Do you have experience with KVM/QEMU/virt-manager?

[Manuel_Jordan]

Hello Friends

I did do a research about VirtualBox 6 vs 7 and in some place as additional information was mentioned as an alternative over VirtualBox specifically for Linux the following:

• KVM
• QEMU
• virt-manager

Since years ago I use VirtualBox in peace but in Windows and macOS. Now, because I have some laptops with Linux installed directly, in one of them was installed VirtualBox, but now I am curious about the new set.

• Do you have experience with KVM/QEMU/virt-manager?

It about for one or all of them. Furthermore, If you have other recommendation to be included in this category is well welcomed

The goal is to know if this set is a better alternative than VirtualBox and I should invest time to learn them.

Thanks for your understanding

[nevj (Neville Jackson)]

@Manuel_Jordan

Do you have experience with KVM/QEMU/virt-manager?

Hi Manuel,
There was a topic some time ago on virt-manager . It was a joint effort by @Rosika and myself. It is here

Communication between host and guest VM when using virt-manager

This is a joint post by @nevj and @Rosika and It reports on our collaborative investigations into the virt-manager package which uses qemu/KVM to run virtual machines inside a host Linux system. In particular we have looked at various ways of communicating between a guest Linux system running in a VM and its host Linux system. Our post consists of several ‘chapters’ each written in markdown and copied into itsFOSS as a series of separate replies. Contents virt-manager networking setup T…

I have used VirtualBox in Linux, but I find virt-manager fits better into the Linux way of doing things.

The most important thing with a VM is being able to get data in and out of the guest system. I found the ‘shared file’ concept in Virtualbox to be rather awkward. There are better ways of communicating between host and guest systems, and that is why we wrote the above topic.

The guest system in Virt-manager can be any Linux distro, or any BSD, or even Windows.

There is a tutorial on virt-manager here

How to Install and Use virt-manager in Ubuntu and Other Linux

Regards
Neville

[Manuel_Jordan]

Huge Thanks for both for the valuable feedback.

I hope it be public on some post through itsfoss with the respective credits … tell me pls, for the scenario for a guest being Server (it for either Ubuntu or Fedora). According with your experience:

What could be your best suggestion? VirtualBox or KVM/QEMU/virt-manager?

[nevj (Neville Jackson)]

@Manuel_Jordan

scenario for a guest being Server

I have never used a guest as a server.
You can start a KVD/QEMU guest with either virsh
or virt-manager. So if you wanted a server without a console ,
use virt-manager to make the VM initially, but thereafter
start it with virsh . You can then log into it with ssh if you need to manage something.
I am not sure if you have that option with Virtualbox.

[Manuel_Jordan]

Thanks for the mention of virsh I will do a research about that too.

You can then log into it with ssh if you need to manage something.
I am not sure if you have that option with Virtualbox.

When the guest being Linux and server is started is show a “black screen” or simply the terminal. Of course it through a new Window. Is possible interact directly with the OS through that window - I think the Screen term is used in VB - and is possible access to the guest through SSH too. Of course the configuration settings about ssh server must be accomplished first.

[nevj (Neville Jackson)]

@Manuel_Jordan

You can find some virsh examples here

FreeBSD as a guest VM in virt-manager

Using FreeBSD as a guest VM in virt-manager This is a joint post by @nevj and @Rosika and It reports our investigations into running the virt-manager package in a Linux host and a guest FreeBSD system in a VM. Our post consists of several ‘chapters’ each written in markdown and copied into itsFOSS as a series of separate replies. Contents Introduction Where FreeBSD differs from Linux Installing FreeBSD in a virt-manager VM Using FreeBSD from the console login … virsh and ssh or virt-mana…

Some virsh commands require qemu-ga be installed in the guest.

[Manuel_Jordan]

Huge thanks for your polite and valuable support.

A cold beer to you - really this network (forum) is valuable!