[SOLVED] KVM Virtual machine using virt-install on a LVM partition

Question

Hello,
I am far from an expert, and I am trying to build a virtual machine (debian squeeze) on my Arch 64 bits host. The VM will serve as a server with usual services (http, mail, ftp, media server etc). This is only for my own purpose and I do it as a hobby.I have no obligation to success, and more important I want to understand everything i do. I have some doubts, so why my post here.
I want to install the VM on a LVM partition.
-I first create successfully a LVM partition on /dev/sda4
$fdisk -l /dev/sda
/dev/sda4 1925115904 2949116309 512000203 8e LVM Linux
I will install the VM (named "daffodil") on a 200G Logical Volume on groupe vg0
$ lvcreate –n lv_daffodil –L 200G vg0
Logical volume “lv_daffodil” created
Now I need to create the VM. I want to use virt-install IN COMMAND LINE. After days an days of reading (and headache), here is what i think is the correct command :
virt-install --connect qemu:///system --name=daffodil --ram 8192 --cpu host
--disk path=/dev/vg0/lv_daffodil,size=200,bus=virtio,sparse=false,format=raw --cdrom /var/lib/libvirt/images/isofiles/debian-6.0.4-amd64-netinst.iso
--description="daffodil (debian squeeze) - vm guest on host magnolia" --graphics vnc --os-type=linux --os-variant=debiansqueeze
--network bridge:br0 --video=vga --hvm --accelerate
So my questions :
Is the command correct and academic?
I think size=200 is maybe not needed, as the LV has already be created. Right?
format=raw seems weird to me and not needed. Right?
My host has 16G RAM. Shall I put 16 as --ram argument or stay with 8 ?
How about the filesystem? I want an ext4. Shall I create it on lv_daffodil BEFORE the install or will I do it under the install process when partitioning?
Any advantage in creating smaller than 200G logical volume, even if I want my VM have enough space (The whole HD is 2T)?
Not sure about the --accelerate argument
Any hint for optimization?
As a n00b ++, will I be able to manage SELinux on my server, as it seems a litle bit tricky?
what about --noautoconsole argument?
Thank you for your help and knowledge.
Last edited by gabx (2012-05-02 10:39:16)

Answer 1

As I didn't have any answer in one week, I suscribed to [email protected]
For those of you interested in KVM, find below a script doing excatly the needed job.
#!/bin/bash
#created Thursday April 26 2012
#following Richard W.M.Jones <[email protected]> advices and script
#this script can be changed according your own need. This one will
#install a debian VM called daffodil on a LVM partition, with 2 CPU, 8192 RAM
# Script used to install VMs.
# You have to lvcreate the disk first!
# lvcreate -L sizeG -n $name vg_data
set -e
name=daffodil
cpus="--cpu=host --vcpus=2"
disk="--disk path=/dev/vg0/lv_daffodil"
location="--cdrom /var/lib/libvirt/images/isofiles/debian-6.0.4-amd64-netinst.iso
type="--os-type=linux"
variant="--os-variant=debiansqueeze"
graphics="--graphics spice"
bus="virtio"
network="--network bridge=br0"
virt-install -n $name -r 8192 \
$name $cpus $type $variant $disk $location $graphics $bus $network
To answer to some of my queries in first post:
no need to give the size as I want to use the full lvm I created first. Virt-install will pick up the size
the filesystem will be created during install
CPU amount should be less than the host, as well as CPU numbers.
--accelerate argument is no more needed
spice give usually better graphic results than vnc