[solved]error while installing xen

[abdus]

hi there, how are you doing, i have a problem and i hope someone helps me solve it.
i am trying to install xen but every time i run

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emerge -av app-emulation/xen

i get this error

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!!! failed to properly create symlink:
!!! /boot/xen.gz -> xen-4.15.0.gz
!!! [Errno 1] Operation not permitted: b'xen-4.15.0.gz' -> b'/boot/xen.gz'
!!! Failed to move file.
!!! /boot/xen.gz -> xen-4.15.0.gz

i tried to install both the 2 versions 4.14.2-r1 and 4.15.0-r1 but i keep getting that error
i tried to install with

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FEATURES="-collision-detect -protect-owned"emerge -av app-emulation/xen

i get the same error with another error message

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 * This package will overwrite one or more files that may belong to other
 * packages (see list below). Add either "collision-protect" or "protect-
 * owned" to FEATURES in make.conf if you would like the merge to abort
 * in cases like this. See the make.conf man page for more information
 * about these features. You can use a command such as `portageq owners /
 * <filename>` to identify the installed package that owns a file. If
 * portageq reports that only one package owns a file then do NOT file a
 * bug report. A bug report is only useful if it identifies at least two
 * or more packages that are known to install the same file(s). If a
 * collision occurs and you can not explain where the file came from then
 * you should simply ignore the collision since there is not enough
 * information to determine if a real problem exists. Please do NOT file
 * a bug report at https://bugs.gentoo.org/ unless you report exactly
 * which two packages install the same file(s). See
 * https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Knowledge_Base:Blockers for tips on how
 * to solve the problem. And once again, please do NOT file a bug report
 * unless you have completely understood the above message.
 * 
 * Detected file collision(s):
 * 
 * 	/boot/xen-4.15.0.gz
 * 	/boot/xen-4.15.0.config
 * 	/usr/lib/debug/xen-syms-4.15.0
 * 	/usr/lib/debug/xen-syms-4.15.0.map
 * Package 'app-emulation/xen-4.15.0-r1' merged despite file collisions.
 * If necessary, refer to your elog messages for the whole content of the
 * above message.

the package is not installed though. please help me guys, i appreciate your help

[alamahant]

Try

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mv /boot/xen-4.15.0.gz  /boot/xen-4.15.0.gz.bak
mv  /boot/xen-4.15.0.config  /boot/xen-4.15.0.config.bak
emerge -av xen

do the same for the rest conflicting files.
Did you in the past install xen outside of portage?


Also is your /boot on vfat?
If yes I think vfat does not support symlinks.
If this is the case then you need to create an 1Gig ext4 partition to be mount at /boot and mount your old /boot on /boot/efi.

[abdus]

yes my boot partition is vfat

[abdus]

the computer is uefi, i found that i can choose an ext2 as a file system for the boot partition, can i use that file system to make symlinks?

[alamahant]

You can try it.
If it boots you are in luck.
If not you will need to do the ext4-/boot vfat-/boot/efi solution i described above.

[abdus]

can you please explain more about the steps of making the 1gb partition?

[alamahant]

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gdisk /dev/sdx
n ->
<enter>
<enter>
+1G
w ->
Y

Then

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partprobe
mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdx<part-number>

[abdus]

and for the fstab?

[alamahant]

You will need of course to update fstab because your adding one more partiton ie /boot/efi
So in fstab you will have

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/dev/sdx<part-number>  /boot    ext4   defaults,noatime   0 2
/dev/<previous-boot-partiton>    /boot/efi   vfat     defaults     0   1

You will have to do also this

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mkdir /boot.bak
mv /boot/*  /boot.bak/
umount /boot
mount /dev/sdx<part-number>  /boot
mkdir /boot/efi
mount /dev/<old-boot>  /boot/efi
mv /boot.bak/* /boot/
rm -rf /boot/efi/EFI ##### IMPORTANT ONLY DO THIS IF YOU DONT HAVE OTHER DISTROS OR OS in your /boot/efi/EFI
grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot/efi --bootloader-id=gentoo --recheck
<update-initramfs>  #### then
grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

If it seems overly complicated to you maybe try with the ext2 solution you read about and see if it works.
IMPORTANT if you feel uncertain about this simple manouvre or not understanding what is happening please dont do it.

[abdus]

please make sure that all the steps are correct, because one of the steps deletes all the content of /boot/efi partition after it is created and mounted

[abdus]

the ext2 step is when using mbr, i was wrong when i thought it is gonna solve the issue

[alamahant]

please make sure that all the steps are correct, because one of the steps deletes all the content of /boot/efi partition after it is created and mounted

No it only deletes the old EFI directory.
which you recreate when you run the grub-install command.
The "grub" directory and the kernels and initrds should be inside /boot.
That is why you created the /boot.bak no?
DOUBLE CHECK plz

[abdus]

i tried to apply all the steps you mentioned, at the beginning the system did not boot, so i moved to a live cd and chrooted, the system booted with the steps that you have given. however i got an error message during boot saying:

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mount: /boot/efi mount point does not exist

i would like to know where should the mount point be? on the root partition which is on my system is /dev/sda3 or on the new /boot partition which is /dev/sda5? i mean making the directory /boot/efi on the rootfs or on the new /boot partition?

[alamahant]

i would like to know where should the mount point be? on the root partition which is on my system is /dev/sda3 or on the new /boot partition which is /dev/sda5? i mean making the directory /boot/efi on the rootfs or on the new /boot partition?

/boot/efi is created on /boot(after mounting the new 1G /boot partition.)
For illustration

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mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
mkdir /mnt/boot
mount /dev/sdx1 /mnt/boot
mkdir /mnt/boot/efi
mount /dev/sdy1 /mnt/boot/efi

It should be self evident...
Plz see also
https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Quick_Inst ... FI.2FGPT_2

[abdus]

do you have the wiki page for making the fstab with that configuration??

[abdus]

anyway i guess my problem is solved, the system is bootable and works so good, probably that error message has nothing to do with the normal functioning of the system. thank you very much

[alamahant]

do you have the wiki page for making the fstab with that configuration??

There is nothing arcane in fstab.
If you still want somebody else to create your fstab for you you can boot into an archlinux installer mount all your Gentoo partitions on /mnt and run

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genfstab -U /mnt > /mnt/etc/fstab
#### -U is for uuid format

You can even emerge

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sys-devel/arch-install-scripts::gig

I wouldnt advise that though.
You should look the man pages for different fs mounting options also.
Did you manage to install xen?

[abdus]

yes i managed to install xen, it has appeared on grub menu and was installed without errors. however in this section https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Xen#Building_the_kernel it says "go to the Xen-powered Linux kernel source", i do not know where is that. when i boot to gentoo with xen i get boot messages then a black screen, i do not know if it is successfully working