https://linux-kvm.org/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Pierro78KVM - User contributions [en]2026-04-26T16:02:17ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.39.5https://linux-kvm.org/index.php?title=Boot_from_virtio_block_device&diff=2317Boot from virtio block device2009-05-24T12:12:35Z<p>Pierro78: </p>
<hr />
<div>== Introduction ==<br />
Virtio block device is a para-virtualized device for kvm guest. It is different from normal emulated hard drive, because it is simply faster. This small how-to is about how to make a disk para-virtualized and boot from it.<br />
<br />
== Steps ==<br />
<br />
# create a disk and install os to it by appending "-hda <your_disk_image>" to your virtual machine<br />
# in your guest os, upgrade kernel to 2.6.25 which contains virtio_* drivers. or ubuntu 8.04 also has it.<br />
# in guest os, change /boot/grub/device.map from "(hd0) /dev/sda" to "(hd0) /dev/vda"<br />
# in guest os, change /boot/grub/menu.list from "root=/dev/sda1" to "root=/dev/vda1", if you are using UUID, then no need to do this step.<br />
# enable para-virtualization by changing "-hda <your_disk_image" to "-drive file=<your_disk_image>,if=virtio,boot=on"<br />
<br />
== Error 18 ==<br />
<br />
you may experience this error while grub is booting. I solved it by making the /boot the first partition and make it 32MB.<br />
<br />
== qcow2 ==<br />
<br />
I have problem to boot from qcow2 format image, it will hang while kernel booting. you may convert your disk image to raw format by "qemu-img convert -f qcow2 <your_disk_image> -O raw <a_new_location>".<br />
<br />
== Booting with lilo ==<br />
<br />
You must add this to your lilo.conf:<br />
<br />
boot=/dev/vda<br />
disk=/dev/vda bios=0x80 max-partitions=7<br />
<br />
and after your image clausule change:<br />
<br />
root=/dev/vda1<br />
<br />
where vda1 is your boot partition<br />
<br />
== Updating the guest initramfs with the virtio driver ==<br />
If you are hosting a debian guest then you may want to update its initramfs with the virtio driver as explained in [[Using VirtIO NIC]]</div>Pierro78https://linux-kvm.org/index.php?title=Boot_from_virtio_block_device&diff=2316Boot from virtio block device2009-05-24T11:17:55Z<p>Pierro78: </p>
<hr />
<div>== Introduction ==<br />
Virtio block device is a para-virtualized device for kvm guest. It is different from normal emulated hard drive, because it is simply faster. This small how-to is about how to make a disk para-virtualized and boot from it.<br />
<br />
== Steps ==<br />
<br />
# create a disk and install os to it by appending "-hda <your_disk_image>" to your virtual machine<br />
# in your guest os, upgrade kernel to 2.6.25 which contains virtio_* drivers. or ubuntu 8.04 also has it.<br />
# in guest os, change /boot/grub/device.map from "(hd0) /dev/sda" to "(hd0) /dev/vda"<br />
# in guest os, change /boot/grub/menu.list from "root=/dev/sda1" to "root=/dev/vda1", if you are using UUID, then no need to do this step.<br />
# enable para-virtualization by changing "-hda <your_disk_image" to "-drive file=<your_disk_image>,if=virtio,boot=on"<br />
<br />
== Error 18 ==<br />
<br />
you may experience this error while grub is booting. I solved it by making the /boot the first partition and make it 32MB.<br />
<br />
== qcow2 ==<br />
<br />
I have problem to boot from qcow2 format image, it will hang while kernel booting. you may convert your disk image to raw format by "qemu-img convert -f qcow2 <your_disk_image> -O raw <a_new_location>".<br />
<br />
== Booting with lilo ==<br />
<br />
You must add this to your lilo.conf:<br />
<br />
boot=/dev/vda<br />
disk=/dev/vda bios=0x80 max-partitions=7<br />
<br />
and after your image clausule change:<br />
<br />
root=/dev/vda1<br />
<br />
where vda1 is your boot partition<br />
<br />
== Updating the initramfs with the virtio driver ==<br />
If you are using debian then you may want to update your initramfs with the virtio driver as explained in [[Using VirtIO NIC]]</div>Pierro78https://linux-kvm.org/index.php?title=Boot_from_virtio_block_device&diff=2315Boot from virtio block device2009-05-24T11:17:26Z<p>Pierro78: initramfs</p>
<hr />
<div>== Introduction ==<br />
Virtio block device is a para-virtualized device for kvm guest. It is different from normal emulated hard drive, because it is simply faster. This small how-to is about how to make a disk para-virtualized and boot from it.<br />
<br />
== Steps ==<br />
<br />
# create a disk and install os to it by appending "-hda <your_disk_image>" to your virtual machine<br />
# in your guest os, upgrade kernel to 2.6.25 which contains virtio_* drivers. or ubuntu 8.04 also has it.<br />
# in guest os, change /boot/grub/device.map from "(hd0) /dev/sda" to "(hd0) /dev/vda"<br />
# in guest os, change /boot/grub/menu.list from "root=/dev/sda1" to "root=/dev/vda1", if you are using UUID, then no need to do this step.<br />
# enable para-virtualization by changing "-hda <your_disk_image" to "-drive file=<your_disk_image>,if=virtio,boot=on"<br />
<br />
== Error 18 ==<br />
<br />
you may experience this error while grub is booting. I solved it by making the /boot the first partition and make it 32MB.<br />
<br />
== qcow2 ==<br />
<br />
I have problem to boot from qcow2 format image, it will hang while kernel booting. you may convert your disk image to raw format by "qemu-img convert -f qcow2 <your_disk_image> -O raw <a_new_location>".<br />
<br />
== Booting with lilo ==<br />
<br />
You must add this to your lilo.conf:<br />
<br />
boot=/dev/vda<br />
disk=/dev/vda bios=0x80 max-partitions=7<br />
<br />
and after your image clausule change:<br />
<br />
root=/dev/vda1<br />
<br />
where vda1 is your boot partition<br />
<br />
== updating the initramfs with the virtio driver ==<br />
If you are using debian then you may want to update your initramfs with the virtio driver as explained in [[Using VirtIO NIC]]</div>Pierro78