Virt-install

virt-install is part of virtinst package. ( https://linux.die.net/man/1/virt-install)

virt-install --prompt

Options

• --unattended Since release 2.2.0 (June 17, 2019)
• --install fedora29 since release 2.2.0 (June 17, 2019) (See also: libosinfo)

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"

With errors

WARNING  KVM acceleration not available, using 'qemu'
WARNING  Requested memory 512 MiB is less than the recommended 2048 MiB for OS ubuntu20.04
WARNING  CDROM media does not print to the text console by default, so you likely will not see text install output. You might want to use --location. See the man page for examples of 
using --location with CDROM media

WARNING  KVM acceleration not available, using 'qemu'
Using ubuntu20.04 --location http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/focal/main/installer-amd64
WARNING  Using legacy d-i based installer, that has been deprecated and will be removed in the future. https://discourse.ubuntu.com/c/server
Using default --name ubuntu20.04
WARNING  Requested memory 500 MiB is less than the recommended 2048 MiB for OS ubuntu20.04
WARNING  Graphics requested but DISPLAY is not set. Not running virt-viewer.
WARNING  No console to launch for the guest, defaulting to --wait -1

ERROR    Cannot get interface MTU on 'br0': No such device

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

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

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