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-rw-r--r--doc/guix.texi23
-rw-r--r--gnu/system/vm.scm2
-rw-r--r--guix/scripts/system.scm10
3 files changed, 31 insertions, 4 deletions
diff --git a/doc/guix.texi b/doc/guix.texi
index a675631b79..9914829b2b 100644
--- a/doc/guix.texi
+++ b/doc/guix.texi
@@ -34506,8 +34506,8 @@ passed.
@cindex virtual machine
@cindex VM
@anchor{guix system vm}
-Build a virtual machine that contains the operating system declared in
-@var{file}, and return a script to run that virtual machine (VM).
+Build a virtual machine (VM) that contains the operating system declared
+in @var{file}, and return a script to run that VM.
@quotation Note
The @code{vm} action and others below
@@ -34526,6 +34526,12 @@ emulated machine:
$ /gnu/store/@dots{}-run-vm.sh -m 1024 -smp 2 -nic user,model=virtio-net-pci
@end example
+It's possible to combine the two steps into one:
+
+@example
+$ $(guix system vm my-config.scm) -m 1024 -smp 2 -nic user,model=virtio-net-pci
+@end example
+
The VM shares its store with the host system.
Additional file systems can be shared between the host and the VM using
@@ -34549,8 +34555,17 @@ store of the host can then be mounted.
The @option{--full-boot} option forces a complete boot sequence, starting
with the bootloader. This requires more disk space since a root image
containing at least the kernel, initrd, and bootloader data files must
-be created. The @option{--image-size} option can be used to specify the
-size of the image.
+be created.
+
+The @option{--image-size} option can be used to specify the size of the
+image.
+
+The @option{--no-graphic} option will instruct @command{guix system} to
+spawn a headless VM that will use the invoking tty for IO. Among other
+things, this enables copy-pasting, and scrollback. Use the @kbd{ctrl-a}
+prefix to issue QEMU commands; e.g. @kbd{ctrl-a h} prints a help,
+@kbd{ctrl-a x} quits the VM, and @kbd{ctrl-a c} switches between the
+QEMU monitor and the VM.
@cindex System images, creation in various formats
@cindex Creating system images in various formats
diff --git a/gnu/system/vm.scm b/gnu/system/vm.scm
index 1e2d8b47c2..0a95302584 100644
--- a/gnu/system/vm.scm
+++ b/gnu/system/vm.scm
@@ -754,6 +754,8 @@ it is mostly useful when FULL-BOOT? is true."
(define qemu-exec
#~(list #+(file-append qemu "/bin/"
(qemu-command (or target system)))
+ ;; Tells qemu to use the terminal it was started in for IO.
+ #$@(if graphic? '() #~("-nographic"))
#$@(if full-boot?
#~()
#~("-kernel" #$(operating-system-kernel-file os)
diff --git a/guix/scripts/system.scm b/guix/scripts/system.scm
index 7faa92fd7d..1db788a534 100644
--- a/guix/scripts/system.scm
+++ b/guix/scripts/system.scm
@@ -689,6 +689,7 @@ checking this by themselves in their 'check' procedure."
(define* (system-derivation-for-action image action
#:key
full-boot?
+ (graphic? #t)
container-shared-network?
mappings)
"Return as a monadic value the derivation for IMAGE according to ACTION."
@@ -706,6 +707,7 @@ checking this by themselves in their 'check' procedure."
((vm)
(system-qemu-image/shared-store-script os
#:full-boot? full-boot?
+ #:graphic? graphic?
#:disk-image-size
(if full-boot?
image-size
@@ -772,6 +774,7 @@ and TARGET arguments."
dry-run? derivations-only?
use-substitutes? target
full-boot?
+ (graphic? #t)
container-shared-network?
(mappings '())
(gc-root #f))
@@ -825,6 +828,7 @@ static checks."
(mlet* %store-monad
((sys (system-derivation-for-action image action
#:full-boot? full-boot?
+ #:graphic? graphic?
#:container-shared-network? container-shared-network?
#:mappings mappings))
@@ -1013,6 +1017,8 @@ Some ACTIONS support additional ARGS.\n"))
(display (G_ "
--full-boot for 'vm', make a full boot sequence"))
(display (G_ "
+ --no-graphic for 'vm', use the tty that we are started in for IO"))
+ (display (G_ "
--skip-checks skip file system and initrd module safety checks"))
(display (G_ "
--target=TRIPLET cross-build for TRIPLET--e.g., \"armel-linux-gnu\""))
@@ -1081,6 +1087,9 @@ Some ACTIONS support additional ARGS.\n"))
(option '("full-boot") #f #f
(lambda (opt name arg result)
(alist-cons 'full-boot? #t result)))
+ (option '("no-graphic") #f #f
+ (lambda (opt name arg result)
+ (alist-cons 'no-graphic? #t result)))
(option '("save-provenance") #f #f
(lambda (opt name arg result)
(alist-cons 'save-provenance? #t result)))
@@ -1266,6 +1275,7 @@ resulting from command-line parsing."
#:validate-reconfigure
(assoc-ref opts 'validate-reconfigure)
#:full-boot? (assoc-ref opts 'full-boot?)
+ #:graphic? (not (assoc-ref opts 'no-graphic?))
#:container-shared-network?
(assoc-ref opts 'container-shared-network?)
#:mappings (filter-map (match-lambda