KVM Desktop Setup Ideas
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@DustinB3403 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
Virt-Manager is much more fleshed out and is the better option to use.
Can Virt-Manager be used remotely ? As when looking I thought this was a local gui thing not a web based management for example.
Also yeah I installed server the 2nd time round with headless virt option
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What you'll likely have to do is
copy-ssh-idfor your server to make administration easier. but Virt-Manager absolutely can remotely administer a KVM server or fleet of them. -
@scottalanmiller said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
@DustinB3403 said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
@scottalanmiller said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
@DustinB3403 said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
@dafyre said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
KVM is also nice because you can continue using that machine as a regular desktop as well, if you need to do so. (Can't do that with VMware, Hyper-V or XenServer).
No one expects to use their Type 1 hypervisor as a desktop.
What? Tons do. Both KVM and Hyper-V are very popular for exactly this.
No. . . very few people say "I'm going to install Hyper-V and use it as my daily driver on my Dell Server" no one does that.
Actually a HUGE number do. It's insanely common for developers especially and IT folk. It's hard to state how common this is.
Have you never heard of the desktop virtualization market? This is a totally normal thing. Nearly everyone I know does this, both IT and dev and loads that are neither.
The only reason I don't use Hyper-V for testing is because we get VMware Workstation for free as a partner; I used VirtualBox for a long time when Hyper-V on Windows 7 couldn't create virtual machines, just to test out a few things or use it as a place to keep up-to-date images which I could capture later for deployment without using any additional server resources.
Type 1 definitely runs better as it doesn't stack the hypervisor on top of the OS, but I definitely don't see VMware Workstation going away.
I can see a couple niche things about VMware Workstation though; of course, there is more to add to the list. 1) Many that don't use it to push new configs to their VMware environment; if it's just being used as stand alone for some VMs, you could use literally anything else (and many are free obviously). 2) Nested virtualization to test clustering, site replication, etc while not needing to buy really expensive hardware.
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OK so i've added the 2nd hard drive to Fedora, formatted and mounted.
I'm now struggling on how to manage the system and VM's.
I'm using Cockpit and it's ok for basic maintenance. But can't get it create the VM on the 2nd drive.I've installed virt-manager but not sure how to "connect" to it from my machine.
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@hobbit666 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
OK so i've added the 2nd hard drive to Fedora, formatted and mounted.
I'm now struggling on how to manage the system and VM's.
I'm using Cockpit and it's ok for basic maintenance. But can't get it create the VM on the 2nd drive.I've installed virt-manager but not sure how to "connect" to it from my machine.
Using Virt-Manager you need to create a storage pool.
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@hobbit666 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
OK so i've added the 2nd hard drive to Fedora, formatted and mounted.
I'm now struggling on how to manage the system and VM's.
I'm using Cockpit and it's ok for basic maintenance. But can't get it create the VM on the 2nd drive.I've installed virt-manager but not sure how to "connect" to it from my machine.
Where did you install virt-manager? I think that has to be on the machine you are working from, not on the KVM machine.
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@Dashrender said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
@hobbit666 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
OK so i've added the 2nd hard drive to Fedora, formatted and mounted.
I'm now struggling on how to manage the system and VM's.
I'm using Cockpit and it's ok for basic maintenance. But can't get it create the VM on the 2nd drive.I've installed virt-manager but not sure how to "connect" to it from my machine.
Where did you install virt-manager? I think that has to be on the machine you are working from, not on the KVM machine.
It can be on both, if the KVM Hypervisor has a desktop that can be operated from.
Otherwise, yes it would need to be installed on a management pc(running linux of course). (Think of it a lot like Hyper-V with Windows 10 Hyper-V Manager)
Last edit for clarity: Virt-Manager can and often does come preinstalled with the KVM role and automatically manages itself. Wanting to use this host in a headless state would require remote management tools to be installed on a laptop or desktop running Linux (likely Fedora Workstation).
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@DustinB3403 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
@Dashrender said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
@hobbit666 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
OK so i've added the 2nd hard drive to Fedora, formatted and mounted.
I'm now struggling on how to manage the system and VM's.
I'm using Cockpit and it's ok for basic maintenance. But can't get it create the VM on the 2nd drive.I've installed virt-manager but not sure how to "connect" to it from my machine.
Where did you install virt-manager? I think that has to be on the machine you are working from, not on the KVM machine.
It can be on both, if the KVM Hypervisor has a desktop that can be operated from.
Otherwise, yes it would need to be installed on a management pc. (Think of it a lot like Hyper-V with Windows 10 Hyper-V Manager)
aww - true true - Like you the other day - after the conversation I assumed he was admin'ing this box completely remotely (even if it is just on the other side of the room).
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@DustinB3403 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
Otherwise, yes it would need to be installed on a management pc(running linux of course). (Think of it a lot like Hyper-V with Windows 10 Hyper-V Manager)
Ah i be using Win10 as the daily driver
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@hobbit666 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
@DustinB3403 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
Otherwise, yes it would need to be installed on a management pc(running linux of course). (Think of it a lot like Hyper-V with Windows 10 Hyper-V Manager)
Ah i be using Win10 as the daily driver
You can't install virt-manager on Windows as far as I know. Virt-Viewer is available, but that literally is just a guest console utility.
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@hobbit666 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
@DustinB3403 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
Otherwise, yes it would need to be installed on a management pc(running linux of course). (Think of it a lot like Hyper-V with Windows 10 Hyper-V Manager)
Ah i be using Win10 as the daily driver
You can install Virt-Manager on Windows 10 via Cygwin... But I will say running Virt-Manager from a Linux VM actually runs better.
I can look up the Cygwin instructions if you want.
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@dafyre said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
@hobbit666 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
@DustinB3403 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
Otherwise, yes it would need to be installed on a management pc(running linux of course). (Think of it a lot like Hyper-V with Windows 10 Hyper-V Manager)
Ah i be using Win10 as the daily driver
You can install Virt-Manager on Windows 10 via Cygwin... But I will say running Virt-Manager from a Linux VM actually runs better.
I can look up the Cygwin instructions if you want.
What about Virt-manager in the Linux on windows or whatever it's called theses days that comes with Windows 10?
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@hobbit666 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
@DustinB3403 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
Otherwise, yes it would need to be installed on a management pc(running linux of course). (Think of it a lot like Hyper-V with Windows 10 Hyper-V Manager)
Ah i be using Win10 as the daily driver
You could use Hyper-V on Win 10 (assuming it's Pro) to install a Fedora VM, and use Virt-Manager from that locally on the Win10 machine.
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This conversation started with ambiguity and confusion and people making wide ranging assumptions based on what @hobbit666 wanted to do with this.
I get Windows 10 is great for day to day things, especially if this is also your gaming device (assuming you game) and you don't want to wipe it out and reload it.
So to ask the question, why not just install VirtualBox on this Windows 10 system, create a small Fedora Workstation installation for just managing your KVM box.
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@Dashrender said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
@hobbit666 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
@DustinB3403 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
Otherwise, yes it would need to be installed on a management pc(running linux of course). (Think of it a lot like Hyper-V with Windows 10 Hyper-V Manager)
Ah i be using Win10 as the daily driver
You could use Hyper-V on Win 10 (assuming it's Pro) to install a Fedora VM, and use Virt-Manager from that locally on the Win10 machine.
That too is another option. Not a path I would go down for this project. But still an option.
This is his lab, adding a separate hypervisor to manage (or even Windows to manage KVM) just complicates things.
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@DustinB3403 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
So to ask the question, why not just install VirtualBox on this Windows 10 system, create a small Fedora Workstation installation for just managing your KVM box.
With all that pre ample you start by suggeting VirtualBox? instead of asking if he has Windows 10 Pro or Home - then suggesting as the situation dictates?
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These are the instructions I've written. This is a first draft, so if you want to give them a try, check them out at -- no login required.
https://stack.wellston.biz/books/configuring-virt-manager-to-run-on-windows
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@DustinB3403 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
@Dashrender said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
@hobbit666 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
@DustinB3403 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
Otherwise, yes it would need to be installed on a management pc(running linux of course). (Think of it a lot like Hyper-V with Windows 10 Hyper-V Manager)
Ah i be using Win10 as the daily driver
You could use Hyper-V on Win 10 (assuming it's Pro) to install a Fedora VM, and use Virt-Manager from that locally on the Win10 machine.
That too is another option. Not a path I would go down for this project. But still an option.
This is his lab, adding a separate hypervisor to manage (or even Windows to manage KVM) just complicates things.
What - what? You suggested that he add a hypervisor (VirtualBox).
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@Dashrender said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
@DustinB3403 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:
So to ask the question, why not just install VirtualBox on this Windows 10 system, create a small Fedora Workstation installation for just managing your KVM box.
With all that pre ample you start by suggeting VirtualBox? instead of asking if he has Windows 10 Pro or Home - then suggesting as the situation dictates?
Hyper-V is more complex as it shifts his daily driver off of the hardware and onto the hypervisor. It's more complex for something he may use for a a day, a week or a month.
It's never not an option, but it isn't an option I'd recommend out of the gate since Vbox doesn't reshape his daily driver.
