NAME

virt-image - create virtual machines from an image descriptor

SYNOPSIS

virt-image [OPTION]... IMAGE.XML

DESCRIPTION

virt-image is a command line tool for creating virtual machines from an XML image descriptor IMAGE.XML (virt-image(5)). Most attributes of the virtual machine are taken from the XML descriptor (e.g., where the files to back the virtual machine's disks are and how to map them into the guest), though certain information must be added on the command line, such as the name of the guest. Missing information will be queried interactively.

The XML descriptor defines most attributes of the guest, making it possible to bundle and distribute it together with the files backing the guest's disks.

OPTIONS

Any of the options can be omitted, in which case virt-image will either use defaults from the XML descriptor or interactively prompt for input as required. When defaults are taken from the XML descriptor, they are indicated below as a path.

-h, --help: Show the help message and exit
-n NAME, --name=NAME: Name of the guest instance
-r MEMORY, --ram=MEMORY: Memory to allocate for guest instance in megabytes. Defaults to /image/devices/memory in the XML descriptor.
-u UUID, --uuid=UUID: UUID for the guest; if none is given a random UUID will be generated. If you specify UUID, you should use a 32-digit hexadecimal number.
--vcpus=VCPUS: Number of vcpus to configure for your guest. Defaults to /image/devices/vcpu in the XML descriptor.
--check-cpu: Check that vcpus do not exceed physical CPUs and warn if they do.
-m MAC, --mac=MAC: Fixed MAC address for the guest. See virt-install(1) for details
-b BRIDGE, --bridge=BRIDGE: Bridge device to connect the guest NIC to. See virt-install(1) for details
-w NETWORK, --network=NETWORK: Connect the guest to the host network. See virt-install(1) for details
--vnc: Setup a virtual console in the guest and export it as a VNC server in the host. See virt-install(1) for details
--vncport=VNCPORT: Request a permanent, statically assigned port number for the guest VNC console. See virt-install(1) for details
--sdl: Setup a virtual console in the guest and display an SDL window in the host to render the output. See virt-install(1) for details
--nographics: Disable all interactive prompts for the guest virtual console. See virt-install(1) for details
-k KEYMAP, --keymap=KEYMAP: Request that the virtual console be configured to run with a non-English keyboard layout.
--connect=CONNECT Connect to hypervisor with URI: Connect to a non-default hypervisor. See virt-install(1) for details
--noapic: Disables APIC for fully virtualized guest (overrides value in XML descriptor)
--noacpi: Disables ACPI for fully virtualized guest (overrides value in XML descriptor)
-d, --debug: Print debugging information
-p, --print: Print the libvirt XML, but do not start the guest.
--boot=BOOT: The zero-based index of the boot record to use. The XML descriptor can contain multiple /image/domain/boot elements for use on different hypervisors. By default, the one that is most appropriate for the current hypervisor is selected.

EXAMPLES

Create and start a guest called example with a VNC console from image.xml:

  # virt-image --name example --vnc -i image.xml

Print the libvirt XML for a guest called example without graphics, but do not create or start a virtual machine:

  # virt-image --print --name example --nographics --image image.xml

AUTHOR

Written by David Lutterkort. See the AUTHORS file in the source distribution for the complete list of credits.

BUGS

Report bugs to the mailing list http://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/et-mgmt-tools or directly to BugZilla http://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/ against the Fedora product, and the python-virtinst component.

COPYRIGHT

Copyright (C) 2006-2007 Red Hat, Inc, and various contributors. This is free software. You may redistribute copies of it under the terms of the GNU General Public License http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.