--- title: Deployment of a Fedora guest description: Deploy a Fedora guest system with virt-install, manually or automatically published: true date: 2021-11-12T15:44:54.810Z tags: editor: markdown dateCreated: 2021-08-12T10:06:58.917Z --- # Virt-install and Fedora guests ## Introduction *virt-install* is a command-line utility to install virtual machines. ### Prerequesites * These prerequesites are for Fedora only, as Phyllome OS ships with virt-install by default. Install the *virt-install* command-line tool on Fedora : ``` # dnf install virt-install ``` ## Manual installation Use the following command to automatically launch the Fedora installation process. It will also automatically create a disk image to install Fedora on. Make sure you have at least 20 GB of free space. ``` $ virt-install --install fedora32 Using fedora32 --location https://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/releases/32/Everything/x86_64/os Using default --name fedora32 Using fedora32 default --memory 2048 Using fedora32 default --disk size=20 Starting install... Retrieving file vmlinuz... | 10 MB 00:00:00 Retrieving file initrd.img... | 74 MB 00:00:03 Allocating 'fedora32-2.qcow2' | 20 GB 00:00:00 Running graphical console command: virt-viewer --connect qemu:///session --wait fedora32 ``` It should automatically launch the guest console. Eventually, you should see the Anaconda installer first page. Other options include : `android-x86-9.0`, `centos8`, `clearlinux`, `debian9`, `macosx10.7`, `nixos-20.03`, `ubuntu20.04`, `win10` > The virt-install package that comes with Fedora 34 doesn't work yet with argument *fedora34* {.is-warning} ## Automated installation ### Local iso and kickstart > Requires an Internet connection {.is-info} * Fetch a Fedora iso file using wget and put it in the current working directory ``` $ wget https://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/releases/34/Server/x86_64/iso/Fedora-Server-dvd-x86_64-34-1.2.iso ``` * Fetch a kickstart script using wget and put it in the current working directory ``` $ wget https://git.phyllo.me/home/kickstart/raw/branch/main/leaves/imd.cfg ``` > If using a custom kickstart script, make sure it includes the cdrom option. {.is-warning} * Deploy a UEFI-based machine with Fedora Server using the relative path of the local kickstart file ``` $ virt-install \ --connect qemu:///system \ --virt-type kvm \ --arch x86_64 \ --machine q35 \ --name imd \ --boot uefi \ --cpu host-model,topology.sockets=1,topology.cores=2,topology.threads=2 \ --vcpus 4 \ --memory 8192 \ --video virtio \ --channel spicevmc \ --autoconsole none \ --sound none \ --controller type=virtio-serial \ --controller type=usb,model=none \ --controller type=scsi,model=virtio-scsi \ --network network=default,model=virtio \ --input type=keyboard,bus=virtio \ --input type=tablet,bus=virtio \ --rng /dev/urandom,model=virtio \ --disk path=/var/lib/libvirt/images/imd.img,format=raw,bus=virtio,cache=writeback,size=5 \ --location=/var/lib/libvirt/iso/Fedora-Server-dvd-x86_64-34-1.2.iso \ --initrd-inject imd.cfg --extra-args "inst.ks=file:/imd.cfg" ``` ### Remote installation with local kickstart > Requires an Internet connection {.is-info} * Fetch a kickstart script using wget and put it in the current working directory ``` $ wget https://git.phyllo.me/home/kickstart/raw/branch/main/leaves/vmd.cfg ``` > If using a custom kickstart script, make sure it includes repo information {.is-warning} ``` $ virt-install \ --connect qemu:///system \ --virt-type kvm \ --arch x86_64 \ --machine q35 \ --name vmd \ --boot uefi \ --cpu host-model,topology.sockets=1,topology.cores=2,topology.threads=2 \ --vcpus 4 \ --memory 8192 \ --video virtio \ --channel spicevmc \ --autoconsole none \ --sound none \ --controller type=virtio-serial \ --controller type=usb,model=none \ --controller type=scsi,model=virtio-scsi \ --network network=default,model=virtio \ --input type=keyboard,bus=virtio \ --input type=tablet,bus=virtio \ --rng /dev/urandom,model=virtio \ --disk path=/var/lib/libvirt/images/vmd.img,format=raw,bus=virtio,cache=writeback,size=5 \ --location=https://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/releases/34/Everything/x86_64/os/ \ --initrd-inject bmd.cfg --extra-args "inst.ks=file:/bmd.cfg" ``` ### Remote installation with remote kickstart * Alternatively, same as above but without fetching the kickstart file. The last line has to be swapped with : ``` virt-install \ --connect qemu:///system \ --virt-type kvm \ --arch x86_64 \ --machine q35 \ --name flat-dmd \ --boot uefi \ --cpu host-model,topology.sockets=1,topology.cores=2,topology.threads=2 \ --vcpus 4 \ --memory 8192 \ --video virtio \ --channel spicevmc \ --autoconsole none \ --sound none \ --controller type=virtio-serial \ --controller type=usb,model=none \ --controller type=scsi,model=virtio-scsi \ --network network=default,model=virtio \ --input type=keyboard,bus=virtio \ --input type=tablet,bus=virtio \ --rng /dev/urandom,model=virtio \ --disk path=/var/lib/libvirt/images/flat-dmd.img,format=raw,bus=virtio,cache=writeback,size=5 \ --location=https://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/releases/34/Everything/x86_64/os/ \ --extra-args="inst.ks=https://git.phyllo.me/home/kickstart/raw/branch/main/flat/flat-dmd.cfg" ``` ### Local deployment without installation The idea here is to define a virtual machine and use the netboot.xyz.iso as a way to boot into an installer. ``` virt-install \ --connect qemu:///system \ --virt-type kvm \ --arch x86_64 \ --machine q35 \ --name live-with-netboot-xyz \ --boot uefi \ --cpu host-model,topology.sockets=1,topology.cores=1,topology.threads=1 \ --vcpus 1 \ --memory 2048 \ --video virtio \ --channel spicevmc \ --autoconsole none \ --sound none \ --controller type=virtio-serial \ --controller type=usb,model=none \ --controller type=scsi,model=virtio-scsi \ --network network=default,model=virtio \ --input type=keyboard,bus=virtio \ --input type=tablet,bus=virtio \ --rng /dev/urandom,model=virtio \ --disk none \ --cdrom=/var/lib/libvirt/iso/netboot.xyz.iso \ --install no_install=yes ``` ### Built-in unattended mode virt-install can rely on libosinfo's unattended install support to deploy fedora34 without any user intervention: `virt-install --install fedora32 --unattended` ### Cloud-init Cloud-init may be used alongside virt-install: `virt-install --install fedora34,cloud=yes --cloud-init root-password-generate=on ssh-key=/home/user/.ssh/test_rsa.pub disable=on`