KVM "Virgin" Files — Setting Up a Clean KVM Virtual Machine

5 min read

25.05.2025

1. Download a Clean ISO for Installation

Start with a fresh, verified ISO from official sources. Here are direct links to popular operating systems:

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• Ubuntu: https://releases.ubuntu.com/ (Latest LTS recommended for servers)
• Debian: https://www.debian.org/distrib/
• CentOS Stream: https://www.centos.org/download/
• Rocky Linux: https://rockylinux.org/download/
• AlmaLinux: https://almalinux.org/
• Windows ISO: https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11 (or Windows 10/Server versions)

Save the ISO File

Once downloaded, move the ISO to KVM's standard image directory:

# Create directory if it doesn't exist
sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/libvirt/images/

# Move or download directly to the directory
sudo mv ~/Downloads/ubuntu-22.04.iso /var/lib/libvirt/images/

# Or download directly using wget
sudo wget -O /var/lib/libvirt/images/ubuntu-22.04.iso https://releases.ubuntu.com/22.04/ubuntu-22.04-live-server-amd64.iso

2. Create a Clean KVM Disk Image

Create a pristine disk image that will serve as the virtual machine's storage.

Create a RAW Format Disk (Better Performance)

sudo qemu-img create -f raw /var/lib/libvirt/images/clean_vm.img 20G

RAW format offers near-native performance but doesn't support advanced features like snapshots.

Create a QCOW2 Format Disk (Recommended for Most Use Cases)

sudo qemu-img create -f qcow2 /var/lib/libvirt/images/clean_vm.qcow2 20G

QCOW2 (QEMU Copy-On-Write) supports snapshots, compression, and encryption. It's the recommended format for most KVM deployments.

Verify the Disk Image

# List files in the images directory
ls -lah /var/lib/libvirt/images/

# Check disk image info
sudo qemu-img info /var/lib/libvirt/images/clean_vm.qcow2

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3. Create a New Virtual Machine Using "Virgin" Files

With your clean ISO and disk image ready, create a new VM using the virt-install command.

Basic VM Creation Command

sudo virt-install \
--name clean_vm \
--ram 2048 \
--vcpus 2 \
--disk path=/var/lib/libvirt/images/clean_vm.qcow2,format=qcow2 \
--cdrom /var/lib/libvirt/images/ubuntu-22.04.iso \
--os-type linux \
--network network=default \
--graphics vnc \
--boot menu=on

This creates a KVM VM with the following specifications:

• Name: clean_vm
• RAM: 2GB (2048 MB)
• vCPUs: 2 virtual CPUs
• Disk: 20GB QCOW2 image (clean_vm.qcow2)
• Installation Media: Ubuntu 22.04 ISO
• Network: Default NAT network
• Graphics: VNC for remote access
• Boot: Menu enabled for installation

4. Start and Access the Virtual Machine

Start the VM

# Start the VM (if not started automatically by virt-install)
sudo virsh start clean_vm

# Check VM status
sudo virsh list --all

Access Methods

Method 1: VNC Console (Graphical)

# Find the VNC display port
sudo virsh vncdisplay clean_vm

# Output will be like: :0 or :1
# Connect with a VNC client to localhost:5900 (for :0) or localhost:5901 (for :1)

Method 2: Serial Console (Text-based)

# Connect to the serial console
sudo virsh console clean_vm

# To exit the console, press: Ctrl + ]

Method 3: SSH (After OS Installation)

# Get the VM's IP address
sudo virsh domifaddr clean_vm

# SSH into the VM (after OS installation and network configuration)
ssh username@vm_ip_address

5. Remove an Existing VM & Files (Clean Start)

If you need to delete an old VM completely and start fresh with virgin files:

Complete VM Removal

# 1. Shutdown the VM if it's running
sudo virsh destroy old_vm

# 2. Undefine the VM from libvirt
sudo virsh undefine old_vm

# 3. Delete the disk image file
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/libvirt/images/old_vm.qcow2

# 4. Optional: Delete any associated ISO files
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/libvirt/images/old_vm.iso

Now you can create a completely clean KVM setup with virgin files.

6. Summary of KVM "Virgin" Setup

Following these steps will give you a clean, untouched ("virgin") KVM virtual machine ready for your custom configuration!