Unable to create a new VM when selecting PXE boot and kvm-pxe is not installed

[Simon Déziel]

Binary package hint: virt-manager

After I installed kvm and virt-manager I wanted to create a VM and boot over the network (PXE) but the creation wizard of virt-manager gives an error during step 5 of 5 of the creation when using a QEMU/KVM connection.

Steps to reproduce :

Step 1 :
* Create a new VM named kvm-pxe
* Select "Network boot (PXE)"
Step 2 :
* Select any OS type
* Select any version
Step 3 and 4 leave it untouched
Step 5 :
* Select "Virt Type = kvm" in advanced options.

I click next and get this error :

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/share/virt-manager/virtManager/create.py", line 1485, in do_install
    dom = guest.start_install(False, meter = meter)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/virtinst/Guest.py", line 541, in start_install
    return self._do_install(consolecb, meter, removeOld, wait)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/virtinst/Guest.py", line 633, in _do_install
    self.domain = self.conn.createLinux(install_xml, 0)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/libvirt.py", line 1077, in createLinux
    if ret is None:raise libvirtError('virDomainCreateLinux() failed', conn=self)
libvirtError: monitor socket did not show up.: Connection refused
'

If at step 5 I select "Virt Type = qemu" I get this error instead :

Unable to complete install '<class 'libvirt.libvirtError'> internal error unable to start guest: char device redirected to /dev/pts/5
Could not load option rom 'pxe-rtl8139.bin'

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/share/virt-manager/virtManager/create.py", line 1485, in do_install
    dom = guest.start_install(False, meter = meter)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/virtinst/Guest.py", line 541, in start_install
    return self._do_install(consolecb, meter, removeOld, wait)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/virtinst/Guest.py", line 633, in _do_install
    self.domain = self.conn.createLinux(install_xml, 0)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/libvirt.py", line 1077, in createLinux
    if ret is None:raise libvirtError('virDomainCreateLinux() failed', conn=self)
libvirtError: internal error unable to start guest: char device redirected to /dev/pts/5
Could not load option rom 'pxe-rtl8139.bin'

'

To solve the problem I only had to install the "kvm-pxe" package. I think that when kvm and virt-manager are installed together the package kvm-pxe should be installed by default.

The other solution should be to remove the "Network boot (PXE)" option from the creation menu until the kvm-pxe package is installed. If the second solution is taken, I think that kvm-pxe should be suggested on virt-manager installation.

Thanks

lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 9.10
Release: 9.10

apt-cache policy virt-manager
virt-manager:
  Installed: 0.7.0-3ubuntu1
  Candidate: 0.7.0-3ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 0.7.0-3ubuntu1 0
        500 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com karmic/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
CheckboxSubmission: 40632a4005b9605e50437d7fc3ce454c
CheckboxSystem: bb422ca46d02494cdbc459927a98bc2f
Date: Sun Nov 8 11:46:21 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: virt-manager 0.7.0-3ubuntu1
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_CA.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-15.49-generic
SourcePackage: virt-manager
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-15-generic x86_64
XsessionErrors:
 (gnome-settings-daemon:2378): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_propagate_error: assertion `src != NULL' failed
 (gnome-settings-daemon:2378): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_propagate_error: assertion `src != NULL' failed
 (polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1:2484): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_once_init_leave: assertion `initialization_value != 0' failed
 (nautilus:2475): Eel-CRITICAL **: eel_preferences_get_boolean: assertion `preferences_is_initialized ()' failed
 (gnome-panel:2474): Gtk-WARNING **: gtk_widget_size_allocate(): attempt to allocate widget with width -5 and height 24

[RobertO (rlo-launchpad)]

I have no idea if this information will help or not, but I am getting this exact same error message, but from a different scenario. I had Windows Vista installed and running fine in libvirt / KVM on Ubuntu 10.04, libvirt0 0.7.5-5ubuntu7, kvm 1:84+dfsg-0ubuntu16+0.12.3+0ubuntu2, qemu-kvm 0.12.3-0ubuntu2 on an Intel Core 2 quad core system.

All was fine -- even had a USB multi-function printer working successfully. Then I made the mistake of installing the Microsoft Security Essentials pack so that I'd have virus protection and such. I was a bit worried that it might fail the "genuine" test since it would not see the Dell hardware, but instead the virtual hardware, but to my surprise it passed that step fine and went on to do an install. I later rebooted. And the machine will no longer boot. Clicking "run" in Virtual Machine Manager does nothing, and shortly thereafter Ubuntu Gnome dims the VMM application because it has stopped responding. Eventually, I get a pop-up with the error message described in this bug report. Looks like I'm going to have to completely re-install Vista (and NOT Security Essentials).

[RobertO (rlo-launchpad)]

Quick follow-up -- I may have been too quick to associate this with installation of MS SE. I just realized that my 10.04 pre-release distribution update went in last night, and I probably received new versions of all the software in question (libvirt, virt-manager, etc.). So the real culprit may have been the upgrade.

[skogs (skoglundtech)]

I second this. I have a virtual machine (winxp_32) that I only use for Quicken and a few other occasional things. Now I can't start it. Various errors. This one foremost after the re-addition of a thumb drive it was trying to mount. Previously I had no issues...with or without the thumb drive. I guess this is my 1 hiccup with the upgrade process. I tried reinstalling all packages in question....no help.

[Michael Hagmann (michael-hagmann-gecco)]

not quite sure if it's the same, but I had a very similar bug #581934

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/virt-manager/+bug/581934

thanks for help

Mike

[Wolfgang Lubowski (w-lub)]

I also have exactly the same problem:
I'm running a win xp 64 guest-system on a ubuntu 10.04 server
I had problems with adding a parallel port to the vm and so had to do several reboots, and suddenly rebooting wasn't possible anymore
does anyone know, what to do?
regards wolfgang

[Simon Déziel (sdeziel)]

Hi Wolfgang,

May I ask why you changed the status from confirmed to incomplete ?

[Wolfgang Lubowski (w-lub)]

oh I'm sorry, I should have read what's really meant by confirmed and incomplete ;)

[Steve Sether (stevesether)]

I had a very similar error after cloning a machine and trying restart either one of them. My problem seemed to be related to sharing the CD-ROM drive. I noticed any new machine I created would boot, but the original and its clone would not.

Here's what I did to fix my problem:

Go into the hardware details by double clicking on the machine, clicking view details, click on IDE CDROM 1, and click disconnect. THIS machine now booted for me. The clone didn't boot until I did the same thing for it. I have little to no idea what the "disconnect" button does, but clicking it solved my problem.

[Marc Deslauriers (mdeslaur)]

I have just tested this with virt-manager 0.8.6 in natty, and it no longer crashes if kvm-pxe is not installed. I am marking this as Fix Released. Thanks!