[gentoo-user] QEMU setup questions

["Walter Dnes" <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>]

On Thu, Jul 25, 2013 at 05:16:21AM +0100, Kerin Millar wrote
> 
> > 2) What "vncviewer" or "vncconnect" parameters do I use to get to the
> > qemu session?
> 
> Assuming both server and client are run locally, connecting to either 
> "localhost:0" or "localhost:5900" should work.

  Thanks.  That helped me to get it working.

  I stumbled over the solution to my final problem by accident.  When
booting off the install cd, you have 15 seconds to "hit any key", or
else it'll try to boot off the "hard drive".  Given that I haven't
installed yet, it'll try to boot off the blank pseudo "hard drive", and
fail.  Pressing any key will stop the timer.  I prefer to type in...

gentoo net.ifnames=0

...to give myself "a predictable interface name", namely eth0.  The
timer stops after I hit the "g", and I can take my time typing the rest
of the command.  If you don't mind whatever ifname udev generates, you
can simply hit enter.  The drill *FOR INSTALL ONLY* under vnc is like
so...

* open up 2 terminals side-by-each
* in one type the command like the following *BUT DO NOT HIT <ENTER>*
vncviewer localhost:2

* in the other terminal, type a command like so, and hit <ENTER>
qemu-system-i386 -vnc :2 -cpu qemu32 -m 3072 -hda sda.raw -cdrom installx86.iso -boot d

* *IMMEDIATELY* go over to the other terminal and hit <ENTER> to
  activate vncviewer

* *AS SOON AS VNCVIEWER POPS UP* either hit <ENTER> for default install
  parameters, or start typing your own install command.

* *DO NOT PANIC* when the vncviewer screen goes dark for several seconds
  as the install checks out its environment.

* One more minor annoyance and workaround... the initial vncviewer
  screen is a 720x400 xterm.  The install thinks it's in a 1024x768
  framebuffer, so you get the bottom and right edges of the output
  clipped.  As soon the penguin logo appears, you can close the xterm
  containing the vncviewer output, and open another vncviewer with the
  same command as the original.  This new copy senses the correct
  "screensize" and you can go on with your install.


  I still haven't figured out why only root can run qemu-kvm.  I
"solved" that problem with an entry in /etc/sudoers.d and it is
definitely faster.

  If I specify a video card type for the guest, then the driver has to
be emerged on the guest; is that correct?

-- 
Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>
I don't run "desktop environments"; I run useful applications