[gentoo-user] Creating KVM image using existing gentoo partition

[gentoo-user] Creating KVM image using existing gentoo partition

[felix]

Got a new laptop at work,, running Linux instead of Mac, yay!  Unfortunately, it comes with Ubuntu installed, boo!  But I split the 500GB drive into two parts, began a gentoo install in the second half, and now I am stalled.

The main purpose of the laptop is to run Centos 6.2 in a KVM image so it can simulate production as much as possible.  As much as I dislike Ubuntu, I really only use it for terminals, Emacs, and Firefox.  I ssh into the Centos image for all that stuff.  I'd love to switch Ubuntu to gentoo and set up my usual fvwm etc instead of that awful Unity.

Unfortunately, because I have to leave that Centos image running as much as possible, I can't take the time to reboot into the gentoo partition to finish the install, not even on weekends or evenings.  It was ok getting the initial gentoo install started, but that was only an hour or two.  I can't take the time for a real install, there's work to do.

So it occurred to me it would be great to create a new KVM image using the gentoo partition as is for its file system, instead of creating one out of a file as it did for the Centos image.  But I don't see any obvious options to do that.  This is my first time with KVM, and someone else set up the Centos image using some GUI wizard.


Here be my scurvy dog question(s):

Is it possible to create a KVM image using an existing gentoo partition (/dev/sda3) for the filesystem, such that once I get the gentoo install finished, I can boot directly to the gentoo partition and not have to purify it or sanitize it after KVM has meddled with it?  (and how do I do this? :-)

If not, seems like the simplest workaround would be to create a KVM image from scratch and do a complete install there, then use cp, tar, cpio, or something similar to copy everything over to the real partition.  But that sounds ugly for some reason.

-- 
            ... _._. ._ ._. . _._. ._. ___ .__ ._. . .__. ._ .. ._.
     Felix Finch: scarecrow repairman & rocket surgeon / felix@crowfix.com
  GPG = E987 4493 C860 246C 3B1E  6477 7838 76E9 182E 8151 ITAR license #4933
I've found a solution to Fermat's Last Theorem but I see I've run out of room o

Re: [gentoo-user] Creating KVM image using existing gentoo partition

[Alan McKinnon]

On Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:33:25 -0700
felix@crowfix.com wrote:

> Got a new laptop at work,, running Linux instead of Mac, yay!
> Unfortunately, it comes with Ubuntu installed, boo!  But I split the
> 500GB drive into two parts, began a gentoo install in the second
> half, and now I am stalled.
> 
> The main purpose of the laptop is to run Centos 6.2 in a KVM image so
> it can simulate production as much as possible.  As much as I dislike
> Ubuntu, I really only use it for terminals, Emacs, and Firefox.  I
> ssh into the Centos image for all that stuff.  I'd love to switch
> Ubuntu to gentoo and set up my usual fvwm etc instead of that awful
> Unity.
> 
> Unfortunately, because I have to leave that Centos image running as
> much as possible, I can't take the time to reboot into the gentoo
> partition to finish the install, not even on weekends or evenings.
> It was ok getting the initial gentoo install started, but that was
> only an hour or two.  I can't take the time for a real install,
> there's work to do.


If you ask me, there's your real problem right there. It reminds me of
the old adage;

"How come is there never enough time to do the job properly, but
always enough time to do it over when it breaks?"

Just bite the bullet, shut the machine down and do the install properly
- you know you need to do it.

I can't quite fathom why you think a laptop of all things must be on
24/7. if that were true, it would be a server in your data center
surely?

Are you real completely 100% certain that out of 168 hours a week you
can't spare 2 to get your tools in order?



> 
> So it occurred to me it would be great to create a new KVM image
> using the gentoo partition as is for its file system, instead of
> creating one out of a file as it did for the Centos image.  But I
> don't see any obvious options to do that.  This is my first time with
> KVM, and someone else set up the Centos image using some GUI wizard.
> 
> 
> Here be my scurvy dog question(s):
> 
> Is it possible to create a KVM image using an existing gentoo
> partition (/dev/sda3) for the filesystem, such that once I get the
> gentoo install finished, I can boot directly to the gentoo partition
> and not have to purify it or sanitize it after KVM has meddled with
> it?  (and how do I do this? :-)
> 
> If not, seems like the simplest workaround would be to create a KVM
> image from scratch and do a complete install there, then use cp, tar,
> cpio, or something similar to copy everything over to the real
> partition.  But that sounds ugly for some reason.
> 



-- 
Alan McKinnon
alan.mckinnon@gmail.com

Re: [gentoo-user] Creating KVM image using existing gentoo partition

[felix]

On Wed, Sep 26, 2012 at 12:40:32AM +0200, Alan McKinnon wrote:
> Just bite the bullet, shut the machine down and do the install properly
> - you know you need to do it.
> 
> I can't quite fathom why you think a laptop of all things must be on
> 24/7. if that were true, it would be a server in your data center
> surely?
> 
> Are you real completely 100% certain that out of 168 hours a week you
> can't spare 2 to get your tools in order?

It's good you know so much about my job and work requirements, means I
needn't waste more time educating on them.

-- 
            ... _._. ._ ._. . _._. ._. ___ .__ ._. . .__. ._ .. ._.
     Felix Finch: scarecrow repairman & rocket surgeon / felix@crowfix.com
  GPG = E987 4493 C860 246C 3B1E  6477 7838 76E9 182E 8151 ITAR license #4933
I've found a solution to Fermat's Last Theorem but I see I've run out of room o

Re: [gentoo-user] Creating KVM image using existing gentoo partition

[Alan McKinnon]

On Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:59:44 -0700
felix@crowfix.com wrote:

> On Wed, Sep 26, 2012 at 12:40:32AM +0200, Alan McKinnon wrote:
> > Just bite the bullet, shut the machine down and do the install
> > properly
> > - you know you need to do it.
> > 
> > I can't quite fathom why you think a laptop of all things must be on
> > 24/7. if that were true, it would be a server in your data center
> > surely?
> > 
> > Are you real completely 100% certain that out of 168 hours a week
> > you can't spare 2 to get your tools in order?
> 
> It's good you know so much about my job and work requirements, means I
> needn't waste more time educating on them.

No, in fact I know nothing about your job and work requirements other
than that your usage pattern as described is one I have never seen or
heard of before, anywhere.

Now if you go back and read my mail, you will see it consists of
questions, not statements.

I'm actually asking you to look at what you said and see if it's really
valid. 


-- 
Alan McKinnon
alan.mckinnon@gmail.com

Re: [gentoo-user] Creating KVM image using existing gentoo partition

[Peter Humphrey]

On Tuesday 25 September 2012 23:40:32 Alan McKinnon wrote:

> "How come is there never enough time to do the job properly, but
> always enough time to do it over when it breaks?"

"The first 50% of the project takes the first 90% of the time, and the 
second 50% takes the other 90%."

-- 
Rgds
Peter