[virt-tools-list] RHEL 6 virt-install 64 bit host, 32 bit guest

[Rhonda Kern]

I am trying to create a virtual machine on a 64 bit RHEL 6 machine.  There are 4 processors on the host and 24G of RAM.  I will be running an old version of redhat 7.3 as the guest o/s.

I am installing rh7.3 from a mkcdrec CD that I have used to install many other times, so the CD is good.

The command I use to create the VM is:
virt-install --connect=qemu:///system --name=rh73 --hvm --ram=1024 --vcpus=1 --disk path=/opt/vm/rh73.img,size=2 --network bridge=br0 --vnc  --vncport=5962 --noautoconsole  --os-type=linux  --os-variant=generic24  --cdrom /dev/cdrom

The first problem I encounter is during the un-tar of the o/s.  I get messages like:
tar: ./usr/X11R6/bin/cleanlinks: Wrote only 0 of 10240 bytes
tar: Skipping to next header
tar: Archive contains obsolescent base-64 headers
./usr/X11R6/bin/bmtoa: Wrote only 0 of 10240 bytes
tar: skipping to next header
./usr/X11R6/bin/dga
tar: ./usr/X11R6/bin/dga: Wrote only 0 of 10240 bytes
tar: Skipping to next header

When I rebooted the guest o/s, it gave a kernel panic.  Upon further examination the /etc/fstab file was 0 bytes.  I booted the guest o/s from a recovery CD.  I ensured the root file system was mounted read-write.  I vi'd the fstab file and added the file systems, but it would not save the changes.  So I echo'd the file systems into that file and still it would not save the changes.

I am not sure what's going on with the fstab file and it not letting me edit that file.

Is it possible these errors are indicative of trying to install a 32 bit o/s under a 64 bit host?  I tried using the --arch option of the virt-install command, but I haven't found the magic combo to get it to recognize that option yet.

Any insight you can give on what's going on here, or how I can fix it would be appreciated.

Rhonda Kern
Systems Engineer
rhondak at hightouchinc.com<mailto:rhondak at hightouchinc.com>



"This message may contain confidential and/or privileged 
information. If you are not the addressee or authorized to 
receive this for the addressee, you must not use, copy, 
disclose, or take any action based on this message or any 
information herein. If you have received this message in error, 
please advise the sender immediately by reply e-mail and delete 
this message. Thank you for your cooperation."
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listman.redhat.com/archives/virt-tools-list/attachments/20110128/54b92fd0/attachment.htm>