36.6. Wrong kernel image error

Para-virtualized guests cannot use the kernel-xen kernel. Use only the standard kernel for para-virtualized guests.

Attempting to boot any kernel other than the Xen kernel as a para-virtualized guest results in the following error message:

# xm create testVM
Using config file "./testVM".
Going to boot Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (2.6.18-1.2839.el5)
kernel: /vmlinuz-2.6.18-1.2839.el5
initrd: /initrd-2.6.18-1.2839.el5.img
Error: (22, 'Invalid argument')

In the above error you can see that the kernel line shows that the system is trying to boot a non kernel-xen kernel. The correct entry in the example is ”kernel: /vmlinuz-2.6.18-1.2839.el5xen”.

The solution is to verify you have indeed installed a kernel-xen in your guest and it is the default kernel to boot in your /etc/grub.conf configuration file.

If you have kernel-xen installed in your guest you can start your guest:

xm create -c GuestName

Where GuestName is the name of the guest. The previous command will present you with the GRUB boot loader screen and allow you to select the kernel to boot. You will have to choose the kernel-xen kernel to boot. Once the guest has completed the boot process you can log into the guest and edit /etc/grub.conf to change the default boot kernel to your kernel-xen. Change the line “default=X” (where X is a number starting at '0') to correspond to the entry with your kernel-xen line. The numbering starts at '0' so if your kernel-xen entry is the second entry you would enter '1' as the default,for example “default=1”.