Virt-install

virt-install script is part of virtinst package.

• https://linux.die.net/man/1/virt-install
• https://github.com/virt-manager/virt-manager/blob/master/man/virt-install.rst

Options

• --cloud-init since 3.0.0 (Sep 2020)
• --unattended Since release 2.2.0 (June 17, 2019)
• --install fedora29 since release 2.2.0 (June 17, 2019) (See also: libosinfo)
• --prompt (No longer supported)
• --import

Examples

• virt-install --install ubuntu20.10 --memory 2048 --disk size=2
• virt-install --install ubuntu20.10 --memory 2048 --disk size=2 --extra-args='console=ttyS0'
• virt-install --install ubuntu20.10 --memory 2048 --disk size=2 --graphics vnc,listen=0.0.0.0
• virt-install --install fedora29 --memory 2048 --disk size=2

Example Virtual Machine using virtio

• virt-install --autostart --check all=on --name YOUR_VM_MACHINE --memory VM_MEMORY --vcpus VM_CPUs --os-variant ubuntu18.04 --cdrom VM_INSTALLATION_MEDIA --disk /path/libvirt/VM_STORAGE_POOL_NAME/YOUR_VM_MACHINE.qcow2 --noautoconsole --wait TIME_TO_WAIT --network type=direct,source=eno111,source_mode=bridge,model=virtio

virt-install 
 --autostart
 --check all=on
 --name YOUR_VM_MACHINE
 --memory VM_MEMORY
 --vcpus VM_CPUs
 --os-type linux
 --os-variant ubuntu20.04
 --graphics none
 --wait TIME_TO_WAIT
 --network type=direct,source=eno111,source_mode=bridge,model=virtio
 --disk /path/libvirt/VM_STORAGE_POOL_NAME/YOUR_VM_MACHINE.qcow2
 --cdrom PATH_TO_INSTALLATION_MEDIA

Example:

virt-install 
 --autostart
 --check all=on
 --name YOUR_VM_MACHINE
 --memory 8192
 --vcpus VM_2
 --os-type linux
 --os-variant ubuntu20.04
 --disk /srv/libvirt/YOUR_VM_MACHINE.qcow2,size=25
 --graphics none
 --network type=direct,source=eno111,source_mode=bridge,model=virtio

Other options:

--qemu-commandline

Using kickstart file:

--extra-args "ks=file:/ks.cfg console=ttyS0"

KVM networking

--network network=default
--network=bridge:br0
--network=bridge:virbr0
--network type=direct,source=eth01,source_mode=bridge,model=virtio

--vcpus=VCPUS[,maxvcpus=MAX][,sockets=#][,cores=#][,threads=#]

ERROR    Network not found: no network with matching name 'default'

Logs

~/.cache/virt-manager/virt-install.log
[Wed, 05 Feb 2020 16:30:36 virt-install 2890] DEBUG (virt-install:744) Domain state after install: 1

Examples

virt-install --install ubuntu18.04 --memory 2048 --disk size=2 --graphics vnc,listen=192.168.1.1 --name YOUR_NAME
WARNING  KVM acceleration not available, using 'qemu'
Using ubuntu18.04 --location http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/bionic/main/installer-amd64
WARNING  Graphics requested but DISPLAY is not set. Not running virt-viewer.
WARNING  No console to launch for the guest, defaulting to --wait -1

Related commands

• --virt-type kvm or --virt-type qemu
• virt-builder included in libguestfs-tools package.
• qemu-img
• virt-rescue Run a rescue shell on a virtual machine
• virsh pool-define-as
• virt-manager, virt-viewer and remote-viewer
• virt-clone
• Packer install
• multipass launch
• virt-sysprep
• virsh define
• virt-customize

Activities

• Create a virtual machine using virt-install
• Clone a machine using: virt-clone
• Install KVM in an Ubuntu Server
• Read Use virt-install and connect by using a local VNC client: https://docs.openstack.org/image-guide/virt-install.html
• Install virtio-win
• Understand --location and --extra-args='console=ttyS0' options
• Understand --arch option
• Changelog: https://github.com/virt-manager/virt-manager/blob/master/NEWS.md

Related terms

• Ignition
• --hvm

See also

• virt-install, --disk, --import, --arch, --extra-args, --graphics, --network (KVM), --location, --cloud-init, --virt-type
• libvirtd: systemctl status libvirtd, systemctl status libvirt-guests, Libvirt release notes, logs, libvirtd.conf, /etc/libvirt/, /var/log/libvirt/
• virsh: Storage information, Connecting, Operations, Memory, Snapshots, Networking, CPU, release notes, virsh nodedev-list
• KVM, Installation, QEMU, virsh, virtinst, libguestfs-tools, libvirt, qemu, Red Hat Virtualization (RHV), MacVTap, Virtio, oVirt, KVM services, KVM networking, KVM graphics, CPU, KVM on ARM
• virtinst (package): virt-install, virt-clone, virt-convert and virt-xml

https://github.com/virt-manager/virt-manager/blob/master/NEWS.md#release-300-september-15-2020