Trey Dockendorf wrote ---------------------------------- Eric is right. You can connect remotely without even installing virt-manager on the server. Only needs to have libvird running. I did a minimal install of CentOS 6 with the 4 virtual package groups. My system as no startx or run level 5. In my case I have to use X11 forwarding but that doesnt require X on the server. At most I have a few font libraries and X libraries but not the X server. X11 is backwards from the standard client/server model. The X server in the case of X11 forwarding is on my local desktop. ------------------------- I believe ya guys. However I could not install from a local source media (an iso) no matter what I did. The techs at dell put up some papers that specifically noted that using local media to install is not an ability that can be done with virt-install, whether you access the server remotely or not. In all cases I have found, the installation starts on the local server (like netinstall or what have you) then it calls out somewhere remotely to actually install. I could not get virt-manager, the only thing that can use local media to run remotely with initial setup. Not without installing some kind of X server or system. Probably because I ain't all that well versed in it. With centos6 and kvm together being so new, there is little out there showing the steps with that remote thing. And honestly, why do I need to do something remotely when I should be able to do it on the host? I ended up, final install, adding X (which seems to be needed anyway for x forwarding) and a simple desktop. I simply 'startx' to get the gui, add my virt guests, then ctrl-alt-backspace out of it. The pstree shows the kill of the gui gets rid of the whole gui thing. With the local, I can kill the ability to shell to the system increasing security. I believe you guys. However, I cannot get it working that way. Not locally, not with local media. There is not one single site or manual that has shown a system where they did a install with local media, not one. All of them, if using command line, access something remotely. sigh. After a month of this, I think I will stay with what works and go with it. Too much work just to be command line cool. appreciate the information. I will continue to research a local install from command line....