How to Create a Virtual Machine in KVM
If you are looking to set up your own virtual machine using Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM), you’ve come to the right place. KVM is a powerful virtualization solution that allows you to run multiple operating systems on a single physical machine. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to create a virtual machine in KVM.
Step 1: Install KVM
The first step to creating a virtual machine in KVM is to install KVM on your host machine. To do this, open a terminal window and run the following command:
sudo apt-get install qemu-kvm libvirt-daemon-system libvirt-clients bridge-utils virtinst
This command will install the necessary packages to set up KVM on your machine.
Step 2: Create a Virtual Machine
Once KVM is installed, it’s time to create your virtual machine. You can do this using the virt-install command. Here’s an example command to create a basic virtual machine:
virt-install --name myvm --ram 2048 --vcpus 2 --disk path=/var/lib/libvirt/images/myvm.img,size=20 --cdrom /path/to/iso/file.iso --os-type linux --os-variant ubuntu20.04 --network bridge=br0 --graphics vnc,port=5901,listen=0.0.0.0
This command will create a virtual machine called ‘myvm’ with 2GB of RAM, 2 virtual CPUs, a 20GB virtual disk, and using an Ubuntu 20.04 ISO image.
Step 3: Install the Operating System
After creating the virtual machine, you will need to install the operating system. This can be done by connecting to the virtual machine console using a VNC client or by SSH if you have configured networking.
Step 4: Manage Your Virtual Machine
Once the operating system is installed, you can manage your virtual machine using the virsh command line tool. You can start, stop, reboot, and monitor your virtual machine using virsh commands.
Conclusion
Setting up a virtual machine in KVM is a great way to run multiple operating systems on a single physical machine. With the steps outlined in this guide, you can create and manage virtual machines in KVM with ease.