ArchLinux 2010 05 - vm niginstallation guide

Preliminary

you need the script vm-create in your path and its system config file /etc/vm-create.conf.

To perform a net install of a virtual machine called "archibald" - with 8 GB disk, bridge, sound support and virtio - to a remote host called "bareil", use the following syntax:

# vm-create -c bareil -s 8 -S -b br0 -V -u archlinux archibald

Pool install refreshed

Starting install...
Allocating 'archibald.img'                          | 8.0 GB     00:00     
Creating domain...                                  |   0  B     00:00

You can use the option -t to print the whole command to be passed to virt-install to standard output before executing it:

# vm-create -t -c bareil -s 8 -S -b br0 -V -u archlinux archibald

virt-install 
--connect=qemu+ssh://bareil/system 
--ram=512 
--arch=i386 
--vcpus=1 
--video=vga 
--soundhw=default 
--description="archibald (archlinux) - vm guest on host bareil" 
--os-variant=virtio26 
--disk vol=install/archlinux-2010.05-netinstall-i686.iso,device=cdrom 
--boot=cdrom,hd,network 
--disk pool=default,size=8 
--network bridge=br0 
--vnc 
--vnclisten=0.0.0.0 
--name=archibald

A detailled description of the vm-create script has been posted in the openSUSE forum: vm-create : create kvm virtual machines

Booting Arch Linux

you can press TAB at the boot menu and specify a higher resolution by appending the option vga to the kernel line. The numbers 771 and 773 respectively provide 800x600 and 1024x768 framebuffer. We'll use 771 in this tutorial.

You can use the mousewheel to navigate in the slideshow

Arch Linux Live ISO (tty1)
Linux-2.6.33-ARCH i686.
Default logins "root" and "arch" have no password.
To begin installation, login as root.
archiso login: root

Automatic installation with nwminstall

The steps needed to successfully install Grub in the automatic installation procedure include:

set host name
hostname archibald
configure the network:
aif -p partial-configure-network
find out your ip with ifconfig:
ifconfig eth0
grant ssh access to that host and IP on one of our servers. As root, type the following:
allow -s archibald 207
copy the file nvminstall from server in /tmp:
cd /tmp ; scp gwynn:/usr/local/bat/nvminstall .
execute the script with the hostname as argument:
./nvminstall archibald

These steps are described in the slideshow below.

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After install

You can now shutdown (rather than reboot) the virtual machine with halt , switch the boot devices order in virt-manager and disconnect the netinstall iso image from the CDROM. When you restart the virtual machine you will see the Grub menu and be able to start ArchLinux.

Examples

install of a 64 bit virtual machine called "maud" - with 1 x 20 GB disk, 2GB RAM, bridge, NO sound support and virtio - to a remote host called "gwynn":

You can use the mousewheel to navigate in the slideshow