121 lines
4.7 KiB
Markdown
121 lines
4.7 KiB
Markdown
# Optimized, libvirt-compatible definitions for common OS
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## Goal
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This repository's goal is to maintain definitions that are tuned for running modern, GUI-driven guest operating systems (OS), easing their installation on hosts that leverage KVM, such as [Phyllome OS](https://phyllo.me/).
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There are two kinds of definition for QEMU: **session-driven** virtual machines, and **system-driven** virtual machines. System-driven virtual machines are running with higher privileges. If one intend to share a physical device with a virtual machine using VFIO passthrough, this is the definition to use. More information [here](https://blog.wikichoon.com/2016/01/qemusystem-vs-qemusession.html).
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## Usage
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### Requirements
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It is expected that libvirt and other dependencies such as QEMU or the Cloud Hypervisor are already installed and correctly configured.
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* At least `QEMU` emulator version 7.0.0
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* At least `libvirt` 8.6.0
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* [Netboot.xyz](https://netboot.xyz/) ISO file under `/var/lib/libvirt/isos`
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### How to use it
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* Download `Netboot.xyz.iso` file
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```
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# wget https://boot.netboot.xyz/ipxe/netboot.xyz.iso -P /var/lib/libvirt/isos/
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```
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* Clone this repository
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* Navigate to the *session* directory
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* Choose your target OS of choice and, as a normal user, use the following `virsh` command to create a virtual machine using the `define` argument:
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```
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$ virsh define linux54.xml
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Domain 'Linux5.4' defined from linux54.xml
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```
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* List the newly-created virtual machine
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```
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$ virsh list --all
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Id Name State
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------------------------
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- Linux5.4 shut off
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```
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* Delete the virtual machine usine the `undefine` argument
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```
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$ virsh undefine Linux5.4
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Domain 'Linux' has been undefined
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```
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### System-driven virtual machines
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* Navigate to the *system* directory
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* Choose your target OS of choice and, as a root user, use the following `virsh` command to define a virtual machine:
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```
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# virsh define linux54.xml
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Domain 'Linux5.4' defined from linux54.xml
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```
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```
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# virsh list --all
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Id Name State
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------------------------
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- Linux5.4 shut off
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```
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* Delete it
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```
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# virsh undefine Linux5.4
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Domain 'Linux5.4' has been undefined
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```
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## Status
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| | Linux 5.4 | Linux 5.15 | Windows 10 | Windows 11 |
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| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
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| *Chipset* | `Q35` | `Q35` | `Q35` | `Q35` |
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| *Platform Firmware* | `OVMF` | `OVMF` | `OVMF` | `OVMF` |
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| *Secure boot* | No | No | No | **Yes** |
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| *[Netboot.xyz](https://netboot.xyz/) ISO loaded* | **Yes** | **Yes** | **Yes** | No |
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| *`Spice display`* | **Yes**, with 3D accel. | **Yes**, with 3D accel. | **Yes**, without 3D accel. | **Yes**, without 3D accel. |
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| *`virtio-gpu`* | **Yes**, with 3D accel. | **Yes**, with 3D accel. | **Yes**, without 3D accel. | **Yes**, without 3D accel. |
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| *`virtio-blk`* | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
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| *`virtio-scsi`* | **Yes** | **Yes** | **Yes** | **Yes** |
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| *`virtio-fs`* | **Yes**, for System-driven VM | **Yes**, for System-driven VM | **Yes** | **Yes** |
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| *`virtio-net`* | **Yes** | **Yes** | **Yes** | **Yes** |
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| *`virtio-keyboard`* | **Yes** | **Yes** | **Yes** | **Yes** |
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| *`virtio-tablet`* | **Yes** | **Yes** | **Yes** | **Yes** |
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| *`virtio-iommu`* | No | **Yes** | No | No |
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More information [here](https://wiki.phyllo.me/e/en/virt/guest) on the status for virtio support on guest operating systems.
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## Context
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[Libvirt](https://libvirt.org/) is the most popular virtualization library on Linux, and it is central to Phyllome OS.
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Libvirt uses an XML file to store the definition of a virtual machine, including its firmware (e.g. BIOS or UEFI-based), the size of its memory, the nature of a particular device (e.g. virtio or emulated hardware), etc.
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### Why
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[The reference Domain XML format webpage](https://libvirt.org/formatdomain.html), which is almost 100 pages long, lists most of the accepted parameters that can be used to define a virtual machine.
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Picking the most optimized parameters for running a particular guest OS is a complicated task. This project intends to find the best parameters for the most popular OS.
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### Assomptions
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The best parameters are defined as parameters that are:
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- Performance-oriented, providing good out-of-the-box performance.
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- Relatively host-agnostic, so that a virtual machine could be migrated to another host.
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- Modern, leveraging as many paravirtualized devices (a.k.a virtio devices) the target guest OS can support, with the intend to become usable with modern virtualization solution such as the Cloud Hypervisor.
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## Resources
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* Domain XML format for libvirt: https://libvirt.org/formatdomain.html
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* qemu:///system vs qemu:///session, a great article by Cole Robinson: https://blog.wikichoon.com/2016/01/qemusystem-vs-qemusession.html |