Using virt-install to create a Ubuntu VM with iso / access to virsh console

Question

I am trying to set up a Ubuntu server VM (CLI only) on a Debian host (CLI only) using virt-install (version 1.0.1).

But following install:

sudo virt-install --name=<name> --disk path=/home/locadm/kvm/images/ubuntu/bionic-image1.img,format=raw,device=disk,bus=virtio,cache=none --memory=1024 --vcpu=1 --cdrom=./ubuntu-18.04.4-live-server-amd64.iso

I get:

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. Starting install... Creating domain... | 0 B 00:00 Connected to domain Escape character is ^]

There is no response to any keyboard input (except the escape command). I used this when creating the VM:

--cdrom=<LOCAL PATH TO ISO>

From what i've read I could instead use:

--location=<URL PATH TO INSTALLER> \ --extra-args console=ttyS0

(which may resolve the issue)

but the problem is I have no internet connection so cannot use a url. I have tried mounting the iso file and specifying that as a location but that failed.

`virsh list` indicates the vm is _running_ but then I'd need to log in a install. Is there another option other than the virsh console? — 2one, Apr 22 '20 at 08:02
I've found a related post: https://askubuntu.com/questions/789358/virt-install-using-location-with-iso-image-no-longer-working but resolution not clear to me as I'm using `virt-install` CL tool. — 2one, Apr 22 '20 at 08:18
Can you document your installation command? Perhaps also the output you got from it and from "virsh list" ? — Gerard H. Pille, Apr 22 '20 at 09:20

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 22 '20 at 16:28

I decided to give up on Ubuntu for the time being although this solution would probably work for a ubuntu iso also.

I did the following:

Create disk:

qemu-img create -f raw disk.img +2G

Download netinst VM iso from here:

https://www.debian.org/distrib/netinst

i.e. I copied the file https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current/amd64/iso-cd/debian-10.3.0-amd64-netinst.iso to the VM host.

VM setup

virt-install --accelerate --hvm --connect qemu:///system --cdrom debian-10.3.0-amd64-netinst.iso --name <vm_name> --ram 256 --disk path=disk.img,size=3 --vnc

On a Windows 10 machine (on the same network) I set up a SSH tunnel (using Putty / Powershell) for VNC to my new VM:

ssh -N -T <username>@<vm_host_machine> -L 5900:127.0.0.1:5906 -v

I worked out that the port for my new VM was 5906 using the following command on the VM host:

virsh vncdisplay <vm_name>

Back on Windows 10 machine:

I opened "VNC Viewer" and created a new vnc server connection (File > New connection) to "localhost:5900" and voila a GUI with the Debian installer for my new VM popped up!

Convoluted but it works.

Using virt-install to create a Ubuntu VM with iso / access to virsh console

1 Answers1