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Introduction

EVE-OS supports workloads packaged as virtual machine images in QCOW2 format. This procedure walks through creating a Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) virtual machine in VirtualBox, installing the operating system, and converting the VM disk to QCOW2 for use with EVE-OS. The resulting image can be uploaded to your enterprise as an edge application.

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Prerequisites

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux ISO image. Download from the Red Hat Developer portal.
  • VirtualBox 6.1 or later installed on your local machine.

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Create the Virtual Machine

  1. Open VirtualBox Manager and click New to create a new VM.
  2. Enter a name for the VM and select the appropriate type and version for Red Hat Linux. Click Continue.
  3. Set the memory size. Use a minimum of 4 GB. Click Continue.
  4. Select Create a virtual hard disk now and click Continue.
  5. Choose VMDK as the disk type. Click Continue.
  6. Choose Dynamically allocated storage. Click Continue.
  7. Set the file location and size. Use a minimum of 30 GB. The default location is acceptable. Click Create.

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Configure the VM Settings

  1. Open the VM Settings, navigate to System, and confirm the following:
    • Boot order: CD-ROM first, then hard disk.
    • All three options in the Extended Features section are enabled.
  2. Navigate to Storage and attach the Red Hat ISO to the optical drive.
  3. If you are using a KVM-based EVE-OS image, navigate to Settings > Storage and change the disk controller type to VirtIO.

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Review the Final Configuration

Confirm that the VM configuration matches your intended setup before starting installation.

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Install Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Start the VM and complete the RHEL installation. The installer launches from the attached ISO. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation, including language and locale selection, installation destination (select the virtual disk), network and hostname configuration, and root password and user account creation. After installation completes, shut down the VM.

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Convert the VM Disk to QCOW2

After the OS installation is complete, convert the VMDK disk file to QCOW2 format. Run the following command from the directory containing the VMDK file:
The output file redhatvm.qcow2 is ready to upload to EVE-OS as a VM application image.

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Next Steps

Manage an App Image

Upload the QCOW2 image to your enterprise.

Add an Edge App Image

Add the QCOW2 image as a deployable edge application.