Windows (trial) images

Requirements

Get

• Windows ISO, evaluation versions:
• Windows 7 SP1 Professional
• Windows 8.1 Enterprise
• latest Windows VirtIO drivers
• local QEMU/KVM and qemu-img tool

Steps

Create image

Create empty QCOW2 image:

$ qemu-img create -o cluster_size=2M -f qcow2 hd.qcow2 64G

Install

Run installer:

$ qemu-system-x86_64 -machine accel=kvm -m 4096 \
    -no-reboot -vga std \
    -drive file=hd.qcow2,if=virtio \
    -drive file=windows.iso,if=ide,media=cdrom \
    -drive file=virtio-win-0.1-81.iso,if=ide,media=cdrom \
    -net nic,model=virtio -net user

Choose your locales, e.g.:

• Language to install: English
• Time and currency format: Czech (Czech Republic)
• Keyboard or input method: US

In target disk/partition dialog choose to load (VirtIO) drivers from CD-ROM, UNHIDE uncompatible drivers and choose all to install.

When drivers are installed, choose the hard-disk and continue with first installation phase where all files are transfered from CD-ROM to target disk. Virtual machine is then shut down and Windows image is nearly ready.

Installation will be finished on each cloud image instantiation. This ensures a trial period begins when each virtual machine starts for the first time and not when image was created.

Compress image

$ qemu-img convert -c -O qcow2 hd.qcow2 chd.qcow2