Plan9 on Qemu on Windows

Quick and dirty guide for running plan 9 under qemu Virtual Machine in windows xp (and possibly 2000+):

Required Skill: Advanced: Networking experience is mandatory

• Please read through and be sure you know exactly what you're doing. Risks to software content and possibly hardware are plentiful while responsibility are hold none.

01. Download "qemu-0.9.0-windows.zip", "openvpn-2.0.9-install.exe" and "plan9.iso.bz2".

02. Extract "plan9.iso" and "qemu-0.9.0-windows" to the same directory.

03. Install "openvpn-2.0.9-install.exe".

04. Rename the new network connection (found in Network Connections) to "TAP_OpenVPN".

05. Bridge "TAP_OpenVPN" and your WAN/LAN Connection (usually "Local Area Connection", should be enabled and has packet changes when downloading) - This is done by choosing both connections and then in the properties menu choosing "Bridge".

06. Notice your configurations now reside in the new "bridge connection" instead of "Local Area Connection".

07. Use: "qemu.exe -L -m 128 -cdrom ..\plan9.iso -boot d -net nic,model=rtl8139 -net tap,ifname=TAP_OpenVPN -soundhw sb16 -localtime" to start plan9, this command can be inserted into a batch file.

08. In the VM (referred to as "guest machine") : In the boot options choose to boot from the CD or See installing plan 9 on qemu.

09. Guest: You can press "return/enter" for the rest of the questions presented by in the boot sequence - default will suffice.

10. Done. Please read through the notes...

• Ctrl+Alt to release the mouse from the qemu window

• Set up networking using DHCP (good with the bridge explained above and if router supplies IPs (dhcp)): "ip/ipconfig" "ndb/dns -r" "ip/ping address" test by pinging your gateway/router using its ip address, then try a site like www.google.com which you know will return icmp (respond to ping).

• When using acme in qemu with live boot iso, notice that file creation is only possible in /tmp, not even in the /usr/glenda (the user that you log in as) - this will be resolved if you install to hard drive.

• Installing to HardDisk: use "qemu-img.exe create plan9hd.img 1024M" to set a 1gig Virtual HardDisk, use "qemu.exe -L . -m 128 -hda plan9hd.img -cdrom ..\plan9.iso -boot d -net nic,model=rtl8139 -net tap,ifname=TAP_OpenVPN -localtime" to boot. You can install to HD or mount the drive and format it to use as you wish, plan9 tends to have a very slow install process in VM.

• If you don't actually know how to use plan9, http://plan9.bell-labs.com/sys/doc/ has some good info, http://plan9.escet.urjc.es/who/nemo/9.intro.pdf will do even better.

• qemu will emulate sb16 which is supported by plan9; however, I was unable to verify its functionality.

• Common Issue: the pc halts in different parts of the network configuration process: This is due to other VM virtual nics conflicting with the each other. Solutions vary from disabling to deleting the other VM's nics. In the worst case plan 9 can run without networking, though to what use ?

• Common Issue: High CPU Usage: this is not a problem but the result of the qemu normal functionality. If a process on the host machine requires more CPU time, qemu will reduce the load itself - this can be forced by reducing the process priority using the task manager.

• Common Issue: "TAP_OpenVPN" always appears to be disconnected: this is a false readout, ignore it as it has no ill effects.

• Common Issue: 9P connectivity seems to be broken: firewall, router firewall...

• Play around with the res: 800x600x8 and above seems to be more useful for working with acme...

• For sound see the qemu readme, I never succeeded though it might have been for lack of trying...

• Less questions at boot: Download plan9.flp and replace plan9.ini that with the following (use winimage or mount through loopback device):

#**** plan9.ini content starts here ******

• nomp=1

• nodumpstack=1

partition=new

mouseport=ps2

vgasize=800x600x8

monitor=xga

distname=plan9

ether0=rtl8139

audio0=sb16 port=0x220 irq=7 dma=5

bootargs=local!#S/sdD0/data

bootfile=sdD0!cdboot!9pccd.gz

adisk=/dev/sdD0/cdboot

cdboot=yes

#**** plan9.ini content ends here *****

this will reduce the questions to one "press return", the cmd line will be: "qemu.exe -L -m 128 -fda plan9.flp -cdrom ..\plan9.iso -boot d -net nic,model=rtl8139 -net tap,ifname=TAP_OpenVPN -soundhw sb16 -localtime"

This strategy is unnecessary in hd boot.

ToDo:

1. Sound.

2. Boot with no q&a: When not installing but rather using the live boot, you are presented whenever you start the machine with a series of questions (monitor, res, mouse), I managed to set plan9.ini in the floppy image so that only one question will be presented, but that is still one question too much.

3. spellcheck, factcheck, sanitycheck, check to self ;-)

Ram Kromberg

ramkromberg@mail.com