[coLinux-users] coLinux 0.6.2-pre2

[Dan A. <da...@co...>]

Hello All,

Located at:

    http://www.colinux.org/snapshots/

The recently uploaded snapshot 20041002 (0.6.2-pre2), brings forth some
changes:

  * A fix for Windows XP SP2 with AMD64 (requires more testing)
    -----------------------------------------------------------
    
    An important fix that should allow coLinux to run on PAE setups, and
    prevent those BSODs that you were getting. 

    We noticed quickly after Windows XP SP2 was released. On AMD64 machines, 
    this version of XP enables PAE in order to implement the NX bit
    protection. The crashes that people experienced where not related to
    the NX bit but PAE and some bugs that plagued the driver's initialization
    routines.
    
    The coLinux low level code which is responsible for the context 
    switching did not handle PAE properly (PAE uses a different type of 
    paging).
    
    NOTE: I didn't test this snapshot on AMD64, so the NX bit might still
    cause trouble. If those of you with this hardware can test and report,
    that will be great.
  
  * Command line configuration
    --------------------------    
    
    It is now possible to configure coLinux from the command line, i.e,
    XML config is not needed. This mode and the XML mode are mutual 
    exclusive. 
    
    The reason for this feature is an ongoing effort to bring coLinux's
    interfaces to be closer to UML (User Mode Linux) *and* to make it 
    easier to operate for the novice users. 
    
    The kernel= option enables this mode. Order of parameters is not
    important when options don't depend on each other.
    
    For example:
    
        colinux-daemon kernel=vmlinux
	
      Boots a kernel without any block devices.


        colinux-daemon kernel=vmlinux mem=32
	
      Boots the kernel with 32 MB of RAM.


        colinux-daemon -d kernel=vmlinux mem=32
	
      The '-d' option still works.


        colinux-daemon kernel=vmlinux cobd0=c:\coLinux\root_fs
	
      It automatically adds \DosDevices\ where needed. Make sure
      you use double-slashes in the situations where shell escaping 
      forces you to.


        colinux-daemon kernel=vmlinux cobd0=c:\coLinux\root_fs root=/dev/cobd0 ro
	
      Of course we need to pass root= to the kernel. Note that every 
      parameter in that command line that is not handled by coLinux's 
      code is passed along as a kernel boot parameters.

      
        colinux-daemon kernel=vmlinux cobd0=root_fs root=/dev/cobd0 
	
      ... and resolve relative pathnames.
      
      
        colinux-daemon kernel=vmlinux cobd0=root_fs hda2=:cobd0 root=/dev/cobd0 
	
      Device node aliasing. The ':' tells the daemon that's cobd0
      is not a pathname - understand using the next example.
      

        colinux-daemon kernel=vmlinux hda1=root_fs root=/dev/hda1
	
      This makes life a lot easier. If you map an device node 
      directly - it would automatically allocate a cobd and
      make an alias for it!
      
      This syntax reminds a bit of QEMU's syntax (it also has 
      hda=).
      
      
        colinux-daemon kernel=vmlinux hda1=root_fs root=/dev/hda1 initrd=initrd.gz
	
      Upgrade your kernel modules for this snapshot.
      
      
    Options for networking:  
      
        eth0=tuntap

      Use the first TAP device.
      
            
        eth0=tuntap,"Local Area Network"

      You name it.

      
        eth0=tuntap,"Local Area Network",11:22:33:44:55:66

      Set an MAC address.
      

        eth0=pcap-bridge,"Local Area Network"

      Uses PCAP bridging. UML named this transport as 'pcap', I'm not sure 
      it's the same thing that used for the same purposes, so for the meanwhile 
      I'll name it 'pcap-bridge'.
      
      
    User Mode Linux has a bunch of networking features described in:
      
        http://user-mode-linux.sourceforge.net/networking.html
	  
    Which one would you like? Personally, I'd like to get it connected to 
    the UML switch along with a UML instance :).	    
    
    
  * Improved initrd image for modules upgrade
    -----------------------------------------
    
    Some tiny bug prevented this from working with aliasing enabled.
    
    For a kernel modules upgrade, use the initrd.gz image in the XML
    <initrd path="initrd.img" /> or pass initrd=initrd.gz in the
    command line.


Thanks,
      
-- 
Dan Aloni
da...@co...