QEMU Guide (MacOS)¶
Prerequisites¶
Make sure qemu is installed on your system:
Running the VM¶
First, download the VM-SO.qcow2 image from the faculty's image repository.
This may take some time because the image is large, so please be patient.
Then, run the following command in the terminal, from the directory where you downloaded the image:
sudo qemu-system-x86_64 -hda "./VM-SO.qcow2" \
-boot d -m 2G -usb -machine q35 -cpu max -smp cores=2,threads=1,sockets=1 \
-nic vmnet-bridged,ifname=en0 &
qemu-system-x86_64 emulates a whole x86-64 PC, and each option describes a part of it:
| Argument | What it does |
|---|---|
-hda "./VM-SO.qcow2" |
Uses the image as the machine's hard disk. |
-boot d |
Sets the boot order; the machine falls back to the hard disk, since it has no CD-ROM. |
-m 2G |
Gives the machine 2 GB of RAM. |
-usb |
Adds a USB controller. |
-machine q35 |
Emulates a modern PC chipset. |
-cpu max |
Exposes every CPU feature the emulator supports. |
-smp cores=2,threads=1,sockets=1 |
Gives the machine one processor with 2 cores. |
-nic vmnet-bridged,ifname=en0 |
Connects the machine to your network through the host interface en0. |
The trailing & runs QEMU in the background, so you get the terminal back while the VM window is open.
Tweaking the VM¶
Three values depend on your machine, and are the ones you may need to change.
The image path.
If you run the command from another directory, replace ./VM-SO.qcow2 with the full path to the image, for example ~/Downloads/VM-SO.qcow2.
Memory and cores.
Change the number in -m for the RAM, and the cores= value in -smp for the number of cores.
Use at least 2 GB and 2 cores.
The network interface.
ifname=en0 must name the interface your Mac uses to reach the internet.
List the interfaces with:
Pick the Device of the port you are connected through: the Wi-Fi one if you are on Wi-Fi, the Ethernet one if you use a cable.
On a Mac connected to Wi-Fi, the output may look like this:
Hardware Port: Ethernet Adapter (en6)
Device: en6
Ethernet Address: b6:e0:14:1e:65:8e
Hardware Port: Thunderbolt Bridge
Device: bridge0
Ethernet Address: 36:a1:9b:9f:e8:80
Hardware Port: Wi-Fi
Device: en0
Ethernet Address: bc:d0:74:ad:8a:b1
Here the Wi-Fi port is en0, so the option stays ifname=en0.
If you switch between Wi-Fi and a cable, change it to match before starting the VM.