[Pkg-xen-devel] Bug#604160: vmx flag not set when running xen kernel, but vmx flag is present when in regular kernel

[Daniel Pocock]

Package: xen-hypervisor-4.0-amd64

Fresh install of squeeze beta amd64

System is a Thinkpad X61s with L7500 CPU

Windows 7 is on the box, the Thinkpad tools on Windows 7 say VMX is present

Followed the squeeze dom0 instructions at:

http://wiki.debian.org/Xen

aptitude -P install xen-hypervisor-4.0-amd64 linux-image-xen-amd64 xen-tools
mv -i /etc/grub.d/10_linux /etc/grub.d/50_linux
update-grub2
echo "" >> /etc/default/grub
echo "# Disable OS prober to prevent virtual machines on logical volumes from appearing in the boot menu." >> /etc/default/grub
echo "GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=true" >> /etc/default/grub
update-grub2

# also add stuff needed for HVM:
apt-get install xen-qemu-dm-4.0



# xm create -c xm-win7.cfg 
Using config file "./xm-win7.cfg".
Error: HVM guest support is unavailable: is VT/AMD-V supported by your CPU and enabled in your BIOS?



$ dpkg --list | grep 2.6.32
ii  firmware-linux-free                     2.6.32-27                            Binary firmware for various drivers in the Linux kernel
ii  linux-base                              2.6.32-27                            Linux image base package
ii  linux-image-2.6-amd64                   2.6.32+28                            Linux 2.6 for 64-bit PCs (meta-package)
ii  linux-image-2.6.32-5-amd64              2.6.32-27                            Linux 2.6.32 for 64-bit PCs
ii  linux-image-2.6.32-5-xen-amd64          2.6.32-27                            Linux 2.6.32 for 64-bit PCs, Xen dom0 support
ii  linux-image-xen-amd64                   2.6.32+28                            Linux for 64-bit PCs (meta-package), Xen dom0 support, Xen dom0 support



When running under the Xen hypervisor, the vmx flag is missing from the cpu flags:



# cat /proc/cpuinfo 
processor	: 0
vendor_id	: GenuineIntel
cpu family	: 6
model		: 15
model name	: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU     L7500  @ 1.60GHz
stepping	: 10
cpu MHz		: 1596.076
cache size	: 4096 KB
fpu		: yes
fpu_exception	: yes
cpuid level	: 10
wp		: yes
flags		: fpu de tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr mca cmov pat clflush acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht syscall nx lm constant_tsc rep_good aperfmperf pni est ssse3 cx16 hypervisor lahf_lm ida
bogomips	: 3192.15
clflush size	: 64
cache_alignment	: 64
address sizes	: 36 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
power management:

processor	: 1
vendor_id	: GenuineIntel
cpu family	: 6
model		: 15
model name	: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU     L7500  @ 1.60GHz
stepping	: 10
cpu MHz		: 1596.076
cache size	: 4096 KB
fpu		: yes
fpu_exception	: yes
cpuid level	: 10
wp		: yes
flags		: fpu de tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr mca cmov pat clflush acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht syscall nx lm constant_tsc rep_good aperfmperf pni est ssse3 cx16 hypervisor lahf_lm ida
bogomips	: 3192.15
clflush size	: 64
cache_alignment	: 64
address sizes	: 36 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
power management:




If I boot into the regular kernel, then the vmx flag appears:

$ cat /proc/cpuinfo 
processor	: 0
vendor_id	: GenuineIntel
cpu family	: 6
model		: 15
model name	: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU     L7500  @ 1.60GHz
stepping	: 10
cpu MHz		: 800.000
cache size	: 4096 KB
physical id	: 0
siblings	: 2
core id		: 0
cpu cores	: 2
apicid		: 0
initial apicid	: 0
fpu		: yes
fpu_exception	: yes
cpuid level	: 10
wp		: yes
flags		: fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx lm constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts rep_good aperfmperf pni dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr pdcm lahf_lm ida tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority
bogomips	: 3192.03
clflush size	: 64
cache_alignment	: 64
address sizes	: 36 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
power management:

processor	: 1
vendor_id	: GenuineIntel
cpu family	: 6
model		: 15
model name	: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU     L7500  @ 1.60GHz
stepping	: 10
cpu MHz		: 800.000
cache size	: 4096 KB
physical id	: 0
siblings	: 2
core id		: 1
cpu cores	: 2
apicid		: 1
initial apicid	: 1
fpu		: yes
fpu_exception	: yes
cpuid level	: 10
wp		: yes
flags		: fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx lm constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts rep_good aperfmperf pni dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr pdcm lahf_lm ida tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority
bogomips	: 3191.98
clflush size	: 64
cache_alignment	: 64
address sizes	: 36 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
power management: