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I have an Ubuntu Server 12.04 setup with about 6 KVM VMs running. Guests are all x86 or amd64, host is a 2-socket Westmere Xeon box.

Now I want to create a new guest VM but this time the guest VM should run an armhf image (a Raspberry Pi image).

What I was expecting would work: open Virt-Manager, go through the usual setup steps to create a new VM and then choose QEMU and armhf as the architecture of the guest.

Why it did not work: I can only see x86 and amd64 as options for the architecture of the guest.

Is there anyway I can install QEMU support for armhf so that I can easily create armhf KVM guests on my server using virt-manager?

I want to make as little changes as possible on the host. I do not want to use XEN or VirtualBox, it has to be KVM.

Thanks!

mbello
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  • The question is not mine, I just want to know the answer too. But after reading more about KVM I understood that it's most probably just impossible, now I'm just waiting while someone with the subject knowledge explains it. – int_ua Apr 24 '14 at 16:36
  • I'm waiting for someone with good knowledge of the subject to point. – int_ua Apr 25 '14 at 10:44
  • @int_ua: I thought you read something about KVM which made you believe this is not possible, right? Can you share the link to that if it is online? – jobin Apr 25 '14 at 15:55
  • I am 100% sure it is possible. What we do not know is whether the necessary pieces have been implemented in QEMU+KVM. – mbello Apr 25 '14 at 19:45
  • Adding `armfh` to the architecture list [here](http://imgur.com/y3QngL4) is what you are looking for, right? – jobin Apr 26 '14 at 18:19
  • Not really there but in `ubuntu-vm-manager`. Though it will affect both AFAIU. It's `virt-manager` on the screenshot, isn't it? – int_ua Apr 27 '14 at 21:59
  • @int_ua: Oh yes, the question mentions virt-manager. Never heard of ubuntu-vm-manager, how have you installed it? – jobin Apr 28 '14 at 12:49
  • Jobin, you got it right, add an armfh option to the "Architecture" drop-down box on Virt-manager.\ – mbello Apr 28 '14 at 22:20
  • By the way, never heard of ubuntu-vm-manager either. However, I would be happy to hear about a solution even if it involved editing the conf files by hand, whatever works. – mbello Apr 28 '14 at 22:22
  • I was able to add armv7l architecture to virt-manager but am not sure whether it is same as armhf, how do I verify that, any idea? – jobin Apr 29 '14 at 09:41
  • No, it's soft FP: https://wiki.merproject.org/wiki/OBS_architecture_naming – int_ua Apr 29 '14 at 14:50
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    @int_ua: I can't find `armhf` on the wiki and please use `@username` while replying for notifying the user you are replying to. – jobin Apr 29 '14 at 19:07
  • @Jobin: care to share how you managed to add the armv7 architecture to virt-manager? armhf stands for Arm Hard Float and is compatible with armv7. As far as I understand once can use a soft float architecture to run on armhf but floating point operations will not use the hardware acceleration and will be slower. – mbello Apr 30 '14 at 23:43

2 Answers2

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I found a potential solution.

Install qemu-system-arm and on virt-manager, choose "qemu" for Virt Type (instead of "kvm" which on my setup is the default selection) and then under "Architecture" you will find the option "armv7l".

I have not tested it yet, but at least the option is now there, should work fine.

Is there a better way to accomplish this?

mbello
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-2

http://community.arm.com/groups/processors/blog/2014/03/28/virtualization-on-arm-with-xen http://community.arm.com/groups/processors/blog/2013/12/20/virtualization-on-the-chromebook-using-kvm-tool

If you want to virtualize on ARM, you can do the above. Otherwise, qemu for virt type?

futaris
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    Whilst this may theoretically answer the question, [it would be preferable](http://meta.stackoverflow.com/q/8259) to include the essential parts of the answer here, and provide the link for reference. – Eric Carvalho May 15 '14 at 11:47
  • @futaris I do not want to virtualize ON ARM, I want to have an ARM VM on a x86-64 host. – mbello Aug 04 '16 at 02:57