====== virt-manager KVM GUI ======

===== Remote management with virt-manager =====

You have to install this on the **target** machine:

  * netcat (nc)
  * qemu-kvm
  * libvirtd

===== using a physical disk =====

==== empty target ====
  - Click on the “File” menu at the top left of the window.
  - Click on the “New Virtual Machine” menu entry.
  - Choose your installation media.
  - Click on “Forward”.
  - Follow the wizard as usual until you reach step 4.
  - On step 4, choose “Select or create custom storage”.
  - Inside the text field, type something like “/dev/disk/by-id/{id of the disk}” or “/dev/sdXX”.
    - If you don’t want to ever use command line, you can install GParted or GNOME Disks, they’ll tell you the /dev path.
  - Click “Forward”.
  -  Finish the wizard as you would do usually.

**Do NOT use a physical disk or partition if you plan to do anything risky or if you don’t know what are you doing.**

Using a physical disk, you can lose data, overwrite the bootloader by mistake, or a virus could make your computer unbootable by messing up with labels.

Using a physical partition is, however, more safe than using a physical disk, but you can still lose the data of the partition. **Do NOT share a mounted physical partition except if you know what are you doing.**

**Upon deletion of the VM, when it asks for “Deleting associated storage files”, do NOT forget to uncheck your /dev device.**

==== booting from an already-installed disk ====
  - Click on the “File” menu at the top left of the window.
  - Click on the “New Virtual Machine” menu entry.
  - Choose “Import existing disk image” in the wizard.
  - Inside the text field, type something like “/dev/disk/by-id/{id of the disk}” or “/dev/sdXX”.
If you don’t want to ever use command line, you can install GParted or GNOME Disks, they’ll tell you the /dev path.
  - Choose the appropriate “OS Type” and “Version”.
  - Click “Forward”.
  - Finish the wizard as you would do usually.

**WARNING: You may want to personalize the VM settings and disk emulation settings in order to boot properly on it.**

If your OS expects SATA and virt-manager sets it up to IDE, you will probably be unable to boot without a reinstall ‒ but if you use this steps' list instead of the first one, it’s precisely to not reinstall it.

**As well, all warnings of the first method applies here.**

Note: Booting using this method on an already-installed partition is almost impossible, since bootloaders are often inside the disk, and not in a partition.

Instead:
  - Go make a VM with a little virtual disk with a LiveCD/LiveDVD/LiveUSB as installation source. Little = 101 MiB.
  - Inside the settings of the VM, add a new hard disk with a path like “/dev/disk/by-id/{id of the disk}” or “/dev/sdXX”.
    - If you don’t want to ever use command line, you can install GParted or GNOME Disks, they’ll tell you the /dev path.
  - Start the virtual machine.
  - Create a partition table on the virtual disk.
  - Create a 100 MiB ext2 partition on this virtual disk.
  - Mount that new partition.
  - Inside a Terminal, run: grub-install {/dev path to your 100 MiB partition} --boot-directory={mounted path to your 100 MiB partition}/boot/grub2
  - Then run create a grub.cfg inside the{mounted path to your 100 MiB partition}/boot/grub2 folder suitable for booting on the 2nd hard disk.
    - grub-mkconfig may not probe the distribution on the other disk if it lacks a partition table.
    - GRUB can boot from a physical partition.
  - Remove the LiveCD/LiveDVD/LiveUSB from your VM.
  - Reboot.