I'm diving into the world of virtualization, specifically with QEMU, libvirt, and virsh, and I'm struggling with setting up a proper serial console for my virtual machines. I want to interact with my VMs, both from my local machine and from the host server, using tools like virt-manager and virsh console.
I've set up a VM on virt-manager, connecting it to my host server over SSH. Both the host and guest systems are running Debian. After creating the VM, I removed the video device since I prefer to configure the GRUB settings for a serial console, but I'm facing persistent issues. For instance, the Backspace key doesn't register in the guest, making it tricky to use the console. Though I've tried adjusting the VM's XML configuration, my changes keep getting reverted.
Moreover, when attempting to create a VM in console mode using virsh, I encountered more issues during the Debian installer process. The interface is cramped, lacking scrolling features, and after installation, I can't seem to boot into console mode due to GRUB settings. Overall, I'm just hoping to get at least one of these methods—either Virt-Manager or Virsh Console—to function properly. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
4 Answers
Have you considered using VNC or SPICE for remote console access instead of relying solely on serial consoles? We often use those because they handle various guest operating systems better—especially for older ones like Windows or even DOS. Sometimes serial just won't cut it for those scenarios!
This seems to be a common problem. Have you tried installing all the necessary packages explicitly? Sometimes when installing QEMU or libvirt, key dependencies might be missing which can cause console issues. Double-check your installation.
I've checked dependencies, and they appear to be fine. Everything is up to date on all systems.
Honestly, I switched to Proxmox for situations like this. It's a lot smoother for managing VMs, and I wouldn’t deal with virtualization on Linux without it. Have you tried Proxmox? It could simplify your setup.
I did try Proxmox, but I'm really focused on understanding the fundamentals of QEMU and libvirt. I feel like I wouldn't learn as much with a more straightforward solution.
Here’s a helpful link about KVM and hypervisors: https://ubuntu.com/blog/kvm-hyphervisor. It might give you some insights on better setups and troubleshooting your current issues. Good luck!
I did use virt-manager which defaults to SPICE, but I’m facing issues with cross-machine copy-paste, and the resource overhead isn't ideal.