Added support for PXE booting HVM guests using the --pxe command line arg

Author: berrange

man/en/virt-install.1

@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@
 .\" ========================================================================
 .\"
 .IX Title "VIRT-INSTALL 1"
-.TH VIRT-INSTALL 1 "2007-07-15" "perl v5.8.8" "User Contributed Perl Documentation"
+.TH VIRT-INSTALL 1 "2007-09-11" "perl v5.8.8" "Virtual Machine Install Tools"
 .SH "NAME"
 virt\-install \- provision new virtual machines
 .SH "SYNOPSIS"
@@ -334,7 +334,13 @@ path to an \s-1ISO\s0 image, or to a \s-1CDROM\s0 device. It can also be a \s-1U
 to fetch/access a minimal boot \s-1ISO\s0 image. The URLs take the same format as
 described for the \f(CW\*(C`\-\-location\*(C'\fR argument. If this parameter is omitted then
 the \f(CW\*(C`\-\-location\*(C'\fR argument must be given to specify a location for the kernel
-and initrd.
+and initrd, or the \f(CW\*(C`\-\-pxe\*(C'\fR argument used to install from the network.
+.IP "\-\-pxe" 4
+.IX Item "--pxe"
+Use the \s-1PXE\s0 boot protocol to load the initial ramdisk and kernel for starting
+the guest installation process. If this parameter is omitted then either the
+\&\f(CW\*(C`\-\-location\*(C'\fR or \f(CW\*(C`\-\-cdrom\*(C'\fR arguments must be given to specify a location for
+the kernel and initrd.
 .IP "\-\-os\-type=OS_TYPE" 4
 .IX Item "--os-type=OS_TYPE"
 Optimize the guest configuration for a type of operating system. This will

man/en/virt-install.pod

@@ -240,7 +240,14 @@ path to an ISO image, or to a CDROM device. It can also be a URL from which
 to fetch/access a minimal boot ISO image. The URLs take the same format as
 described for the C<--location> argument. If this parameter is omitted then
 the C<--location> argument must be given to specify a location for the kernel
-and initrd.
+and initrd, or the C<--pxe> argument used to install from the network.
+
+=item  --pxe
+
+Use the PXE boot protocol to load the initial ramdisk and kernel for starting
+the guest installation process. If this parameter is omitted then either the
+C<--location> or C<--cdrom> arguments must be given to specify a location for
+the kernel and initrd.
 
 =item  --os-type=OS_TYPE
 

virt-install

@@ -248,6 +248,8 @@ def parse_args():
     parser.add_option("-c", "--cdrom", type="string", dest="cdrom",
                       action="callback", callback=cli.check_before_store,
                       help=_("File to use a virtual CD-ROM device for fully virtualized guests"))
+    parser.add_option("", "--pxe", action="store_true", dest="pxe",
+                      help=_("Boot an installer from the network using the PXE boot protocol"))
     parser.add_option("", "--os-type", type="string", dest="os_type",
                       action="callback", callback=cli.check_before_store,
                       help=_("The OS type for fully virtualized guests, e.g. 'linux', 'unix', 'windows'"))
@@ -367,15 +369,24 @@ def main():
             print >> sys.stderr, _("LiveCD installations are not supported for paravirt guests")
             sys.exit(1)
         installer = virtinst.LiveCDInstaller(type = type)
+    elif options.pxe:
+        installer = virtinst.PXEInstaller(type = type)
     else:
         installer = virtinst.DistroInstaller(type = type)
 
+    if (options.pxe and options.location) or (options.location and options.cdrom) or (options.cdrom and options.pxe):
+        print >> sys.stderr, _("Only one of --pxe, --location and --cdrom can be used")
+        sys.exit(1)
+
     if hvm:
         # Xen only supports CDROM
         if type == "xen":
             installer.cdrom = True
         guest = virtinst.FullVirtGuest(connection=conn, installer=installer, arch=options.arch)
     else:
+        if options.pxe:
+            print >> sys.stderr, _("Network PXE boot is not support for paravirtualized guests")
+            sys.exit(1)
         guest = virtinst.ParaVirtGuest(connection=conn, installer=installer)
 
     # now let's get some of the common questions out of the way
@@ -400,7 +411,8 @@ def main():
         get_paravirt_extraargs(options.extra, guest)
         continue_inst = False
     else:
-        get_fullvirt_cdrom(options.cdrom, options.location, guest)
+        if not options.pxe:
+            get_fullvirt_cdrom(options.cdrom, options.location, guest)
         if options.noacpi:
             guest.features["acpi"] = False
         if options.noapic:

virtinst/DistroManager.py

@@ -720,3 +720,49 @@ def post_install_check(self, guest):
         buf = os.read(fd, 512)
         os.close(fd)
         return len(buf) == 512 and struct.unpack("H", buf[0x1fe: 0x200]) == (0xaa55,)
+
+
+
+class PXEInstaller(Guest.Installer):
+    def __init__(self, type = "xen", location = None, boot = None, extraargs = None):
+        Guest.Installer.__init__(self, type, location, boot, extraargs)
+
+    def prepare(self, guest, meter, distro = None):
+        pass
+
+    def _get_osblob(self, install, hvm, arch = None, loader = None):
+        osblob = ""
+        if install or hvm:
+            osblob = "<os>\n"
+
+            if hvm:
+                type = "hvm"
+            else:
+                type = "linux"
+
+            if arch:
+                osblob += "    <type arch='%s'>%s</type>\n" % (arch, type)
+            else:
+                osblob += "    <type>%s</type>\n" % type
+
+            if loader:
+                osblob += "    <loader>%s</loader>\n" % loader
+
+            if install:
+                osblob += "    <boot dev='network'/>\n"
+            else:
+                osblob += "    <boot dev='hd'/>\n"
+
+            osblob += "  </os>"
+        else:
+            osblob += "<bootloader>/usr/bin/pygrub</bootloader>"
+
+        return osblob
+
+    def post_install_check(self, guest):
+        # Check for the 0xaa55 signature at the end of the MBR
+        fd = os.open(guest.disks[0].path, os.O_RDONLY)
+        buf = os.read(fd, 512)
+        os.close(fd)
+        return len(buf) == 512 and struct.unpack("H", buf[0x1fe: 0x200]) == (0xaa55,)
+

virtinst/FullVirtGuest.py

@@ -198,9 +198,10 @@ def validate_parms(self):
         Guest.Guest.validate_parms(self)
 
     def _prepare_install(self, meter):
-        self._installer.prepare(guest = self,
-                                meter = meter,
-                                distro = self.os_distro)
+        if self.location or self.cdrom:
+            self._installer.prepare(guest = self,
+                                    meter = meter,
+                                    distro = self.os_distro)
 
     def get_continue_inst(self):
         if self.os_type is not None:

virtinst/__init__.py

@@ -12,6 +12,6 @@ def _virtinst(msg):
 from Guest import Guest, VirtualDisk, VirtualNetworkInterface, XenGuest, XenDisk, XenNetworkInterface
 from FullVirtGuest import FullVirtGuest
 from ParaVirtGuest import ParaVirtGuest
-from DistroManager import DistroInstaller
+from DistroManager import DistroInstaller, PXEInstaller
 from LiveCDInstaller import LiveCDInstaller
 from ImageManager import ImageInstaller