virt-install --import

virt-install --import Skip the OS installation process

sudo virt-install 
  --name VM_NAME 
  --import
  --ram 2048
  --vcpus=4
  --os-type=linux
  --os-variant=ubuntu18.04
  --nographics
  --disk /path/to/your/image/IMAGE_NAME.qcow2,,size=25

Starting install...
Allocating 'IMAGE_NAME.qcow2'                                                                                        |  25 GB  00:00:00
Domain creation completed.

With no OS option:

sudo virt-install --name VM_NAME --import --ram 2048 --disk /path/to/your/image/IMAGE_NAME.img

WARNING  No operating system detected, VM performance may suffer. Specify an OS with --os-variant for optimal results.
WARNING  Graphics requested but DISPLAY is not set. Not running virt-viewer.
WARNING  No console to launch for the guest, defaulting to --wait -1
Starting install...
Domain installation still in progress. Waiting for installation to complete.

Other options:

--noautoconsole
--network type=direct,source=ETH_INTERFACE,source_mode=bridge,model=virtio

(--extra-args only work if specified with --location)
--extra-args "hostname=YOUR_HOSTNAME console=ttyS0 ip=10.10.10.10 dns=8.8.8.8 gateway=10.10.10.1 netmask=255.255.255.0 ks=file:/ks.cfg"
    (ks=file:/ks.cfg Kickstarter file)

See also

• Virt-install Windows
• virt-install, --disk, --import, --arch, --extra-args, --graphics, --network (KVM), --location, --cloud-init, --virt-type
• virsh console

http://www.admin-magazine.com/Articles/Generate-VM-Images-with-virt-builder