This page documents the procedure for creating a new KVM guest on a mayfirst server.

This document is not complete! Do not use it to actually create a new KVM guest yet.

Creating a new KVM guest

1. Install the ​kvm-manager scripts
2. Run kvm-creator to create the new LV for the guest and the needed directory and files in /etc/sv/kvm/:

   USAGE: kvm-creator create|destroy|demo guestname [volumegroup [disksize [ram [tap [mac] ] ] ] 
   

3. Initially it's a good idea to run the demo. This will give you a breakdown of how the server will be created.

   kvm-creator demo GUESTNAME
   

4. After determining the settings you want the machine to have, run the demo command and then the 'create' command.

   EXAMPLE WITH OUTPUT:
   0 negri:~/preseed-repo/squeeze# kvm-creator demo hay vg_negri0 15G 512
   NAME : hay
   VG : vg_negri0
   SIZE : 15G
   RAM : 512
   TAP : tap5
   MAC : 02:01:00:00:00:06
   DISK : /dev/mapper/vg_negri0-hay
   0 negri:~/preseed-repo/squeeze# kvm-creator create hay vg_negri0 15G 512
   Adding user `hay' ...
   Adding new group `hay' (1005) ...
   Adding new user `hay' (1005) with group `hay' ...
   Creating home directory `/home/hay' ...
   Copying files from `/etc/skel' ...
     Logical volume "hay" created
   0 negri:~/preseed-repo/squeeze#
   

5. Add at least one user to the access list for the new KVM guest's serial console
   1. Monkeysphere way:
      1. Add a uid to the /home/<guestname>/.monkeysphere/authorized_user_ids file or copy /root/.monkeysphere/authorized_user_ids to /home/<guestname>/.monkeysphere
   2. SSH key way
      1. Add an SSH key to the /home/<guestname>/.ssh/authorized_keys file
         1. Rebuild the monkeysphere-controlled SSH authorized_keys files:

            monkeysphere-authentication update-users 
            

6. If you are installing an operating system to the new KVM guest:
   1. Customize the details for the server you are installing
      1. First copy /root/preseed-repo/squeeze/example-server-specifics.cfg to <guestname>-server-specifics.cfg
         1. Edit <guestname>-server-specifics.cfg with the new server's info
      2. Change into /usr/local/share/ISOs: cd /usr/local/share/ISOs
      3. Run:

         0 negri: di-maker hay-squeeze.iso /root/preseed-repo/squeeze/preseed.cfg /root/preseed-repo/squeeze/hay-server-specifics.cfg /root/preseed-repo/squeeze/late_command                                    
         --2011-03-05 15:22:04--  http://ftp.nl.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/installer-amd64/current/images/netboot/debian-installer/amd64/linux                                                                                
         Resolving ftp.nl.debian.org... 130.89.149.21, 2001:610:1908:a000::149:21                                       
         Connecting to ftp.nl.debian.org|130.89.149.21|:80... connected.                                                
         HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK                                                                 
         Length: 2417312 (2.3M) [application/octet-stream]                                                              
         Saving to: “linux”                                                                                             
                                                                                                                        
         100%[=====================================================================>] 2,417,312   1.81M/s   in 1.3s     
                                                                                                                        
         2011-03-05 15:22:05 (1.81 MB/s) - “linux” saved [2417312/2417312]                                              
                                                                                                                        
         --2011-03-05 15:22:05--  http://ftp.nl.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/installer-amd64/current/images/netboot/debian-installer/amd64/initrd.gz                                                                            
         Reusing existing connection to ftp.nl.debian.org:80.
         HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
         Length: 6747069 (6.4M) [application/octet-stream]
         Saving to: “initrd.gz”
         
         100%[=====================================================================>] 6,747,069   3.40M/s   in 1.9s    
         
         2011-03-05 15:22:07 (3.40 MB/s) - “initrd.gz” saved [6747069/6747069]
         
         FINISHED --2011-03-05 15:22:07--
         Downloaded: 2 files, 8.7M in 3.2s (2.76 MB/s)
         38743 blocks
         38772 blocks
         Enabling BIOS support ...
         xorriso 0.5.6 : RockRidge filesystem manipulator, libburnia project.
         
         0 negri:/usr/local/share/ISOs# 
         

   2. Create a symlink called cd.iso in the /home/<guestname>/vms/<guestname>/ directory with a target of the desired ISO:

      ln -s  /usr/local/share/ISOs/<some-installer>.iso /home/<guestname/vms/<guestname>/cd.iso
      

1. Tell runit to start the guest automatically

   update-service --add /etc/sv/kvm/SERVER-NAME
   

2. Log into the new guest via ssh: ssh SERVER-NAME@HOST-NAME
3. Install an OS: everything should be handled by preseed file