Change CD-ROM via virsh

I have a KVM virtual machine that is managed via libvirsh. Now I want to use a different ISO image inside the VM.

How do I change the DVD in the virtual drive using virsh?

linux-kvm

DerMike

Posted 2011-01-31T09:38:00.730

Reputation: 779

Answers

Add CDROM:

attach-disk guest01 /root/disc1.iso hdc --driver file --type cdrom
--mode readonly

Change CDROM:

attach-disk guest01 /root/disc2.iso hdc --driver file --type cdrom
--mode readonly

Remove CDROM:

 attach-disk guest01 " " hdc --driver file --type cdrom
 --mode readonly

rkthkr

Posted 2011-01-31T09:38:00.730

Reputation: 401

2I had to add --config to the command. Probably due to the fact that the guest wasn't originally configured with a cdrom. This addressed the following: error: internal error: No device with bus 'ide' and target 'hdc'. cdrom and floppy device hotplug isn't supported by libvirt. – user59156 – 2015-10-19T15:59:05.110

1virsh attach-disk virtual.host.name /tank/kvm/iso/ubuntu-16.04.1-server-amd64.iso hda --type cdrom --mode readonly – Xdg – 2016-08-31T08:20:38.293

It seems that the domain must be started to attach a new source for the cdrom. – imz -- Ivan Zakharyaschev – 2017-01-31T12:00:45.817

All I get for this is "Operation not supported: cdrom/floppy device hotplug isn't supported". (virsh version 5.0.0, libvirtd 5.0.0-4). Any idea why that is? – foo – 2019-08-22T14:00:11.823

Thanks, rkthr. I test this next week and come back here. +1 anyway :-) – DerMike – 2011-06-10T08:24:42.217

7Thanks for tip. For me it works but only if I remove '--driver file' from the command (version of virsh: 0.9.2). – Lukasz Stelmach – 2011-12-23T20:50:48.083

In libvirt 0.9.12 and maybe earlier, a command change-media exists:

change-media <domain> <path> [<source>] [--eject] [--insert] [--update] [--current] [--live] [--config] [--force]

Change CD:

change-media guest01 hdb /pool/disc.iso

Eject CD:

change-media guest01 hdb --eject

mss

Posted 2011-01-31T09:38:00.730

Reputation: 261

This is the right command when using SATA controller for CD-ROM. – Xdg – 2016-10-09T12:41:09.410

I tried the attach-disk command and it didn't work for me. However, I found this doc on fedora which asks you to use the "update-device" command. This worked for me, and you can find it at Attaching and updating a device with virsh. Here are the steps:

Create an XML file:

<backingStore/>
<target dev='hdc' bus='ide'/>
<readonly/>
<alias name='ide0-1-0'/>
<address type='drive' controller='0' bus='1' target='0' unit='0'/>
</disk>

Make sure you don't have the <source> tag in your definition

Update the device:

virsh update-device <guest name> <XML file name>

anaken78

Posted 2011-01-31T09:38:00.730

Reputation: 11

That would remove the device, not change the CD as the OP asks. It's also badly copied from your link - it's malformed XML as it stands. – None – 2014-11-22T12:07:15.913

First you have to export existing configuration:

virsh dumpxml guest_name > config.xml

Then you have to open file and copy cdrom section and add the line with iso image path like

<source file='some.iso'/>

So the result is something like

<disk type='file' device='cdrom'>
   <source file='some.iso'/>
   <driver name='qemu' type='raw'/>
   <backingStore/>
   <target dev='hdb' bus='ide'/>
   <readonly/>
   <alias name='ide0-0-1'/>
   <address type='drive' controller='0' bus='0' target='0' unit='1'/>
 </disk>

and save it as cdrom.xml.

After that:

virsh update-device guest_name cdrom.xml

#Device updated successfully

max5555 max5555

Posted 2011-01-31T09:38:00.730

Reputation: 1