With the .qcow2 disk image extracted, you can deploy it to a compatible KVM hypervisor.
config system interface edit port1 set mode static set ip 192.168.1.99 255.255.255.0 set allowaccess ping https ssh end
sudo virt-install \ --name fortigate723 \ --vcpus 2 \ --memory 4096 \ --disk path=/var/lib/libvirt/images/fgtvm.qcow2,format=qcow2 \ --network bridge=br0,model=virtio \ --import \ --os-variant generic \ --noautoconsole
: This suggests a 64-bit virtual machine operating on a KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) hypervisor. KVM is an open-source virtualization module in the Linux kernel that allows Linux to operate as a hypervisor. fgtvm64kvmv723fbuild1262fortinetoutkvmqcow2 upd
resource "libvirt_volume" "fortigate" name = "fgt723" source = "FGT_VM64_KVM-v7.2.3-build1262-FORTINET.out.kvm.qcow2" format = "qcow2"
(projected for September 30, 2026), making it a stable choice but one that requires an eventual upgrade path to 7.4 or 7.6. Deployment
FortiOS 7.2.3 Build 1262 is part of Fortinet’s 7.2 maturity cycle. While it introduces feature advancements, it focuses heavily on stabilization, security patches, and fixing the memory/process leaks commonly observed in earlier 7.2 releases. Key Capabilities in FortiOS 7.2.3 With the
indicates it is built for 64-bit virtual environments using the KVM architecture.
If you want, I can produce a ready-to-run libvirt XML snippet for this image and recommended VM resource settings.
Clear out non-persistent system volumes or node instances to ensure the network sandbox boots natively off the new firmware build. Key Capabilities in FortiOS 7
.qcow2 , which is the standard copy-on-write format for QEMU/KVM hypervisors. Common Uses & Integration
: FortiGate Virtual Machine (64-bit) for KVM . It specifies that this image is built explicitly for 64-bit Linux Kernel-based Virtual Machine hypervisors rather than VMware (OVF/OVA) or Microsoft Hyper-V formats.