[libvirt-users] virsh edit problems

[Robin Lee Powell]

On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 02:40:23PM -0600, Eric Blake wrote:
> On 09/26/2011 02:30 PM, Robin Lee Powell wrote:
> >
> >What I've been trying to do is something like:
> >
> >     <serial type='pty'>
> >       <source path='/dev/pts/3'/>
> >       <target port='0'/>
> >     </serial>
> 
> Ah - maybe I can explain that issue.  For pty devices, <source
> path=.../> is computed at runtime, once libvirt has actually
> allocated a pty from the host (which pty gets allocated depends on
> what else has been going on in your host prior to starting your
> guest).  Since the pty allocated is dependent on various runtime
> factors, there is no way to pre-allocate a fixed pty value - so
> this <source> element is something that 'virsh dumpxml' outputs to
> show you which pty libvirt allocated, but where you have no
> control (and no need to control) which pty to attempt to allocate.
> And libvirt is merely stripping the unused <source> from your
> persistent config because it doesn't make sense in a persistent
> context.
> 
> >     <console type='pty'>
> >       <source path='/dev/pts/4'/>
> >       <target port='0'/>
> >     </console>
> >
> >And it just won't stick.  Maybe that's not even my problem, but
> >it's not showing any errors, and it's annoying me and I'd like to
> >understand why.
> 
> Hopefully my explanation helps, but feel free to ask more
> questions as needed.  Perhaps this is a case of me answering your
> stated question rather than your implied question (that is, I
> answered why <source> is disappearing, but not how to get a
> console to your guest working in the first place).

Yes, well, that's completely fair, and I appreciate the explanation.
:)

If other people are having configs like mine and it's working, then
that's not the problem, I guess.  I was worried because only one pts
is being allocated, according to the log, so I'm worried that it's
not making the right allocation.

But yeah, if you want to help with the actual problem (the link to
the kvm mailing list explains it), feel free. :D

-Robin