Ubuntu 14.04 with Xen and Virtual Machine Manager

umaSharma

Installation of Xen Hypervisor and Virtual Manager on Ubuntu 14.04.1

1. Install Ubuntu 14.04.1 and more importantly enable virtualization in boot options
You can get the installation steps from Ubuntu official site.

2. Open terminal and install xen hypervisor
sudo apt-get install xen-hypervisor-amd64
(installing 64 bit hypervisor runs on 32 bit dom0 and also creates 64 bit domU)

Then reboot (you don’t have to update grub)
sudo reboot

3. After rebooting just to check if Xen booted with Linux
sudo xl info

sudo apt-get install bridge-utils

4. Open  /etc/network/interfaces and change it

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

auto xenbr0
iface xenbr0 inet dhcp
    bridge_ports eth0

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet manual

Then restart network manager
sudo ifdown eth0 && sudo ifup xenbr0 && sudo ifup eth0

5. Now install Virtual Machine Manager
sudo apt-get install virt-manager

Now restart your system open virtual machine manager and add connection Xen.
Then start creating your domU’s.

Help for more OS at : https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Xen

8 thoughts on “Ubuntu 14.04 with Xen and Virtual Machine Manager”

  1. Skynet May 16, 2015 / 11:24 am

    this is requeried afte step 2:

    “If you want to have a Xen enabled kernel, you need to invert order, simply like that:

    # mv /etc/grub.d/10_linux /etc/grub.d/20_linux && mv /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen /etc/grub.d/10_linux_xen

    And rebuild your Grub config file:

    # update-grub

    Now, reboot, and you’re done!
    ”

    then under root:

    sudo xl info

    that works for me fine.

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    • umaSharma July 31, 2015 / 2:56 pm

      Yes, if you are running a version of Ubuntu before 14.04 you will need to modify your GRUB for default booting to Xen.
      But after Ubuntu 14.04 GRUB automatically chooses to boot Xen first.

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  2. none August 13, 2015 / 4:51 am

    add connection Xen … no command add found

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  3. marc the one January 12, 2016 / 5:35 pm

    hey i used your instructions to install xen but i’m looking for a way to back the guest without issues and so far information has been very vague

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    • umaSharma January 18, 2016 / 5:37 am

      Hi, Can you please tell me the issue you are facing ?

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