Re: perplexing installation error

[Johnny Lam <jlam%pkgsrc.org@localhost>]

Greg Troxel wrote:
> I have a (vanilla P4 intel mobo) machine running current from last
> week, and up to date xentools and xenkernel, booting into dom0 just
> fine.
>
> I am trying to install a domU in a 16G file, created with dd and
> /dev/zero sparsely (wrote last k or so, rest is a hole).

kern/29838 says that vnd(4) on a sparse file won't work.  When I created 
my "disks", I filled the whole space with /dev/zero.

> The domU boots the -current install iso, and correctly figures out
> that the disk is 16G.  When it starts to write to the disk, it fails with:
>
>
>        Status: Command failed
>       Command: disklabel -w -r -f /tmp/disktab xbd0 '[redacted].ir.bbn.com'
>        Hit enter to continue
>   
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>   disklabel: can't read filecore boot block: No such file or directory
>
> Do I need to make a disklabel first?  I would think netbsd could
> install to a totally blank disk.    I will read disklabel sources, but
> would appreciate any clues.

It never occurred to me to install onto the files without creating a 
disklabel first.  FWIW, it *does* work that way.  I don't know whether 
the disklabel should be required or not -- that is probably not a 
Xen-specific question.

        Cheers,

        -- Johnny Lam <jlam%pkgsrc.org@localhost>