Windows hanging at starting up screen (changing xen video -> cirrus not working?)

[Gaiko Kyofusho]

I am trying to setup a win7 template. I started with the:

qvm-create --hvm-template win7-x64-template -l green

which seemed to work well enough, then tried to install windows (win7 pro x64). When I try using:

qvm-start win7-x64-template --cdrom=/home/user/win7.iso

It starts up and then hangs (I've tried leaving it overnight, no progress) at the glowing starting windows. I then searched around and found two posts and the github work around of

cp /var/lib/qubes/appvms/win7/win7.conf /tmp

then mod'ing the <model type='xen' vram='16384' /> line to cirrus then running

qvm-start win7-x64-template --cdrom=/home/user/win7.iso --custom-config=/tmp/win7.conf

now I get an error:

--> Loading the VM (type = TemplateHVM)...
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/qvm-start", line 136, in <module>
    main()
  File "/usr/bin/qvm-start", line 120, in main
    xid = vm.start(verbose=options.verbose, preparing_dvm=options.preparing_dvm, start_guid=not options.noguid, notify_function=tray_notify_generic if options.tray else None)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/qubes/modules/02QubesTemplateHVm.py", line 94, in start
    return super(QubesTemplateHVm, self).start(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/qubes/modules/01QubesHVm.py", line 335, in start
    return super(QubesHVm, self).start(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/qubes/modules/000QubesVm.py", line 1972, in start
    self.libvirt_domain.createWithFlags(libvirt.VIR_DOMAIN_START_PAUSED)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/libvirt.py", line 1059, in createWithFlags
    if ret == -1: raise libvirtError ('virDomainCreateWithFlags() failed', dom=self)
libvirt.libvirtError: internal error: libxenlight failed to create new domain 'win7'

thoughts?

[Gaiko Kyofusho]

No responses? Is there any more information that I could post that might make it easier to diagnose this issue?

For what its worth, I was able to make a non-template winVM on another computer (before I quite understood that I could make a WinTemplate) and then restored it onto my current computer and it works well enough, but I really think the best model for me would be using a wintemplate if possible, and was hoping to figure out why the intstalling win7 on this win7-x64-template isn't working?

Thoughts would be apprecaited.

[cooloutac]

sorry man i have no experience making a win7 template only hvm. There is a guy around here named Drew white who has experience doing this maybe you can message him.

[Gaiko]

No worries, thanks for letting me know. I will probably try tinkering a bit more and hold off bugging Drew, if figure if he hasn't answered then he probably has a reason. Cheers.

[Drew White]

This is an odd one.
Sometimes it just means your computer needs to be rebooted.
Since they are using SystemD for Qubes, that there has many inherent issues. They are using a version of Linux that is becoming Windows similar, as in everything controlled by the kernel instead of everything being separate.
Thus if there is an issue in SystemD, then everything falls in a heap.

So if that doesn't work, then there is another issue.

If you leave the config as normal, but in the Guest Settings, set RAM to 2048 Mb and CPUs to 2. Then try starting.

This setup works for me almost 100% of the time.

If it doesn't, then remove the Guest from the Manager, and create a brand new one and do another install.

The reason I say this is because the config may have had something go wrong using install. Personally, I've only ever had that error when the Guest has not cleanly removed itself from Xen.

Because the Domain already exists, it can't be created again.
So give it a different name for the new template, then copy the root.img and private.img from the old windows template, and try booting it. if it works ,then it's the Qubes-Xen interface that has an issue and has not cleared the Domain from the system properly on shutdown.

(This also happens for other guests, not just Windows)

FYI, Win7.. Give it 2048 MB RAM assignment, NOT Balanced...
And 2 VCPUs too. that's a must. (at least to begin with)

If that doesn't work, then please enable debugging mode, and upload the logs for me to analyse please.
Then we will see where we go from there.

[Drew White]

> > > libvirt.libvirtError: internal error: libxenlight failed to create new domain 'win7'

I just noticed that the VM is trying to start up "win7" yet the
domain is "win7-x64-template"

Did you change the "<name>" content?
Did you remove or change the "<uuid>" tag or content in the conf file?

Or is it an AppVM made FROM the Template?

[Jean-Philippe Ouellet]

On Sat, Apr 29, 2017 at 10:34 AM, Gaiko Kyofusho
<gaikokuji...@gmail.com> wrote:

That stack trace suggests xen/libvirt/qubes-manager state mismatch
I've seen happen on rare occasion.

Shot in the dark, try:
[user@dom0 ~]$ sudo systemctl restart libvirtd.service

or try re-creating with different VM name.

[Gaiko Kyofusho]

Thanks for that. I gave both ideas a try (fingers crossed and all) but no go :(

I am still very much open to suggestions. When I have time I will probably try to make the template on another machine, back it up, then restore it onto this one... or see if that works.

[Drew White]

On Tuesday, 9 May 2017 12:33:45 UTC+10, Gaiko wrote:
> Thanks for that. I gave both ideas a try (fingers crossed and all) but no go :(
>
>
> I am still very much open to suggestions. When I have time I will probably try to make the template on another machine, back it up, then restore it onto this one... or see if that works.

So what did you actually try?
Did you do all the 5 things?
Or only 2 of the 5?

No log files from debug mode either? (6)

[cooloutac]

do u mean you have had a working template before in the past? or you want to try making one on another machine, ya why not.

[Gaiko Kyofusho]

I tried on a diff machine, same win7iso though, same situation. I am thinking it might be the iso, need to get my hands on another win7 iso and try that.