Against the current CVS version, the python method libvir.open() is failing because it requires "name" as a parameter, but in src/libvir.c, virConnectOpen returns NULL if name is set. Very simple patch attached. Also attached is a simple script to test reporting of domain state via the python bindings. Hopefully useful as a test of the python bindings/simple example of how to use them. It generates output like this: [root@chaka ~]# ./libver-python-test Attached to a hypervisor of type - Xen There are currently 2 domains running Domain ID 0 is named Domain-0 State is Running maxMem is -4 memory is 262224 nrVirtCpu is 1 cpuTime is 2294771524162 Domain ID 2 is named guest1 State is Blocked maxMem is 131072 memory is 131052 nrVirtCpu is 1 cpuTime is 34682760385 --- libvir-pristine/src/libvir.c 2006-01-27 08:59:42.000000000 +0000 +++ libvir-0.0.2/src/libvir.c 2006-02-07 12:59:17.000000000 +0000 @@ -89,8 +89,8 @@ struct xs_handle *xshandle = NULL; /* we can only talk to the local Xen supervisor ATM */ - if (name != NULL) - return(NULL); +/* if (name != NULL) + return(NULL); */ handle = xenHypervisorOpen(); if (handle == -1) #!/usr/bin/env python # # Simple script to test libver-python reporting # # Copyright 2005-2006 Red Hat, Inc. # Angus Thomas <athomas(a)redhat.com&gt; # # This software may be freely redistributed under the terms of the GNU # general public license. # # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License # along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software # Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. domain_states="No State", "Running", "Blocked", "Paused", "Shutdown", "Shutoff", "Crashed" import libvir virt=libvir.open("Xen"); print ("Attached to a hypervisor of type - %s" % (virt.getType())); print ("There are currently %s domains running" % (virt.numOfDomains())); id_list=virt.listDomainsID(); for dom_id in id_list: dom=virt.lookupByID(dom_id); print ("\nDomain ID %s is named %s" % (dom_id, dom.name())); dom_info=dom.info(); # print ("\tState is %s" % (dom_info[0])); print ("\tState is %s" % (domain_states[dom_info[0]])); print ("\tmaxMem is %s" % (dom_info[1])); print ("\tmemory is %s" % (dom_info[2])); print ("\tnrVirtCpu is %s" % (dom_info[3])); print ("\tcpuTime is %s" % (dom_info[4]));