I found 'virsh edit' is the recommended way to make changes to a VM configuration, the XML file is not referenced at boot, it is only saved to with 'virsh dumpxml'. 'virsh edit' will update both areas - hypervisor and XML file.
Unfortunately the changes I make for smbios and sysinfo (as below) while editing don't appear to be accepted when saving with 'virsh edit'. I wonder if they are perhaps not supported with virsh edit yet? Does anyone have experience with this, or an idea on why I would receive 'bad file descriptor' errors using the kvm command manually. Thanks in advance, Derek On 23/08/2011, at 11:55 AM, Derek wrote: > Thanks everyone for the useful replies. > > I am using libvirt, one thing i'm observing after adding the following > sysinfo to the VM.xml file is that in the qemu log file for the VM it is not > being passed to the command when booting. > > <os> > <type arch='x86_64' machine='pc-0.12'>hvm</type> > <boot dev='cdrom'/> > <smbios mode='sysinfo'/> > </os> > <sysinfo type='smbios'> > <bios> > <entry name='vendor'>xxx xxx</entry> > </bios> > <system> > <entry name='product'>xxx</entry> > <entry name='manufacturer'>xxx xxx</entry> > <entry name='vendor'>xxx</entry> > <entry name='model'>xxx</entry> > </system> > </sysinfo> > > Is there a step i'm missing to have the xml file re-read after changes? > > Editing the xml file on the command line, and using libvirt to boot. > > FYI here is the command shown in the logs while booting.. > > LC_ALL=C PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin > HOME=/root USER=root LOGNAME=root QEMU_AUDIO_DRV=none /usr/bin/kvm -S -M > pc-0.12 -enable-kvm -m 1024 -smp 2,sockets=2,cores=1,threads=1 -name Test > -uuid a8024009-d459-ad03-0fca-304746a93c8a -nodefaults -chardev > socket,id=monitor,path=/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/HMC.monitor,server,nowait -mon > chardev=monitor,mode=readline -rtc base=utc -boot d -drive > file=/install-images/install.iso,if=none,media=cdrom,id=drive-ide0-1-0,readonly=on,format=raw > -device ide-drive,bus=ide.1,unit=0,drive=drive-ide0-1-0,id=ide0-1-0 -device > rtl8139,vlan=0,id=net0,mac=52:54:00:4e:80:a4,bus=pci.0,addr=0x3 -net > tap,fd=49,vlan=0,name=hostnet0 -chardev pty,id=serial0 -device > isa-serial,chardev=serial0 -usb -vnc 127.0.0.1:4 -vga cirrus -device > virtio-balloon-pci,id=balloon0,bus=pci.0,addr=0x4 > char device redirected to /dev/pts/4 > > I tried running the above manually with -smbios type=1 etc added but I am > receiving bad file descriptor errors, perhaps my own error or inexperience > with KVM. > > Thanks! > Derek > > On 23/08/2011, at 8:03 AM, Ryan Harper wrote: > >> * Andrew Cathrow <acath...@redhat.com> [2011-08-22 06:55]: >>> >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>> From: "Derek" <li...@stuntkiwi.com> >>>> To: kvm@vger.kernel.org >>>> Sent: Sunday, August 21, 2011 11:52:19 PM >>>> Subject: DMI BIOS String >>>> Hi Folks, >>>> >>>> I could not track down any solid info on modifying the DMI BIOS >>>> string. >>> >>> qemu-kvm -help | grep bios >>> >>> -smbios file=binary >> >> for binary mode, this commit message is most helpful >> >> >> commit b6f6e3d3a71cee61320216a42940cfaa9b42a162 >> Author: aliguori <aliguori@c046a42c-6fe2-441c-8c8c-71466251a162> >> Date: Fri Apr 17 18:59:56 2009 +0000 >> >> qemu: Add support for SMBIOS command line otions (Alex Williamson) >> >> Create a new -smbios option (x86-only) to allow binary SMBIOS entries >> to be passed through to the BIOS or modify the default values of >> individual fields of type 0 and 1 entries on the command line. >> >> Binary SMBIOS entries can be generated as follows: >> >> dmidecode -t 1 -u | grep $'^\t\t[^"]' | xargs -n1 | \ >> perl -lne 'printf "%c", hex($_)' > smbios_type_1.bin >> >> These can then be passed to the BIOS using this switch: >> >> -smbios file=smbios_type_1.bin >> >> Command line generation supports the following syntax: >> >> -smbios type=0[,vendor=str][,version=str][,date=str][,release=%d.%d] >> -smbios type=1[,manufacturer=str][,product=str][,version=str][,serial=str] >> [,uuid=$(uuidgen)][,sku=str][,family=str] >> >> For instance, to add a serial number to the type 1 table: >> >> -smbios type=1,serial=0123456789 >> >> Interface is extensible to support more fields/tables as needed. >> >> aliguori: remove texi formatting from help output >> >> Signed-off-by: Alex Williamson <alex.william...@hp.com> >> Signed-off-by: Anthony Liguori <aligu...@us.ibm.com> >> >> >>> -smbios type=0[,vendor=str][,version=str][,date=str][,release=%d.%d] >>> -smbios type=1[,manufacturer=str][,product=str][,version=str][,serial=str] >>> >>> or if you're using libvirt >>> http://libvirt.org/formatdomain.html#elementsSysinfo >>> >>> >>>> >>>> For example, in VirtualBox you can use 'vboxmanage setsextradata' to >>>> set the BIOS product and vendor string per VM. >>>> >>>> Any ideas if this is possible with KVM? >>>> >>>> Thanks, >>>> Derek-- >>>> To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe kvm" in >>>> the body of a message to majord...@vger.kernel.org >>>> More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html >>> -- >>> To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe kvm" in >>> the body of a message to majord...@vger.kernel.org >>> More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html >> >> -- >> Ryan Harper >> Software Engineer; Linux Technology Center >> IBM Corp., Austin, Tx >> ry...@us.ibm.com >> -- >> To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe kvm" in >> the body of a message to majord...@vger.kernel.org >> More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html > > -- > To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe kvm" in > the body of a message to majord...@vger.kernel.org > More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe kvm" in the body of a message to majord...@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
