How to setup grub2 with arch linux and xen, lvm on luks

Question

OK, so I tried downloading this package from AUR:  https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/xen-git/ , but that has patching problems as noted in the comments.  It looks like the packagebuild sets up all the xen stuff for you, but I can't seem to get the package to install because of the error's while patching.  If anyone can point me in the right direction on what all the extra files in the PKGBUILD are for or how to debug problems with PKGBUILDs not working because of patches.
So next I just tried to compile the latest xen from git://xenbits.xen.org/xen.git (with ./configure, make, make install) and that seemed to go fine, but I'm a bit confused:
1.  Do I have to do any additional configuration for xen when working with arch linux?  On ubuntu I could just compile the source, update grub, and make sure to start the x services at runtime.
2.  How do I set up grub to load xen with this setup?  Right now this is my /boot/grub/grub.cfg:
GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_TIMEOUT=5
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR="Arch"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="cryptdevice=/dev/sda3:vgStorage"
# Preload both GPT and MBR modules so that they are not missed
GRUB_PRELOAD_MODULES="part_gpt part_msdos"
# Uncomment to enable Hidden Menu, and optionally hide the timeout count
#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=5
#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
# Uncomment to use basic console
GRUB_TERMINAL_INPUT=console
# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal
#GRUB_TERMINAL_OUTPUT=console
# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
GRUB_GFXMODE=auto
# Uncomment to allow the kernel use the same resolution used by grub
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=keep
# Uncomment if you want GRUB to pass to the Linux kernel the old parameter
# format "root=/dev/xxx" instead of "root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/xxx"
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true
# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY=true
# Uncomment and set to the desired menu colors. Used by normal and wallpaper
# modes only. Entries specified as foreground/background.
#GRUB_COLOR_NORMAL="light-blue/black"
#GRUB_COLOR_HIGHLIGHT="light-cyan/blue"
# Uncomment one of them for the gfx desired, a image background or a gfxtheme
#GRUB_BACKGROUND="/path/to/wallpaper"
#GRUB_THEME="/path/to/gfxtheme"
# Uncomment to get a beep at GRUB start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"
#GRUB_SAVEDEFAULT="true"
~
I've tried throwing in a line like: XEN_HYPERVISOR_CMDLINE="cryptdevice=/dev/sda3:vgStorage", but nothing new shows up on the grub boot menu.
First time trying to set up a non-ubuntu system, please help!

Answer 1

As for XEN.... well you could always try QEMU/KVM or LXC.
As for the LVM2-on-LUKS/dm-crypt
My /etc/mkinitcpio.conf looks like this...
MODULES="aesni_intel ata_generic ata_piix nls_cp437 ext4 intel_agp i915 dm-snapshot"
BINARIES=""
FILES=""
HOOKS="base udev autodetect block keymap encrypt lvm2 filesystems keyboard fsck shutdown"
/etc/defaults/grub
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="cryptdevice=/dev/sda2:root:allow-discards"
GRUB_PRELOAD_MODULES="part_gpt part_msdos"
GRUB_TERMINAL_INPUT=console
GRUB_GFXMODE=auto
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=keep
GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY=true
The running grub config looks like this
/boot/grub/grub.cfg
9 insmod part_gpt
10 insmod part_msdos
53 if loadfont unicode ; then
54 set gfxmode=auto
55 load_video
56 insmod gfxterm
57 set locale_dir=$prefix/locale
58 set lang=en_US
59 insmod gettext
60 fi
61 terminal_input console
62 terminal_output gfxterm
63 set timeout=3
84 menuentry 'Backup, Arch Linux grsec kernel' --class arch --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-grsec kernel-true-12341234-8080-8080-8080-332200882255' {
85 load_video
86 set gfxpayload=keep
87 insmod gzio
88 insmod part_msdos
89 insmod ext2
90 set root='hd1,msdos2'
91 if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
92 search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd1,msdos2 --hint-efi=hd1,msdos2 --hint-baremetal=ahci1,msdos2 BBAAEEAA-FFCC-CCFF-FFCC-AABBCCEEBBAA
93 else
94 search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root BBAAEEAA-FFCC-CCFF-FFCC-AABBCCEEBBAA
95 fi
96 echo 'Loading Linux grsec kernel ...'
97 linux /vmlinuz-linux-grsec root=/dev/mapper/VolGroup00-lvroot rw cryptdevice=/dev/sda2:root:allow-discards quiet
98 echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
99 initrd /initramfs-linux-grsec.img
100 }
Things to note:
Numerical UUID is the UUID of the ROOT partition.
Alphabetical UUIS is the BOOT partition
hd1,msdos2 AND ahci1,msdos2 are how the Grub Bootloader numbers the drives not Linux.
I have my BOOT partition on a USB stick, and it is the Second partition.
So, that would make it, Device 2 and Partition 2
Device numbering starts at 0
Partition numbering starts at 1
Oh, and note that you don't need ":allow-discards" ... at all but certainly if you don't have an SSD. Also note that I included the line numbers so it is very clear that I didn't post the whole thing, but instead what I thought was relevant. Finally, I am loading modules that I don't even need, but what the hell... if it ain't broke, don't fix it
Last edited by hunterthomson (2013-12-04 08:31:45)