[libvirt-users] creating a domain

[Peter Krempa]

On 05/09/2012 11:26 PM, John Wayne wrote:
> hi,
>
> i am a bit confused on how to start an inactive domain using the python bindings, any help would be appreciated.
> (inactive as in the domain was created with virConnect.defineXML sometime in the past)
>
>
> looks like i have to use virDomain.create, however virDomain.create needs a defined domain xmldesc as a parameter and i am not sure on how to get that

Yes you need to use the create method of virDomain object.

>
> i guess if virConnect.create was happening right after virConnect.defineXML i could get the return value of virConnect.defineXML and pass that onto virDomain.create.
> however, since the domain was created sometime in the past, i am not sure on how to get the domain ptr which virDomain.create needs

To lookup a previously defined domain, you have to use one of lookup 
methods provided by the virConnect object. An example with interactive 
python session:

$ python
Python 2.7.2 (default, Nov  3 2011, 10:48:09)
[GCC 4.4.5] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
 >>> import libvirt
 >>> conn = libvirt.open("")
 >>> dom = conn.lookupByName("Bare")
 >>> dom.create()
0
 >>> conn.listDomainsID()
[3]

You also may use lookupByUUID if you prefer UUIDs.

Peter