Overview
KVM with libvirt is a strong foundation for Linux-based virtualization. It gives you a stable management layer, clean CLI tooling, and flexible storage/network definitions.
Install the Stack
dnf install -y qemu-kvm libvirt virt-install virt-manager bridge-utils libguestfs-tools
systemctl enable --now libvirtd
virt-host-validate
virsh list --all
Storage Pool Basics
virsh pool-list --all
virsh pool-define-as --name vm-images --type dir --target /var/lib/libvirt/images
virsh pool-build vm-images
virsh pool-start vm-images
virsh pool-autostart vm-images
Network Basics
virsh net-list --all
virsh net-start default
virsh net-autostart default
For bridged designs, create the bridge in NetworkManager first, then point libvirt at it.
Create a VM
virt-install \
--name rocky9-base \
--ram 2048 \
--vcpus 2 \
--disk path=/var/lib/libvirt/images/rocky9-base.qcow2,size=20,format=qcow2 \
--cdrom /opt/isos/Rocky-9.x-x86_64-dvd.iso \
--os-variant rocky9.0 \
--network network=default \
--graphics vnc,listen=0.0.0.0 \
--noautoconsole
Lifecycle Commands
virsh list --all
virsh start rocky9-base
virsh shutdown rocky9-base
virsh reboot rocky9-base
virsh destroy rocky9-base
virsh autostart rocky9-base
virsh console rocky9-base
virsh dumpxml rocky9-base
Disk and Interface Operations
virsh domblklist rocky9-base
virsh domiflist rocky9-base
virsh attach-interface rocky9-base --type network --source default --model virtio --persistent
Practical Guidance
- export domain XML along with backups
- treat autostart policy as an intentional design decision
- document storage pools, bridges, and VM roles so rebuilds are not guesswork
