How to Install KVM on Ubuntu Server Latest

KVM (Kernel Virtual Machine) is a full virtualization solution for Linux on x86 hardware. It consists of a loadable kernel module, kvm.ko, that provides the core virtualization infrastructure and a processor-specific module, kvm-intel.ko or kvm-amd.ko.

This tutorial will guide you through the steps to install KVM on Ubuntu Server Latest.

Prerequisites

  • A server running Ubuntu Latest with root access.
  • At least 1 GB of RAM.
  • A processor with virtualization extensions enabled.

Step 1: Update the System

Before installing KVM, ensure that your system is up to date. Run the following command on your terminal to update the system packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install KVM and Virtualization Tools

Now, install KVM and related packages using the following command:

sudo apt install -y qemu-kvm libvirt-daemon-system libvirt-clients bridge-utils
  • qemu-kvm provides hardware emulation to launch virtual machines.
  • libvirt-daemon-system provides a full virtualization service on the host.
  • libvirt-clients provides clients to access the daemon using rpc.
  • bridge-utils installs utilities to enable network bridging.

Step 3: Verify Installation and Start LibVirt service

Verify the installation of KVM and its related tools by checking the service status:

sudo systemctl status libvirtd

Make sure that the service is running. If not, start the service using the following command:

sudo systemctl start libvirtd

And enable it to start automatically upon boot:

sudo systemctl enable libvirtd

Step 4: Check KVM Hardware Support

To ensure that KVM is working correctly and the processor has the virtualization extensions enabled, run the following command:

lsmod | grep kvm

The output should display something similar to this:

kvm_intel           274432  0
kvm                 663552  1 kvm_intel

Step 5: Create a Virtual Machine

After installing KVM and verifying its support, it's time to create a virtual machine to test it. You can use any operating system ISO image.

First, create a new virtual network:

sudo virsh net-create network.xml

Replace network.xml with the name of the XML configuration file.

Next, create a virtual machine using the following command:

sudo virt-install --name=name_of_vm --ram=2048 --vcpus=2 --cdrom=/path/to/iso --os-variant=ubuntu20.04 --network=default --graphics=vnc

Replace name_of_vm with the desired name for your virtual machine, and /path/to/iso with the path to the operating system ISO image.

Conclusion

That's it! You have successfully installed KVM on Ubuntu Server Latest and created a virtual machine. Now you can launch and manage your virtual machine with ease.