cannot install FreeBSD 12.0 Xen 4.12.1 on Intel Core i7 CPU 930

[Konstantin Belousov]

On Wed, Oct 16, 2019 at 11:28:23AM +0200, Roger Pau Monné wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 16, 2019 at 12:17:20PM +0300, Stefan Parvu wrote:
> > > 
> > > Your box doesn't seem to have an iommu (aka vt-d for Intel).
> > 
> > In BIOS I do have VT-D Enabled option. Would that be broken or not working ?
> 
> Are you sure it's VT-d and not VT-x what you have enabled in the BIOS?
> 
> Looking at the details of your CPU:
> 
> https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/41447/intel-core-i7-930-processor-8m-cache-2-80-ghz-4-80-gt-s-intel-qpi.html
> 
> VT-d is not listed in 'Advanced Technologies'. For example looking at
> a newer model:
> 
> https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/149091/intel-core-i7-8565u-processor-8m-cache-up-to-4-60-ghz.html
> 
> You can see VT-d listed in 'Advanced Technologies'.
Nehalems do have VT-d, but they have dedicated chip with north bridge
still, CPU only provided memory controller.  So VT-d is the feature of
the chipset, e.g. X58, not mentioning Xeon chipsets.  On the other hand,
VT-d support was relatively buggy, could it be that Xen kernel refuses
to use it due to the problems ?

> 
> > I think I have used Xen a bit older version on Debian some time back if Im not wrong, on the same hdw.
> 
> See below.
> 
> > >> But you need all boot log. I will try your option tonight. I cant access the hardware now.
> > > 
> > > If you can that would be helpful, but AFAIK this box is simply not
> > > capable of running a Xen PVH dom0 (which is the only mode FreeBSD
> > > supports in order to work as dom0). Either it has a broken iommu or no
> > > iommu at all.
> > 
> > Hmmm. Thats strange since I do recall I had previously used here Xen but on Linux. But older
> > version. Could it be something changed regarding Xen and iommu or ?
> 
> Linux dom0 would likely be in PV mode (note the missing H), which
> doesn't require an iommu. OTOH FreeBSD only supports PVH dom0, which
> does require an iommu.
> 
> Roger.
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