Installing Required Packages
Let's install the essential packages. Each of these plays a key role in getting virtualization up and running smoothly.
We'll be using virt-manager, which provides a user-friendly interface for managing virtual machines. qemu is a robust emulator that handles hardware virtualization.
Core Virtualization Packages
| Package | Description |
|---|---|
| virt-manager | A desktop user interface for managing virtual machines |
| qemu-base | A basic QEMU setup for headless environments |
| vde2 | Virtual Distributed Ethernet for emulators like QEMU |
| iptables-nft | A Linux kernel packet control tool, using the nft interface |
| nftables | Userspace tools for Netfilter tables |
| dnsmasq | A lightweight, easy-to-configure DNS forwarder and DHCP server |
| bridge-utils | Utilities for configuring the Linux Ethernet bridge |
| edk2-ovmf | Firmware for Virtual Machines (x86_64, i686) |
| dmidecode | Utilities for Desktop Management Interface tables |
To install these packages, run the following command in your terminal:
sudo pacman -S virt-manager qemu-base vde2 iptables-nft nftables dnsmasq bridge-utils edk2-ovmf dmidecode
Additional QEMU Packages
I've noticed that the qemu package names have changed over time. Previously, installing qemu was straightforward, but now it's split into several packages. Although the names have changed, the package manager should automatically handle these updates for you.
To ensure we cover all the requirements, you should also install the following packages:
| Package | Purpose |
|---|---|
| qemu-hw-display-qxl | QXL display support |
| qemu-hw-display-virtio-vga | VirtIO VGA display support |
| qemu-hw-usb-redirect | USB redirection support |
| qemu-audio-spice | SPICE audio support |
| qemu-hw-usb-host | USB host device support |
| qemu-chardev-spice | SPICE character device support |
sudo pacman -S qemu-hw-display-qxl qemu-hw-display-virtio-vga qemu-hw-usb-redirect qemu-audio-spice qemu-hw-usb-host qemu-chardev-spice
These packages provide support for display QXL, VGA, USB redirection, audio spice and spicevmc. Without these, you might encounter errors or find that some functions don't work properly.