[xen-tools-discuss] Re: Some annoyances of a first-time Xen-tools user

[Steve Kemp]

On Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 14:24:28 +0100, Bas Verhoeven wrote:

> I downloaded the latest Xen-tools yesterday evening, and have been 
> fighting with it since. Here are a few of the annoyances I experienced 
> while using Xen-tools for the first time.

> * Annoyance #1: Using --image-dev and --swap-dev

> After adding a 'dir=' option, it does not complain, but does not seem to 
> actually use the option. Makes me wonder why it really needs me to set 
> those options, if it's not using them anyways.

  OK this is a valid complaint, but I'll explain the reasoning behind
 it to make it more explicit.

  There are three ways to install:

    1.  Using loopback images in the directory specified by --dir

    2.  Using the LVM group specified by --lvm

    3.  Uisng the EVMS set specified by --evms.

  Early parts of the code ensure that one of those three are setup,
 and abort if they're not.  However that testing doesn't take into
 account the fact that these main install methods may be augmented
 or actually replaced by --{image swap}-dev.

  So that's a bug.

> * Annoyance #2: Empty disk devices in config

  I think this is a consequence of the installer seeing that you're
 using a particular --image/swap-dev - but not knowing where they
 come from.  Since you've used --dir the confusion arose.

  I suspect if you used --lvm=foo then it would work properly with
 your explicit swap-dev + image-dev.  I will test this later today.

> After fighting with debootstrap for several hours (it kept saying that 
> all mirrors had corrupt archives, mkay), I found out that it was only 
> comfortable with me installing 'etch' (lenny/sid didn't go through):
> 

  That isn't a bug with xen-tools;  The code invokes the debootstrap
 using your defined mirror and suite.  If it fails it fails and i can't
 do anything other than complain/abort.

> Although this itself, probably has nothing to do with Xen-tools.

  True.

> * Annoyance #3: Config file already exists, Xen-tools aborts, and the 
> config is wiped.

> After doing reinstall #50, I forgot to remove the config file. So, after 
> Xen-tools was *almost* done, it aborted the whole procedure:

> I find it annoying that it doesn't check beforehand if the config is 
> available, writable, etc. Sure it can check at the end too, just before 
> writing it, but this way it's very annoying.

  I agree.  That sounds like bug #2.  I will ensure this is fixed prior
 to the next release.

> Guess that about sums it up for now.

  More comments and complaints are certainly welcome, no matter how
 trivial!

Steve
-- 
http://www.steve.org.uk/