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uther

Member

Registered: 2019-05-16

Posts: 54  

How to change default storage pool location in virt-manager?

I'm making my first steps in VMs, so sorry for any stupid questions.

I'm using KVM+QEMU plus GUI frontend VMM and I found that I can't change the location of a default storage pool - either in virt-manager settings or during setting up a new VM.
I don't know if this is a good practice, but my goal is to have default storage pool for VMs on a separate drive with full disc encryption. The drive is working correctly.

After some digging I found this advice: https://serverfault.com/questions/84051 … om-libvirt
I've tried solutions from both posts, but with no results. The default pool location in virt-manager is still pointing to /var/lib/libvirt/images.

I'm on Beowulf. My user account is in libvirt libvirt-qemu groups, the libvirtd is running, virtualisation is enabled.
As for the packages I've installed:
qemu-kvm
libvirt-clients
libvirt-daemon-system
bridge-utils
libguestfs-tools
genisoimage
virtinst
libosinfo-bin
virt-manager

The other information that I've found is related to permissions, but I don't know where to start with it or how precisely its related to storage pools.
Is having default pool on a /var/ partition a recommendded solution? I can sacrifice part of my /home partition and make /var bigger, but that's my last resort.

Thanks for any advice
uther

xinomilo

Member

Registered: 2017-07-02

Posts: 159  

Re: How to change default storage pool location in virt-manager?

both link instructions should work fine.. restart libvirtd afterwards, and make sure new pool permissions are ok..

also from virt-manager you can add a new storage pool, and use that one instead..  connect local/remote libvirt, (menu) edit -> connection details -> storage tab.
press + button, add your new disk/dir/whatever pool.. pick that one when altering/creating vms..
if the new one is working ok, then you can stop/delete default pool if you don't need it..

uther

Member

Registered: 2019-05-16

Posts: 54  

Re: How to change default storage pool location in virt-manager?

Thanks @xinomilo. I moved to Chimaera and 'll give it another try when I'll have more time.
Can you tell me if the newly created pool permissions should be the same as /var/lib/libvirt/images?
I can't find any information about that.

xinomilo

Member

Registered: 2017-07-02

Posts: 159  

Re: How to change default storage pool location in virt-manager?

usually you just need user (in libvirt group) permissions in any pool to read/write images. and iirc to just read (eg. iso images) you don't need special perms..
if you create images from inside virt-manager into new pool(s), permissions are auto-managed there.

note, it's been a long time since i used new pools, so things might have changed...