Mastering Ubuntu Server - Second Edition

Simplifying virtual machine creation with cloning

Now that we have a KVM server, and we can spin up an army of virtual machines to do our bidding, we can try and find clever ways of automating some of the workload of setting up a new VM. Every time we go to create a new VM, we need to go through the entire installation process again. We'll select an ISO file, navigate through the various screens to install the operating system, and then the VM is ready for use.

Most prominent virtualization solutions feature something called a Template. Essentially, we can create a virtual machine once and get it completely configured. Then, we can convert it to a template and use it as a base for all future VMs that will use that same operating system. This ...