels, you can use the one of the dom0.
In that case, don’t forget to copy /lib/modules/<kernel> to the
corresponding location in the guest file system.
The VM configuration will probably need the ramdisk entry parameter.
The proccess is invariably the same: provision the OS images via one of the aforementioned ways, create a Xen VM guest configuration file and launch the creation process with xm create.
It is up to you.