[et-mgmt-tools] virt-manager and multiple CDs swapping

[Daniel P. Berrange]

On Tue, Oct 16, 2007 at 02:03:15PM +0200, Alexander Todorov wrote:
> Hello,
> I found a couple of e-mail explaining how to change the iso file used 
> for CDROM when performing full virt install. The approach with pressing 
> Ctrl+Alt+2 to switch to qemu-dm console is not obvious and not always a 
> pleasant experience. To solve this I propose the following:

The QEMU console is a security hole. We disabled access to it in Fedora.

> 1) FEATURE: instead of choosing a single iso file user chooses a list of 
> files. The user is responsible for compiling a list with all media 
> required for installation. Guest OS will try to boot from the first iso 
> in the list and proceed with installation. At som epoint the installer 
> will "eject" the disc and prompt for the next one. This will result in 
> the software unmounting the image and instructing qemu-dm to change the 
> virtual device to next file in the list.
> 
> or
> 
> 2) The GUI showing the virtual console (the one with On/Off/Pause 
> buttons) will have another button : CDROM. Pressing this button will 
> result in dialog prompting the user for the location of next image and 
> when chosen change the virtual CD device to that image.
> 
> NOTES:
> 
> Pressing OK button in the installer after disc has been inserted is 
> responsibility of the user performing the install or installation 
> program detecting the new disc and continuing.
> 
> 1 and 2 depend on the ability to send instructions to qemu-dm remotely 
> (which at this point I don't know howif possible.)
> 
> Please vote for 1) or 2) or add any other useful information.

Neither. Virt-manager 0.5.2 or later already has the ability to change the
CDROM drive media for a running guest. This works for Xen currently, and
libvirt support for the same in KVM is in progress.

Dan.
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