How to: Install and Setup XEN Virtualization software on CentOS Linux 5
One of our regular reader asks:
I'm using CentOS Linux 5 server. How do I set up Xen on Linux ? How do I install guest VPS oses such as Fedora or Windows 2000 or Debian Linux inside XEN?
Xen is a free open source software virtual machine monitor for Intel / PowerPC architectures. It is software that runs on a host operating system and allows several guest operating systems to be run on top of the host on the same computer hardware at the same time (just like VMWare software). Luckily Installing and managing XEN is quite easy under CentOS 5 Linux.
Login as the root and type the following commands:
# yum install xen virt-manager kernel-xen
# chkconfig xend on
# reboot
Make sure you boot CentOS server using XEN kernel.
How do I install NetBSD / any Linux distro / Windows 2000 inside XEN?
Simply use gui tool called virt-manager:
# virt-manager &
Now just follow on screen instructions to setup new guest operating systems (VPS oses). virt-manager is Xen Management Consoles software. It can perform the common tasks of administering a Xen host such as configuring, starting, monitoring and stopping of Xen guests oses. Please note that above instuctions also works on
- RHEL 5
- Fedora Linux 7
Further readings:
- XEN project
- Virtual Machine Manager project
- Enomalism project
- ConVirt project
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Tags: centos_linux, debian_linux, guest_operating_systems, open_source_software, powerpc_architectures, virtualization, virtual_machine, VPS, xen
Nice one! Is it necessary to enable any additional yum repositories in CentOS 5 in order to install xen, virt-manager and kernel-xen packages?
Noop, you can install from DVD or just download and install using yum.
Really easy, thanks for all info
“Now just follow on screen instructions to setup new guest operating systems (VPS oses). ”
You’re kidding, right? How unfortunate this topic got indexed in Google, because here’s what gets glossed over:
Try installing a VM from a regular DVD. Go ahead. Please.
Under Install Media URL, I’ve tried
/media/Fedora 8 x86_64 DVD
/media/Fedora8 (which I ln -s to ‘Fredora 8 x86_64 DVD’)
file:///media/Fedora8
/dev/scd0 (the DVD device)
/dev/scd0 does spin the drive, but then vaguely complains it can not find what it needs…
It appears you
OK, pop in a Fedora 8 DVD
Scott,
I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you. These instructions are only tested on CentOS 5.0 and Fedora 7. I’ve already mentioned the fact.
What would have been helpful is if you had:
a) included more information than “follow on screen instructions” such as a idea what sort of information we should be putting in a particular field. For example, if I wanted to install ubuntu-server, what would the URL be?
b) Included the instructions for installing off local media - as far as I know, you can’t install directly off dvd or cd but can off nfs so if you export the cd/dvd via nfs and then use the url for the nfs share you’d be sweet.
How to: Install and Setup XEN Virtualization software on CentOS Linux 5, fairplay for taking the time to write anything at all. This does indeed do what the title said, if it was titled, Install and Setup XEN Virtualization software on CentOS Linux 5,then install everything else under the sun I would be disappointed. I found that using my keyboard and Google I could find the info I needed, look: http://www.howtoforge.com/centos_5.0_xen, ahhhhh, Xen, peace is restored.