Using KVM on CentOS7

  1. Install CentOS7 with Virtualization Host feature

centos7-virtualization1

The Virtualization Host doesn’t install the virt-install and virt-manager. Run the following command to install them.

$ sudo yum install virt-install virt-manager

Also you can install KVM by following command if you didn’t install Virtualization Host feature.

$ sudo yum install kvm virt-manager libvirt virt-install qemu-kvm xauth dejavu-lgc-sans-fonts
  1. check kvm module installation
$ lsmod|grep kvm

kvm_intel             162153  110

kvm                   525409  1 kvm_intel
  1. Setup X server and run virt-manager
$ DISPLAY=149.4.68.230:0.0

$ export DISPLAY

$ sudo virt-manager
  1. KVM cli examples
// check cpu info

$ egrep -c '(vmx|svm)' /proc/cpuinfo

// list templates

$ osinfo-query os

// list VMs

$ sudo virsh --connect qemu:///system list

$ sudo virsh --connect qemu:///system list --all


// show guest infomration

$ sudo virsh dominfo Fedora24

Id:             -

Name:           Fedora24

UUID:           d1e8dd90-54fb-46ee-92af-dad8ec914b2e

OS Type:        hvm

State:          shut off

CPU(s):         2

Max memory:     4194304 KiB

Used memory:    0 KiB

Persistent:     yes

Autostart:      disable

Managed save:   no

Security model: selinux

Security DOI:   0


// shutdown

$ sudo virsh --connect qemu:///system shutdown Fedora24

// force stop

$ sudo virsh --connect qemu:///system destroy Fedora24

// start

$ sudo virsh --connect qemu:///system start Fedora24


// delete guest

$ sudo virsh --connect qemu:///system destroy Fedora24

$ sudo virsh --connect qemu:///system undefine Fedora24

$ sudo rm -f /var/lib/libvirt/images/Fedora24.img

$ sudo virsh pool-refresh default
  1. Autostart guest
// autostart guest

$ sudo virsh --connect qemu:///system autostart Fedora24

$ sudo virsh --connect qemu:///system dominfo Fedora24|grep Auto

Set auto start from GUI

kvm-autostart

  1. Issues

a) Using samba share file failed. Report permission denied. Copy install iso images to local and it works fine

b) After clone a VM from GUI, cannot start and report missing the folder such as Fedora24-template which is the source VM name. Created a tool to check the folder.  If the folder is gone, the tool creates it immediately.

Reference: http://jensd.be/207/linux/install-and-use-centos-7-as-kvm-virtualization-host

Written on November 15, 2016