[Pkg-xen-devel] Xen + Debian Squeeze + Recent ATI Graphics Card

[Bastian Blank]

On Sat, Jul 31, 2010 at 04:16:19PM -0700, Stuart Chalmers wrote:
> - the Xen kernel shipped in Squeeze will be 'PVOPS' rather than 'Xenlinux'
> - On these PVOPS kernels there are/were issues with Kernel Mode Setting (KMS), 
> Direct Rendering Manager (DRM) etc. (see 
> http://wiki.xensource.com/xenwiki/XenPVOPSDRM)

Almost all problems are because the drivers assumes a linear address
space and always mapped memory. This does not apply to Xen.

> What's not so clear to me is how far away DRM (and hence graphics acceleration) 
> support is within the PVOPS kernels, specifically the one that will be shipped 
> with Squeeze.  The reference above suggests that there are a few issues that 
> have been resolved, but I'm not clear if the fixes mentioned are either in the 
> current or what will be in the final kernel in Squeeze.  I'm also not clear if 
> these patches will allow KMS/DRM to work or whether they are just a step in the 
> right direction.  Can anyone provide current information around this, please?

Sure. The intel cards works fine with KMS and acceleration.

> I made a start on attempting to apply the patches, but found that I don't know 
> anywhere near enough on the branches and git itself to make any meaningful 
> progress.  I'd be more than happy to help test (patched) kernel packages should 
> it be worthwhile.

Well, pushing such changes to DRM upstream and back via stable is the
official method. The same problem applies to several highend intel
machines as well.

> One final query: are there plans to provide Xen HVM in Squeeze?  I'm sure that I 
> saw a package for that somewhere.

The hypervisor supports it, but the qemu helper is a different problem.

Bastian

-- 
Either one of us, by himself, is expendable.  Both of us are not.
		-- Kirk, "The Devil in the Dark", stardate 3196.1