576 lines
18 KiB
Markdown
576 lines
18 KiB
Markdown
---
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author: Martin Wimpress
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date: 'February 20, 2022'
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footer: quickemu
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header: Quickemu User Manual
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section: 1
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title: QUICKEMU
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---
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NAME
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====
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quickemu - A quick VM builder and manager
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SYNOPSIS
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========
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**quickemu** \[*OPTION*\]...
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DESCRIPTION
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===========
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**quickemu** will create and run highly optimised desktop virtual
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machines for Linux, macOS and Windows
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OPTIONS
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=======
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**--vm**
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: vm configuration file
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You can also pass optional parameters
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**--braille**
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: Enable braille support. Requires SDL.
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**--delete**
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: Delete the disk image.
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**--display**
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: Select display backend. 'sdl' (default), 'gtk', 'none' or 'spice'
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**--fullscreen**
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: Starts VM in full screen mode (Ctl+Alt+f to exit)
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**--ignore-msrs-always**
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: Configure KVM to always ignore unhandled machine-specific registers
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**--screen \<screen\>**
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: Use specified screen to determine the window size.
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**--shortcut**
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: Create a desktop shortcut
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**--snapshot apply \<tag\>**
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: Apply/restore a snapshot.
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**--snapshot create \<tag\>**
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: Create a snapshot.
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**--snapshot delete \<tag\>**
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: Delete a snapshot.
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**--snapshot info**
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: Show disk/snapshot info.
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**--status-quo**
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: Do not commit any changes to disk/snapshot.
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**--version**
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: Print version
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EXAMPLES
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========
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**quickemu --vm ubuntu-mate-21.10-.conf**
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: Launches the VM specified in the file *ubuntu-mate-21.10-.conf*
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Introduction
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------------
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Quickly create and run highly optimised desktop virtual machines for
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Linux, macOS and Windows; with just two commands. You decide what
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operating system you want to run and Quickemu will figure out the best
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way to do it for you. For example:
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``` {.bash}
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quickget ubuntu-mate 21.10
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quickemu --vm ubuntu-mate-21.10-.conf
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```
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The original objective of the project was to enable quick testing of
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Linux distributions where the virtual machine configurations can be
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stored anywhere, such as external USB storage or your home directory,
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and no elevated permissions are required to run the virtual machines.
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**Quickemu now also includes comprehensive support for macOS and
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Windows**.
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Features
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--------
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- **macOS** Monterey, Big Sur, Catalina, Mojave & High Sierra
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- **Windows** 8.1, 10 and 11 including TPM 2.0
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- [Ubuntu](https://ubuntu.com/desktop) and all the **[official Ubuntu
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flavours](https://ubuntu.com/download/flavours)**
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- **Over 360 operating system editions are supported!**
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- Full SPICE support including host/guest clipboard sharing
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- VirtIO-webdavd file sharing for Linux and Windows guests
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- VirtIO-9p file sharing for Linux and macOS guests
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- [QEMU Guest Agent
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support](https://wiki.qemu.org/Features/GuestAgent); provides access
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to a system-level agent via standard QMP commands
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- Samba file sharing for Linux, macOS and Windows guests (*if `smbd`
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is installed on the host*)
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- VirGL acceleration
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- USB device pass-through
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- Smartcard pass-through
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- Automatic SSH port forwarding to guests
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- Network port forwarding
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- Full duplex audio
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- Braille support
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- EFI (with or without SecureBoot) and Legacy BIOS boot
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- Graphical user interfaces available
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Quickemu is a wrapper for the excellent [QEMU](https://www.qemu.org/)
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that attempts to automatically *"do the right thing"*, rather than
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expose exhaustive configuration options.
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We have a Discord for this project:
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[](https://discord.gg/sNmz3uw)
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See this (old) video where I explain some of my motivations for creating
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Quickemu.
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[](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOTYWEgw0hI)
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Requirements
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------------
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- [QEMU](https://www.qemu.org/) (*6.0.0 or newer*) **with GTK, SDL,
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SPICE & VirtFS support**
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- [bash](https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/) (*4.0 or newer*)
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- [Coreutils](https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/)
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- [EDK II](https://github.com/tianocore/edk2)
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- [grep](https://www.gnu.org/software/grep/)
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- [jq](https://stedolan.github.io/jq/)
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- [LSB](https://wiki.linuxfoundation.org/lsb/start)
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- [procps](https://gitlab.com/procps-ng/procps)
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- [python3](https://www.python.org/)
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- [macrecovery](https://github.com/acidanthera/OpenCorePkg/tree/master/Utilities/macrecovery)
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- [mkisofs](http://cdrtools.sourceforge.net/private/cdrecord.html)
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- [usbutils](https://github.com/gregkh/usbutils)
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- [util-linux](https://github.com/karelzak/util-linux)
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- [sed](https://www.gnu.org/software/sed/)
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- [spicy](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/spice/spice-gtk)
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- [swtpm](https://github.com/stefanberger/swtpm)
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- [Wget](https://www.gnu.org/software/wget/)
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- [xdg-user-dirs](https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/xdg-user-dirs/)
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- [xrandr](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xorg/app/xrandr)
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- [zsync](http://zsync.moria.org.uk/)
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- [unzip](http://www.info-zip.org/UnZip.html)
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Usage
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=====
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Graphical User Interfaces
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-------------------------
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While `quickemu` and `quickget` are designed for the terminal, a
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graphical user interface is also available:
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- **[Quickgui](https://github.com/quickgui/quickgui)** by [Mark
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Johnson](https://github.com/marxjohnson) and [Yannick
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Mauray](https://github.com/ymauray).
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Many thanks to [Luke Wesley-Holley](https://github.com/Lukewh) and
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[Philipp Kiemle](https://github.com/daPhipz) for creating the
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**[Quickemu icons](https://github.com/Lukewh/quickemu-icons)** 🎨
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### Quickgui for Ubuntu
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``` {.bash}
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sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yannick-mauray/quickgui
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sudo apt update
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sudo apt install quickgui
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```
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Ubuntu Guest
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------------
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`quickget` will automatically download an Ubuntu release and create the
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virtual machine configuration.
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``` {.bash}
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quickget ubuntu 20.04
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quickemu --vm ubuntu-20.04.conf
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```
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- Complete the installation as normal.
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- Post-install:
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- Install the SPICE agent (`spice-vdagent`) to enable copy/paste
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and USB redirection
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- `sudo apt install spice-vdagent`
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- Install the SPICE WebDAV agent (`spice-webdavd`) to enable file
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sharing.
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- `sudo apt install spice-webdavd`
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### Ubuntu devel (daily-live) images
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`quickget` can also download/refresh devel images via `zsync` for Ubuntu
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developers and testers.
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``` {.bash}
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quickget ubuntu devel
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quickemu --vm ubuntu-devel.conf
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```
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You can run `quickget ubuntu devel` to refresh your daily development
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image as often as you like, it will even automatically switch to a new
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series.
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### Ubuntu Flavours
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All the official Ubuntu flavours are supported, just replace `ubuntu`
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with your preferred flavour.
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- `kubuntu` (Kubuntu)
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- `lubuntu` (Lubuntu)
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- `ubuntu-budgie` (Ubuntu Budgie)
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- `ubuntukylin` (Ubuntu Kylin)
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- `ubuntu-mate` (Ubuntu MATE)
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- `ubuntustudio` (Ubuntu Studio)
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- `ubuntu` (Ubuntu)
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- `xubuntu` (Xubuntu)
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Other Operating Systems
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-----------------------
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`quickget` also supports:
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- `alma` (Alma Linux)
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- `alpine` (Alpine Linux)
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- `android` (Android x86)
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- `archlinux` (Arch Linux)
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- `arcolinux` (Arco Linux)
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- `cachyos` (CachyOS)
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- `debian` (Debian)
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- `devuan` (Devuan)
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- `dragonflybsd` (DragonFlyBSD)
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- `elementary` (elementary OS)
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- `fedora` (Fedora)
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- `freebsd` (FreeBSD)
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- `freedos` (FreeDOS)
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- `garuda` (Garuda Linux)
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- `gentoo` (Gentoo)
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- `ghostbsd` (GhostBSD)
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- `haiku` (Haiku)
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- `kali` (Kali)
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- `kdeneon` (KDE Neon)
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- `kolibrios` (KolibriOS)
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- `linuxmint` (Linux Mint)
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- `manjaro` (Manjaro)
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- `mxlinux` (MX Linux)
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- `netboot` (netboot.xyz)
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- `netbsd` (NetBSD)
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- `nixos` (NixOS)
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- `openbsd` (OpenBSD)
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- `opensuse` (openSUSE)
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- `oraclelinux` (Oracle Linux)
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- `popos` (Pop!\_OS)
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- `regolith` (Regolith Linux)
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- `rockylinux` (Rocky Linux)
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- `slackware` (Slackware)
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- `solus` (Solus)
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- `tails` (Tails)
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- `void` (Void Linux)
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- `zorin` (Zorin OS)
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Or you can download a Linux image and manually create a VM
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configuration.
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- Download a .iso image of a Linux distribution
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- Create a VM configuration file; for example `debian-bullseye.conf`
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``` {.bash}
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guest_os="linux"
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disk_img="debian-bullseye/disk.qcow2"
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iso="debian-bullseye/firmware-11.0.0-amd64-DVD-1.iso"
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```
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- Use `quickemu` to start the virtual machine:
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``` {.bash}
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quickemu --vm debian-bullseye.conf
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```
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- Complete the installation as normal.
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- Post-install:
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- Install the SPICE agent (`spice-vdagent`) to enable copy/paste
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and USB redirection.
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- Install the SPICE WebDAV agent (`spice-webdavd`) to enable file
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sharing.
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macOS Guest
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-----------
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`quickget` automatically downloads a macOS recovery image and creates a
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virtual machine configuration.
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``` {.bash}
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quickget macos catalina
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quickemu --vm macos-catalina.conf
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```
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macOS `high-sierra`, `mojave`, `catalina`, `big-sur` and `monterey` are
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supported.
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- Use cursor keys and enter key to select the **macOS Base System**
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- From **macOS Utilities**
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- Click **Disk Utility** and **Continue**
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- On macOS Catalina, Big Sur & Monterey
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- Select `Apple Inc. VirtIO Block Media` from the list and
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click **Erase**.
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- On macOS Mojave and High Sierra
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- Select `QEMU HARDDISK Media` (\~103.08GB) from the list
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and click **Erase**.
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- Enter a `Name:` for the disk and click **Erase**.
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- Click **Done**.
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- Close Disk Utility
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- From **macOS Utilities**
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- Click **Reinstall macOS** and **Continue**
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- Complete the installation as you normally would.
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- On the first reboot use cursor keys and enter key to select
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**macOS Installer**
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- On the subsequent reboots use cursor keys and enter key to
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select the disk you named
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The default macOS configuration looks like this:
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``` {.bash}
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guest_os="macos"
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img="macos-catalina/RecoveryImage.img"
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disk_img="macos-catalina/disk.qcow2"
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macos_release="catalina"
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```
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- `guest_os="macos"` instructs Quickemu to optimise for macOS.
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- `macos_release="catalina"` instructs Quickemu to optimise for a
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particular macOS release.
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- For example VirtIO Network and Memory Ballooning are available
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in Big Sur and newer, but not previous releases.
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- And VirtIO Block Media (disks) are supported/stable in Catalina
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and newer.
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### macOS compatibility
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There are some considerations when running macOS via Quickemu.
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- Supported macOS releases:
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- High Sierra
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- Mojave
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- Catalina **(Recommended)**
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- Big Sur
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- Monterey
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- `quickemu` will automatically download the required
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[OpenCore](https://github.com/acidanthera/OpenCorePkg) bootloader
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and OVMF firmware from [OSX-KVM](https://github.com/kholia/OSX-KVM).
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- Optimised by default, but no GPU acceleration is available.
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- Host CPU vendor is detected and guest CPU is optimised
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accordingly.
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- [VirtIO Block
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Media](https://www.kraxel.org/blog/2019/06/macos-qemu-guest/) is
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used for the system disk where supported.
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- [VirtIO `usb-tablet`](http://philjordan.eu/osx-virt/) is used
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for the mouse.
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- VirtIO Network (`virtio-net`) is supported and enabled on macOS
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Big Sur and newer but previous releases use `vmxnet3`.
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- VirtIO Memory Ballooning is supported and enabled on macOS Big
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Sur and newer but disabled for other support macOS releases.
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- USB host and SPICE pass-through is:
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- UHCI (USB 2.0) on macOS Catalina and earlier.
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- XHCI (USB 3.0) on macOS Big Sur and newer.
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- Display resolution can only be changed via macOS System Preferences.
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- Full Duplex audio works on macOS High Sierra, Mojave and Catalina.
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- **macOS Big Sur and Monterey have no audio at all**.
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- File sharing between guest and host is available via
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[virtio-9p](https://wiki.qemu.org/Documentation/9psetup) and [SPICE
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webdavd](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/phodav/-/merge_requests/24).
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- Copy/paste via SPICE agent is **not available on macOS**.
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Windows 8.1, 10 & 11 Guests
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---------------------------
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`quickget` can automatically download Windows 8.1, [Windows
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10](https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10ISO) and
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[Windows
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11](https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows11) along
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with the [VirtIO drivers for
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Windows](https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/)
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and creates a virtual machine configuration.
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``` {.bash}
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quickget windows 11
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quickemu --vm windows-11.conf
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```
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- Complete the installation as you normally would.
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- All relevant drivers and services should be installed automatically.
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### Regional versions
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By default `quickget` will download the *"English International"*
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release, but you can optionally specify one of the supported languages:
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For example:
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``` {.bash}
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quickget windows 11 "Chinese (Traditional)"
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```
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The default Windows 11 configuration looks like this:
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``` {.bash}
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guest_os="windows"
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disk_img="windows-11/disk.qcow2"
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iso="windows-11/Win11_EnglishInternational_x64.iso"
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fixed_iso="windows-11/virtio-win.iso"
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tpm="on"
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```
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- `guest_os="windows"` instructs `quickemu` to optimise for Windows.
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- `fixed_iso=` specifies the ISO image that provides VirtIO drivers.
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- `tpm="on"` instructs `quickemu` to create a software emulated TPM
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device using `swtpm`.
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All the options
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===============
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Here are the usage instructions:
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``` {.bash}
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Usage
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quickemu --vm ubuntu.conf
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You can also pass optional parameters
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--braille : Enable braille support. Requires SDL.
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--delete-disk : Delete the disk image and EFI variables
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--delete-vm : Delete the entire VM and it's configuration
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--display : Select display backend. 'sdl' (default), 'gtk', 'none', or 'spice'
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--fullscreen : Starts VM in full screen mode (Ctl+Alt+f to exit)
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--ignore-msrs-always : Configure KVM to always ignore unhandled machine-specific registers
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--screen <screen> : Use specified screen to determine the window size.
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--shortcut : Create a desktop shortcut
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--snapshot apply <tag> : Apply/restore a snapshot.
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--snapshot create <tag> : Create a snapshot.
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--snapshot delete <tag> : Delete a snapshot.
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--snapshot info : Show disk/snapshot info.
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--status-quo : Do not commit any changes to disk/snapshot.
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--version : Print version
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```
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Desktop shortcuts
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-----------------
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Desktop shortcuts can be created for a VM, the shortcuts are saved in
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`~/.local/share/applications`. Here is an example of how to create a
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shortcut.
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``` {.bash}
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quickemu --vm ubuntu-20.04-desktop.conf --shortcut
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```
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Screen and window size (Linux guests only)
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------------------------------------------
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`qemu` will always default to the primary monitor to display the VM's
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window.
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Without the `--screen` option, `quickemu` will look for the size of the
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smallest monitor, and use a size that fits on said monitor.
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The `--screen` option forces `quickemu` to use the size of the given
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monitor to compute the size of the window. **It won't use that monitor
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to display the VM's window if it's not the primary monitor**. This is
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useful if the primary monitor if not the smallest one, and if the VM's
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window doesn't need to be moved around.
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The `--screen` option is also useful with the `--fullscreen` option,
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again because `qemu` will always use the primary monitor. In order for
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the fullscreen mode to work properly, the resolution of the VM's window
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must match the resolution of the screen.
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To know which screen to use, type:
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``` {.bash}
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xrandr --listmonitors | grep -v Monitors
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```
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The command will output something like this:
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``` {.bash}
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0: +*HDMI-0 2560/597x1440/336+1920+0 HDMI-0
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1: +DVI-D-0 1920/527x1080/296+0+0 DVI-D-0
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```
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The first number is what needs to be passed to the `--screen` option.
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For example:
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``` {.bash}
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quickemu --vm vm.conf --screen 0
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```
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The above uses the 2560x1440 screen to compute the size of the window,
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which Quickemu sizes to 2048x1152. Without the `--screen` option,
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Quickemu would have used the 1920x1080 monitor which results in a window
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size of 1664x936.
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References
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==========
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Useful reference that assisted the development of Quickemu.
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- General
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- [QEMU's documentation!](https://qemu.readthedocs.io/en/latest/)
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- <https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Qemu/KVM_Virtual_Machines>
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- <https://www.kraxel.org/blog/2020/01/qemu-sound-audiodev/>
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- macOS
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- <https://www.nicksherlock.com/2020/06/installing-macos-big-sur-on-proxmox/>
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- <https://passthroughpo.st/mac-os-adds-early-support-for-virtio-qemu/>
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- <https://github.com/kholia/OSX-KVM>
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- <https://github.com/thenickdude/KVM-Opencore>
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- <https://github.com/acidanthera/OpenCorePkg/tree/master/Utilities/macrecovery>
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- <https://www.kraxel.org/blog/2017/09/running-macos-as-guest-in-kvm/>
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- <https://www.nicksherlock.com/2017/10/passthrough-of-advanced-cpu-features-for-macos-high-sierra-guests/>
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- <http://philjordan.eu/osx-virt/>
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- <https://github.com/Dids/clover-builder>
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- [OpenCore
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Configurator](https://mackie100projects.altervista.org)
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- Windows
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- <https://www.heiko-sieger.info/running-windows-10-on-linux-using-kvm-with-vga-passthrough/>
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- <https://leduccc.medium.com/improving-the-performance-of-a-windows-10-guest-on-qemu-a5b3f54d9cf5>
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- <https://frontpagelinux.com/tutorials/how-to-use-linux-kvm-to-optimize-your-windows-10-virtual-machine/>
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- <https://turlucode.com/qemu-command-line-args/>
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- <https://github.com/pbatard/Fido>
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- <https://www.catapultsystems.com/blogs/create-zero-touch-windows-10-iso/>
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- TPM
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- <https://qemu-project.gitlab.io/qemu/specs/tpm.html>
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- <https://www.tecklyfe.com/how-to-create-a-windows-11-virtual-machine-in-qemu/>
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- 9p & virtiofs
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- <https://wiki.qemu.org/Documentation/9p>
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- <https://wiki.qemu.org/Documentation/9psetup>
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- <https://www.kraxel.org/blog/2019/06/macos-qemu-guest/>
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- <https://superuser.com/questions/628169/how-to-share-a-directory-with-the-host-without-networking-in-qemu>
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- <https://virtio-fs.gitlab.io/>
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AUTHORS
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=======
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Written by Martin Wimpress.
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BUGS
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====
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Submit bug reports online at:
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<https://github.com/quickemu-project/quickemu/issues>
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SEE ALSO
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========
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Full sources at: <https://github.com/quickemu-project/quickemu>
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quickemu\_conf(1), quickget(1), quickgui(1)
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