CentOS virt - Oct 2011 - using local media file to install guest

Hi,
Been fighting with this for a long time and have narrowed my issues down 
to one item...

How to use a iso image file to install a guest os with centos6?

I installed centos6 with the virt host package.

According to few obscure sites virt-install cannot use local media iso 
to install guests.
With virt-manager I was able to use the same iso to make a guest, but I 
do not want the gui on the server.

I tried mounting, umounting it..I tried using dd to bring the bootable 
iso from the cdrom.

the issue I think, but not sure, is the use of the console directive 
with virt-install.
It appears --extra-args="console=tty0 console=ttyS0,115200" works fine
when using --location, but not --cdrom

Unfortunately '--location" will ignore the path provided for the local 
iso and want to go to
a url, an nfs, a virtual hard drive or cdrom....thus not able to install 
from local media.
However, the text installer does come up.

when using "--cdrom" and use location to the different ISO's I
added the
console will not come up
as the --extra-args="console=tty0 console=ttyS0,115200" is ignored I
assume.

I cannot believe that the only way to install a guest on my machine is 
to use the desktop gui or a
remote iso only. There has to be a way to install via the local iso...

I have tried about 40 times with different ideas, even playing with the 
files on the mounted bootable iso.
However, the console only works with --location thus unusable.....sigh.

any help appreciated.

here is just a basic example of my attempts
virt-install --name test --ram=1024 --vcpus=1 --prompt --nographics 
--location=/backups/backup1/centos6.iso --extra-args="console=tty0 
console=ttyS0,115200"

I do not want VNC since again, that is not part of the normal install 
and is again asking me to use a remote computer
to install on my local one, which is just not right. There must be a way 
to install on my local computer, from my local computer,
from local file, a local guest.... isn't there?

Run virt-manager on a separate machine, and use the COS6 minimal iso for 
the install. Haven't done this yet myself, but I'd bet it will work.

On 10/26/2011 02:37 PM, Bob Hoffman wrote:
> Hi,
> Been fighting with this for a long time and have narrowed my issues down
> to one item...
>
> How to use a iso image file to install a guest os with centos6?
>
> I installed centos6 with the virt host package.
>
> According to few obscure sites virt-install cannot use local media iso
> to install guests.
> With virt-manager I was able to use the same iso to make a guest, but I
> do not want the gui on the server.
>
> I tried mounting, umounting it..I tried using dd to bring the bootable
> iso from the cdrom.
>
> the issue I think, but not sure, is the use of the console directive
> with virt-install.
> It appears --extra-args="console=tty0 console=ttyS0,115200" works
fine
> when using --location, but not --cdrom
>
> Unfortunately '--location" will ignore the path provided for the
local
> iso and want to go to
> a url, an nfs, a virtual hard drive or cdrom....thus not able to install
> from local media.
> However, the text installer does come up.
>
> when using "--cdrom" and use location to the different ISO's
I added the
> console will not come up
> as the --extra-args="console=tty0 console=ttyS0,115200" is
ignored I assume.
>
> I cannot believe that the only way to install a guest on my machine is
> to use the desktop gui or a
> remote iso only. There has to be a way to install via the local iso...
>
> I have tried about 40 times with different ideas, even playing with the
> files on the mounted bootable iso.
> However, the console only works with --location thus unusable.....sigh.
>
> any help appreciated.
>
> here is just a basic example of my attempts
> virt-install --name test --ram=1024 --vcpus=1 --prompt --nographics
> --location=/backups/backup1/centos6.iso --extra-args="console=tty0
> console=ttyS0,115200"
>
> I do not want VNC since again, that is not part of the normal install
> and is again asking me to use a remote computer
> to install on my local one, which is just not right. There must be a way
> to install on my local computer, from my local computer,
> from local file, a local guest.... isn't there?

-- 
-Eric 'shubes'