Easy to manage KVM host setup
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Use Fedora Server instead of CentOS for your KVM host.
Cockpit is capable of managing virtual machines.
sudo dnf install cockpit cockpit-machines sudo systemctl enable --now cockpit.socket sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=cockpit sudo firewall-cmd --reload https://ip-address:9090/ -
I agree, Fedora over CentOS. You don't want your host that outdated.
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@pete-s
shhhh dont listen to them, Centos rocks for KVM. They just love living bleeding edge.
Also KVM has no standard GUI even the semi-official stuff in the repo wont allow you to create VM but will allow you to monitor their status, assuming you wont everything on one machine, the KVM + management tools.
The defacto best GUI is applicaiton called Virt-Manager, this can be on Fedora to get the latest version of it, while the web interface manager is called cockpit and it has addon for KVM called cockpit-machines
Start from minimal Centos :
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Check CPU support for Virtualization:
grep -E '(vmx|svm)' /proc/cpuinfo -
Install KVM:
yum groupinstall Virtualization "Virtualization Platform" "Virtualization Tools" -y -
For remote managment install cockpit:
yum install cockpit cockpit-machines cockpit-storaged cockpit-networkmanager -y
systemctl start cockpit
systemctl enable cockpit.socket -
Setup passwordless SSH login from the KVM server to the Virt-Manager machine (can be VM or real)
ssh-keygen
ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub 192.168.1.x -
Validate by "virt-host-validate"
and visit => https://192.168.1.x:9090
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@scottalanmiller would it not depend on what you want to gain from using kvm on a certain dist? say, wanting to gain experience in the most widely used distribution in linux shops? i assumed that would be centos.
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No matter what OS you use Virt-Manager is the only GUI that will do everything. Cockpit isn't there yet, you can only do limited tasks with it.
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Anyone has an idea that how to set CPU limit per vm. The vm has to be limited to use only 10% of one core. Cggroups? Thanks a lot
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@abcy said in Easy to manage KVM host setup:
Anyone has an idea that how to set CPU limit per vm. The vm has to be limited to use only 10% of one core. Cggroups? Thanks a lot
Using Virt-Manager, these are the only options available.
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Fedora Server was a no go on the old HP server I had. It would hang during install.
I tried xcp-ng (= xenserver ~ centos) on it and it installed fine. Debian 9 also installs fine.I'll try CentOS next.
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@emad-r said in Easy to manage KVM host setup:
Centos rocks for KVM
I still use CentOS too. I just hate how old packages like cockpit is on it especially related to cockpit-machine.
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@pete-s said in Easy to manage KVM host setup:
Fedora Server was a no go on the old HP server I had. It would hang during install.
I tried xcp-ng (= xenserver ~ centos) on it and it installed fine. Debian 9 also installs fine.I'll try CentOS next.
That's surprising. What server is it?
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@abcy said in Easy to manage KVM host setup:
Anyone has an idea that how to set CPU limit per vm. The vm has to be limited to use only 10% of one core. Cggroups? Thanks a lot
What is the ungodly use case for this restriction?
I mean this seriously. I want to know what business need could possibly cause a restriciton like this to come into play.
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@jaredbusch said in Easy to manage KVM host setup:
@abcy said in Easy to manage KVM host setup:
Anyone has an idea that how to set CPU limit per vm. The vm has to be limited to use only 10% of one core. Cggroups? Thanks a lot
What is the ungodly use case for this restriction?
I mean this seriously. I want to know what business need could possibly cause a restriciton like this to come into play.
I wanted to let someone else ask the question lol.
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@stacksofplates said in Easy to manage KVM host setup:
@jaredbusch said in Easy to manage KVM host setup:
@abcy said in Easy to manage KVM host setup:
Anyone has an idea that how to set CPU limit per vm. The vm has to be limited to use only 10% of one core. Cggroups? Thanks a lot
What is the ungodly use case for this restriction?
I mean this seriously. I want to know what business need could possibly cause a restriciton like this to come into play.
I wanted to let someone else ask the question lol.
Well, I get that there are weird snowflake use cases out there. I won't argue the need for something like this being mandated.
But gods above, please tell me why.
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@black3dynamite said in Easy to manage KVM host setup:
@emad-r said in Easy to manage KVM host setup:
Centos rocks for KVM
I still use CentOS too. I just hate how old packages like cockpit is on it especially related to cockpit-machine.
There really isn't that much extra in the Fedora edition.
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@scottalanmiller said in Easy to manage KVM host setup:
@pete-s said in Easy to manage KVM host setup:
Fedora Server was a no go on the old HP server I had. It would hang during install.
I tried xcp-ng (= xenserver ~ centos) on it and it installed fine. Debian 9 also installs fine.I'll try CentOS next.
That's surprising. What server is it?
I had to go check what it was and it's a HP DL360 G5.
It's too old and slow anyway so not a big deal, but still surprising.I have two Dell R710 laying around as well that I could use instead. They're a little less ancient I think (xeon 5500 series). It just for testing so as long as it works performance doesn't matter much. Just need to have enough RAM.
