# Install on a XEN DomU from within running Linux system, with pvgrub2, without MBR



## zirias@ (Apr 26, 2019)

I'm using a virtual server from a provider who offers several Linux installs (among others Debian, which is something I _could_ live with ...), but nothing else, unfortunately. Of course, I'd prefer running FreeBSD on that virtual server as well. I doubt there's a chance, but maybe someone here has an idea.

I have no console access.
The host seems to use XEN, with "paravirtualized" guests
I'm only given two partitions (/dev/xvda1 for the FS and /dev/xvda2 for swap), no entire virtual disk (no /dev/xvda available), so, no MBR either
Booting seems to use PvGrub2, as there's a /boot directory with Linux kernels, matching initramfs images and a grub2 configuration
So I _guess_ there would be (at least) two problems to solve:

Somehow chainload a FreeBSD bootloader (with a "fake" Linux kernel or something like that?)
Use an offset into the existing PV partition for a FreeBSD root filesystem
Well, so, any ideas? Or am I really out of luck here?


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