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I have a server running Linux 2.4, and I'd like to virtualize it using KVM. I can run it with a IDE controller, but my applications require more disk performance.

The best existing solution is using VirtIO paravirtualization, but there's no driver for Linux 2.4, and I can't upgrade it to 2.6 or 3.x due to my applications' constraints. I tried using the SCSI controller, but the server doesn't boot because SeaBios doesn't support boot from a SCSI disk.

Is there any alterantive with better performance than IDE controller that works under Linux 2.4 guest?

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  • How can an application be constrained to the 2.4 kernel?! What is it? Commented Mar 5, 2014 at 19:14
  • If the machine will run in a virtualized environment, it will presumably be using a virtual disk. If IDE is a bottleneck there, I fear it will be with SCSI or whatever else you throw at it. Commented Mar 5, 2014 at 20:02
  • Which distribution of Linux is your 2.4 guest? Commented Mar 5, 2014 at 22:56
  • @MichaelHampton The application is tied to the distro, which is based on 2.4 kernel. We cannot change the kernel without changing the distro. Commented Mar 6, 2014 at 19:35
  • Again, what is it? Commented Mar 6, 2014 at 19:41

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Red Hat backported the virtio drivers to 2.4 to help companies P2V their ancient RHEL3 systems: http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHEA-2010-0157.html

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  • I'm using another distro, but I'll try it. Commented Mar 6, 2014 at 19:47
  • That will be problematic. You'll need to use the RHEL kernel as well. Commented Mar 6, 2014 at 20:04
  • It worked on Mandrake 8.2! Thanks! I haven't tried the VirtIO network driver yet, but the disk driver is OK, after some modifications. Commented Apr 2, 2014 at 16:11
  • After some more modifications, VirtIO network driver is working as well =D Commented Apr 8, 2014 at 18:05

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