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QEMU build system guy here. If you have any questions about the configure and meson scripts, you can catch me on the #qemu channel on OFTC. Of the features you

QEMU build system guy here. If you have any questions about the configure and meson scripts, you can catch me on the #qemu channel on OFTC. Of the features you disabled, the main one to be reinstated seems to be slirp. --enable-tools builds qemu-img, qemu-nbd and other tools. --enable-coroutine-pool is an optimization that should not be a problem for portability.

tempodox 5y ago
If only I understood how to use QEMU in practice. Are there any tutorials that come with all the parts necessary to get something actually running (and explaining it), without me having to go off in search for missing components that I have no idea where to find?
- bonzini 5y ago
  QEMU is complicated. You're probably better off using virt-manager, it provides a GUI front-end and also improves on security by using libvirt (with support for SELinux or AppArmor).
- btdmaster 5y ago
  Drew DeVault has a nice introduction[1]. ArchWiki has coverage on the many options not mentioned[2]. [1] https://drewdevault.com/2018/09/10/Getting-started-with-qemu.html https://drewdevault.com/2018/09/10/Getting-started-with-qemu... [2] https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/QEMU https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/QEMU
- stefanha 5y ago
  It depends what you want to do. When QEMU is used for virtualization it's typically a component in a larger stack like GNOME Boxes or virt-manager, two UIs that rely on libvirt to run QEMU. When QEMU is used for emulating ARM boards or retro computing you can launch it from the command-line specifying just a few things like the path to a disk image file or the amount of RAM. There are a lot of command-line options and it can be overwhelming, but luckily they are usually not needed for these use cases. Documentation is here but it's easier to start with a QEMU command-line recommended by the software (e.g. exotic OSes) you want to try out: https://qemu-project.gitlab.io/qemu/ https://qemu-project.gitlab.io/qemu/
- wyldfire 5y ago
  A remarkably simpler use case is if you want to run Linux programs built for a different architecture (instead of using QEMU to boot into a system). QEMU can do this on its linux-userspace configuration. The only knob you really have to know about is QEMU_LD_PREFIX environment variable if your executable has dynamic dependencies (C library, e.g.).
- kashyapc 5y ago
  Along with the other good responses in this thread from bonzini and others, you might want to also check out this[1] response. It talks about useful command-line tools for KVM- and QEMU-based virt. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26993381 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26993381
- swiley 5y ago
  -kernel linux -initrd somebusybox.cpio -m 64 There you go.
stefanha 5y ago
Yes, email qemu-devel@nongnu.org or discuss with developers on the #qemu IRC channel on chat.oftc.net if you hit issues. QEMU builds on a number of host operating systems, not all of them POSIX. We'd be happy to help!
- enygmator 5y ago
  Thank you for the information/tip. It would be great to have occasional support from the #qemu community too! (BTW, I am Enygmator, the author of the post)
enygmator 5y ago
Thanks a lot! (I am Enygmator, the author of the post) I find it so heartening to discover that there's #qemu on oftc. I will most certainly contact you on oftc, as having someone to help me make sense of QEMU (once in a while) would be great! P.S.: I didn't know anything about OFTC until today. I am an amateur.

tempodox 5y ago

If only I understood how to use QEMU in practice. Are there any tutorials that come with all the parts necessary to get something actually running (and explaining it), without me having to go off in search for missing components that I have no idea where to find?

bonzini 5y ago
QEMU is complicated. You're probably better off using virt-manager, it provides a GUI front-end and also improves on security by using libvirt (with support for SELinux or AppArmor).
btdmaster 5y ago
Drew DeVault has a nice introduction[1]. ArchWiki has coverage on the many options not mentioned[2]. [1] https://drewdevault.com/2018/09/10/Getting-started-with-qemu.html https://drewdevault.com/2018/09/10/Getting-started-with-qemu... [2] https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/QEMU https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/QEMU
stefanha 5y ago
It depends what you want to do. When QEMU is used for virtualization it's typically a component in a larger stack like GNOME Boxes or virt-manager, two UIs that rely on libvirt to run QEMU. When QEMU is used for emulating ARM boards or retro computing you can launch it from the command-line specifying just a few things like the path to a disk image file or the amount of RAM. There are a lot of command-line options and it can be overwhelming, but luckily they are usually not needed for these use cases. Documentation is here but it's easier to start with a QEMU command-line recommended by the software (e.g. exotic OSes) you want to try out: https://qemu-project.gitlab.io/qemu/ https://qemu-project.gitlab.io/qemu/
wyldfire 5y ago
A remarkably simpler use case is if you want to run Linux programs built for a different architecture (instead of using QEMU to boot into a system). QEMU can do this on its linux-userspace configuration. The only knob you really have to know about is QEMU_LD_PREFIX environment variable if your executable has dynamic dependencies (C library, e.g.).
kashyapc 5y ago
Along with the other good responses in this thread from bonzini and others, you might want to also check out this[1] response. It talks about useful command-line tools for KVM- and QEMU-based virt. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26993381 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26993381
swiley 5y ago
-kernel linux -initrd somebusybox.cpio -m 64 There you go.

stefanha 5y ago

Yes, email qemu-devel@nongnu.org or discuss with developers on the #qemu IRC channel on chat.oftc.net if you hit issues. QEMU builds on a number of host operating systems, not all of them POSIX. We'd be happy to help!

enygmator 5y ago
Thank you for the information/tip. It would be great to have occasional support from the #qemu community too! (BTW, I am Enygmator, the author of the post)

enygmator 5y ago

Thanks a lot! (I am Enygmator, the author of the post) I find it so heartening to discover that there's #qemu on oftc. I will most certainly contact you on oftc, as having someone to help me make sense of QEMU (once in a while) would be great! P.S.: I didn't know anything about OFTC until today. I am an amateur.