Installation of KVM, QEMU, and Virt-Manager on Arch Linux, Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora

This repository contains either a Bash script or a guide to install and configure KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine), QEMU, and Virt-Manager on systems based on Arch Linux, Manjaro, Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora.

Table of Contents

• Prerequisites
• Installation with the Script
  • What the Script Does
• Manual Installation
  • Installation of Required Packages
  • Configuration of the libvirtd Service
  • Configuration of Permissions
  • System Reboot
• After the Script
• Firewall and Security

Prerequisites

• A system based on Arch Linux, Ubuntu, Debian, or Fedora with sudo access.
• An active internet connection to download the necessary packages.
• Git installed on your system:
  • Archlinux / Manjaro: sudo pacman -S git
  • Fedora: sudo dnf install -y git
  • Debian / Ubuntu: sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y git
• Your processor must support virtualization (Intel VT-x or AMD-V).
• Intel VT-x or AMD-V virtualization must be enabled in the BIOS.

Installation with the Script

Clone the repository and execute the installation script:

git clone https://github.com/Cardiacman13/kvm-qemu-virt-manager.git
cd kvm-qemu-virt-manager
chmod +x install.sh
sudo ./install.sh

What the Script Does

1. System Update: Updates the packages on your system to ensure all dependencies are current.
2. Package Installation: Installs QEMU, Virt-Manager, and other necessary tools for VM management.
3. Permission Configuration: Configures /etc/libvirt/libvirtd.conf to allow the current user to manage VMs and adds the user to the libvirt group.
4. Restarting Necessary Services: Restarts the services so that the changes take effect immediately.

Manual Installation

Installation of Required Packages

Install the necessary packages for KVM, QEMU, and other virtualization management tools:

Archlinux:

sudo pacman -S qemu-full virt-manager virt-viewer dnsmasq vde2 bridge-utils openbsd-netcat dmidecode libguestfs

Fedora:

sudo dnf install -y @virtualization

Debian / Ubuntu:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y virt-manager

Configuration of the libvirtd Service

Enable and start the libvirtd service:

sudo systemctl enable --now libvirtd.service

Configuration of Permissions

Modify the configurations to allow the user to use KVM:

sudo sed -i 's/#unix_sock_group = "libvirt"/unix_sock_group = "libvirt"/' /etc/libvirt/libvirtd.conf
sudo sed -i 's/#unix_sock_rw_perms = "0770"/unix_sock_rw_perms = "0770"/' /etc/libvirt/libvirtd.conf
sudo systemctl restart libvirtd.service

Add your user to the libvirt and kvm groups:

sudo usermod -a -G libvirt $(whoami)
sudo usermod -a -G kvm $(whoami)

System Reboot

After completing the configuration, it is recommended to reboot your system so that all changes take effect:

sudo reboot

After the Script

You will just need to activate the connection as shown in the screenshot below, and you are ready to create a VM.

Firewall and Security

Firewalls can sometimes block the connections necessary for the proper functioning of KVM, QEMU, and Virt-Manager. Ensure that the firewall rules allow the following connections:

• TCP/UDP Ports: The ports used by libvirtd and virtual machines must be open.
• Specific Services: Allow the libvirtd and virt-manager services in your firewall.

To configure the firewall, you can use tools like ufw (Uncomplicated Firewall) on Debian/Ubuntu or firewalld on Fedora. Here are some example commands:

UFW (Debian/Ubuntu)

sudo ufw allow libvirtd
sudo ufw allow virt-manager
sudo ufw reload

Firewalld (Fedora)

sudo firewall-cmd --add-service=libvirt --permanent
sudo firewall-cmd --add-service=virt-manager --permanent
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

By following these steps, you should be able to correctly configure your environment to use KVM, QEMU, and Virt-Manager without being blocked by firewall rules.