OS: CentOS 5.3
libvirt version: libvirt-0.3.3-14.el5_3.1
libvirt-phython version: libvirt-python-0.3.3-14.el5_3.1
python-virtinst version: python-virtinst-0.300.2-12.el5

Description of problem:

I can not install a new virtual machine with virt-install for a qemu-kvm domain, if I use the flag --accelerate to activate kvm support. Output looks like this:

Starting install...
virDomainCreateLinux() failed 
Domain installation may not have been
 successful.  If it was, you can restart your domain
 by running 'virsh start test'; otherwise, please
 restart your installation.
Wed, 20 May 2009 11:15:51 ERROR    virDomainCreateLinux() failed 
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/sbin/virt-install", line 560, in ?
    main()
  File "/usr/sbin/virt-install", line 492, in main
    dom = guest.start_install(conscb, progresscb, wait=(not wait))
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/virtinst/Guest.py", line 822, in start_install
    return self._do_install(consolecb, meter, wait)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/virtinst/Guest.py", line 843, in _do_install
    self.domain = self.conn.createLinux(install_xml, 0)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.4/site-packages/libvirt.py", line 573, in createLinux
    if ret is None:raise libvirtError('virDomainCreateLinux() failed', conn=self)
libvirtError: virDomainCreateLinux() failed 

The command with which I got this is following:

virt-install --connect qemu:///system -n test -r 512 --vcpus=1 -f /data/images/sles10sp2-gui.img -s 12 -c /dev/cdrom --vnc --noautoconsole --os-type linux --os-variant sles10 --network=bridge:eth0 --accelerate

After many tries I decided to create the domain xml manually. This one is what I created:

<domain type='kvm'>
  <name>sles10sp2-gui</name>
  <uuid>de543bfe-9556-beca-3765-7eef8edfcbc8</uuid>
  <memory>524288</memory>
  <currentMemory>524288</currentMemory>
  <vcpu>1</vcpu>
  <os>
    <type>hvm</type>
    <boot dev='hd'/>
  </os>
  <features>
    <acpi/>
  </features>
  <clock offset='utc'/>
  <on_poweroff>destroy</on_poweroff>
  <on_reboot>restart</on_reboot>
  <on_crash>destroy</on_crash>
  <devices>
    <emulator>/usr/bin/qemu-kvm</emulator>
    <disk type='file' device='disk'>
      <source file='/data/images/sles10sp2-gui.img'/>
      <target dev='hda'/>
    </disk>
    <interface type='bridge'>
      <mac address='00:16:3e:33:38:be'/>
      <source bridge='eth0'/>
    </interface>
    <input type='mouse' bus='ps2'/>
    <graphics type='vnc' port='-1' listen='127.0.0.1'/>
  </devices>
</domain>

If I want to start this domain, after a virsh -c qemu:///system define sles10sp2-gui I got this after a virsh start:

error: Failed to start domain sles10sp2-gui

And with the virt-manager per remote this:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/share/virt-manager/virtManager/engine.py", line 498, in run_domain
    vm.startup()
  File "/usr/share/virt-manager/virtManager/domain.py", line 508, in startup
    self.vm.create()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/libvirt.py", line 287, in create
    if ret == -1: raise libvirtError ('virDomainCreate() failed', dom=self)
libvirtError: Unknown failure

Greetings Simon