news/2009-12-31: tschwinge's changes.

2 files changed, 76 insertions, 38 deletions

diff --git a/microkernel/mach/gnumach/ports/xen.mdwn b/microkernel/mach/gnumach/ports/xen.mdwn
index c544fd57..bf26410a 100644
--- a/microkernel/mach/gnumach/ports/xen.mdwn
+++ b/microkernel/mach/gnumach/ports/xen.mdwn
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ is included in the section entitled
 
 [[!toc]]
 
-## Xen dom0, hypervisor
+# Xen dom0, hypervisor
 
 /!\ Now that GNU Mach handles PAE you can use a PAE-enabled hypervisor.
 
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ You can either get binaries at <http://youpibouh.thefreecat.org/hurd-xen/> or bu
 - Copy `gnumach-xen-pae` and `hurd-modules` to your dom0 /boot. If you still have a non-PAE hypervisor, use `gnumach-xen-nonpae` instead.
 - Copy `hurd` into `/etc/xen`, edit it for fixing access to your hurd / and swap
 
-## GNU/Hurd system
+# GNU/Hurd system
 
 /!\ You need an already installed [[GNU/Hurd_system|hurd/running]].
 
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ If you have a free partition, you can fdisk to type 0x83, create a filesystem us
 
 Replace /dev/sda4 with your partition. Install and use crosshurd to setup a GNU/Hurd system on this partition.
 
-## /etc/xen/hurd configuration
+# /etc/xen/hurd configuration
 
 Here is a sample /etc/xen/hurd configuration
 
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ Suggestions about [[networking_configuration]] are available.
 If you need stable MAC addresses, use a syntax like `vif = [
 'mac=00:16:3e:XX:XX:XX, bridge=br0' ]`.
 
-## Running Hurd with Xen
+# Running Hurd with Xen
 
 To run Hurd with Xen, use:
 
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ and gnumach should get started. Proceed with native-install.
 - If `xm` complains about networking (`vif could not be connected`), it's Xen scripts' fault, see Xen documentation for how to configure the network.  The simplest way is network-bridge with fixed IPs (note that you need the bridge-utils package for this).  You can also just disable networking by commenting the vif line in the config.
 - If `xm` complains `Error: (2, 'Invalid kernel', 'xc_dom_compat_check: guest type xen-3.0-x86_32 not supported by xen kernel, sorry\n')`, you most probably have a PAE-enabled hypervisor and a non-PAE gnumach. Either install and boot non-PAE hypervisor and kernel, or rebuilt gnumach in PAE mode.
 
-## Building from sources
+# Building from sources
 
 If you want to generate these images, first get the `gnumach-1-branch-Xen-branch` branch from gnumach CVS.
 Then look for "Ugly" in `kern/bootstrap.c`, how to generate `hurd-modules` is explained there, and you'll have to fix `EXT2FS_SIZE` and `LD_SO_SIZE` by hand.
@@ -77,6 +77,17 @@ The current `hurd-modules` was built from the debian packages `hurd 20070606-2`
 
 ---
 
+# Miscellaneous
+
 [[Internals]].
 
 [[!GNU_Savannah_task 5468]], [[!GNU_Savannah_task 6584]].
+
+---
+
+# `pv-grub`
+
+From Xen 4.0 on you'll be able to run the GNU Hurd directly using `pv-grub`,
+without the need to [prepare a special bootstrap
+image](http://youpibouh.thefreecat.org/hurd-xen/build_hurd-modules) (like an
+initrd).
diff --git a/news/2009-12-31.mdwn b/news/2009-12-31.mdwn
index 6077ee50..e3b3a3dd 100644
--- a/news/2009-12-31.mdwn
+++ b/news/2009-12-31.mdwn
@@ -10,44 +10,71 @@ License|/fdl]]."]]"""]]
 
 [[!meta date="2009-12-31 00:00 UTC"]]
 
-[[!meta updated="2009-12-31 00:00 UTC"]]
-
-A month of the Hurd: *official Xen domU support*, *ddekit beginnings*, *porting*, *FOSDEM 2010* and *SMP discussion*. 
+A month of the Hurd: *official Xen domU support*, *DDE*, *porting*, and *FOSDEM 2010*. 
 [[!if test="included()" then="""[[!toggle id=full_news
 text="Details."]][[!toggleable id=full_news text="[[!paste id=full_news]]"]]"""
 else="[[!paste id=full_news]]"]]
 
 [[!cut id="full_news" text="""
-> This month Samuel Thibault got the necessary Xen patches committed 
-> into the unstable tree of Xen for the 4.0 release, 
-> so GNU Mach now officially [has Xen domU support](http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-hurd/2009-12/msg00058.html)
-> (GNU Mach instead of GNU Hurd, because 
-> no changes were needed in the Hurd part). So from Xen 4.0 on you'll be able 
-> to run the GNU Hurd directly using pv-grub - without the need to
-> [prepare a multiboot package](http://youpibouh.thefreecat.org/hurd-xen/build_hurd-modules). 
-> 
-> Also the ddekit port of Zheng Da now 
-> [passes the first tests](http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-hurd/2009-12/msg00060.html), 
-> bringing us the first steps towards updated drivers - 
-> and much lower overhead for maintaining them. 
-> 
-> Mainly thanks to the [porting](http://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/hurd/running/debian/porting.html)
-> work of Emilio Pozuelo Monfort and Pino Toscano,
-> users of the Hurd can get many more packages directly via debian.
-> Thanks to their and other porters relentless work,
-> the percentage of available debian packages 
-> [has reached 65%](http://buildd.debian-ports.org/stats/),
-> rising. As concrete example, they ported many GNOME packages,
-> so that the gnome-core metapackage 
-> [is installable again](http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-hurd/2009-12/msg00217.html).
-> 
-> Additionally Thomas Schwinge started the planning for 
-> [a GNU Hurd meeting at FOSDEM](http://www.thomas.schwinge.homeip.net/hurd-web/community/meetings/fosdem_2010.html]
-> on February 6th/7th 2010 at the Université Libre de Bruxelles.
-> 
-> And some questions from Tim Kack from the view of a GNUstep developer 
-> spawned an extensive discussion about 
-> [SMP on the Hurd](http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-hurd/2009-12/msg00089.html). 
+
+> This month Samuel Thibault [merged his development branch into GNU Mach's
+> master
+> branch](http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-hurd/2009-12/msg00058.html) --
+> meaning that his [[GNU Mach Xen domU
+> port|microkernel/mach/gnumach/ports/xen]] is now part of the official
+> sources.  Only the [[microkernel (GNU Mach)|microkernel/mach/gnumach]] needed
+> to be extended, and no changes were needed in the Hurd, or glibc code bases.
+> He had started this port in 2007 already, but it has been in heavy use over
+> the last two years already, so merging it into the main source bases was long
+> overdue.
+
+> He also got the necessary Xen patches committed into Xen's unstable branch,
+> so that from Xen's 4.0 release on you'll be able to boot GNU/Hurd systems
+> using `pv-grub`, without the need to prepare a special bootstrap image (like
+> an initrd).
+
+> Of course, running GNU/Hurd systems in other virtualization environments is
+> possible too, but the Xen domU approach offers superior performance compared
+> to [[hurd/running/QEMU]]'s machine emulation, for example.
+
+> Samuel also spent some time on adding code for [detecting invalid (duplicate)
+> port
+> deallocations](http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/commit-hurd/2009-12/msg00016.html),
+> and started fixing these, as well as he fulfilled his usual share of
+> miscellaneous bug fixing.
+
+> The [[open issues/DDE]] port of Zheng Da now [passes the first
+> tests](http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-hurd/2009-12/msg00060.html),
+> bringing us the first steps towards updated device drivers -- and much lower
+> overhead for maintaining them.
+
+> Thanks to the [[hurd/running/debian/porting]] work of mainly Emilio Pozuelo
+> Monfort and Pino Toscano, users of the Hurd can get many more packages
+> directly via the [[Debian GNU/Hurd|hurd/running/debian]] distribution.
+> Thanks to their and other porters' relentless work, the percentage of
+> available Debian packages [has reached
+> 65%](http://buildd.debian-ports.org/stats/), rising.  For a specific example,
+> they ported many GNOME packages, so that the `gnome-core` metapackage [is
+> installable
+> again](http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-hurd/2009-12/msg00217.html).
+> Please test these and [[report back|mailing lists/debian-hurd]].
+
+> Thomas Schwinge started the planning for [[a GNU Hurd folks meeting at
+> FOSDEM|community/meetings/fosdem 2010]] on February 6th/7th 2010 at the
+> Université Libre de Bruxelles.
+
+> Guillem Jover jumped in and started [fixing GNU Mach build
+> warnings](http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/commit-hurd/2009-12/msg00008.html)
+> -- meaning that Thomas Schwinge's evil plan finally worked out, when he
+> enabled `-Wall` in an October 2006 commit:
 > 
+>     +# Yes, this makes the eyes hurt.  But perhaps someone will finally take care of
+>     +# all that scruffy Mach code...  Also see <http://savannah.gnu.org/task/?5726>.
+>     +AM_CFLAGS += \
+>     +       -Wall
+
+> ---
+
+> The GNU Hurd team wishes a pleasant Year 2010 to everyone!
 
 """]]