QEMU is a generic and open source machine emulator and virtualizer. When used with KVM, it can provide near-native performance virtualization, making it the foundation for many cloud platforms.
📑 Table of Contents
Key Features
- Full Emulation: Run any OS on any architecture
- KVM Integration: Hardware-accelerated virtualization
- Snapshot Support: Save and restore VM state
- Live Migration: Move VMs between hosts
- Device Emulation: USB, network, storage devices
Installation
Install QEMU/KVM on Ubuntu:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install qemu-kvm libvirt-daemon-system virtinst
sudo usermod -aG libvirt $USER
sudo usermod -aG kvm $USERUsage Examples
Basic QEMU operations:
# Create disk image
qemu-img create -f qcow2 disk.qcow2 20G
# Boot from ISO
qemu-system-x86_64 -m 2048 -cdrom ubuntu.iso -boot d disk.qcow2
# Run with KVM acceleration
qemu-system-x86_64 -enable-kvm -m 4096 -cpu host disk.qcow2Benefits
QEMU enables flexible virtualization from development to production. Its versatility supports everything from embedded system development to cloud infrastructure.
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