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:: slackware 13.0 x86_64 + virtualbox 3.0.4 ::

• grab virtualbox from thier website - specifically _{(time of writing v3.0.4 was current new version)}, I grabbed VirtualBox-3.0.4-50677-Linux_amd64.run
• sudo sh VirtualBox-3.0.4-50677-Linux_amd64.run
  
  
  • (( this gave me an error ))
    Building the VirtualBox vboxdrv kernel module
Failed to build the vboxdrv kernel module.
Please check the log file /var/log/vbox-install.log for more information.
     
  • (( /var/log/vbox-install.log showed it erroring out here, which really I just ignored it, even though the directory /usr/src/linux-2.6.29.6/arch/amd64 indeed does NOT exist ))
Makefile:529: /usr/src/linux-2.6.29.6/arch/amd64/Makefile: No such file or directory

• sudo /etc/rc.d/rc.vboxdrv setup
    Stopping VirtualBox kernel module ...done.
    Recompiling VirtualBox kernel module ...done.
    Starting VirtualBox kernel module ...done.

• add your user to the newly created group "vboxusers" in /etc/group
• start virtualbox and accept the agreement (don't forget to read the entire EULA... err... cough..scroll down to the bottom..cough..)
  # VirtualBox

• grab all your virtualbox VDI's @ http://virtualboximages.com/ or from http://virtualbox.wordpress.com/images
   side note: drupal virtual dev environment here I come!


:: slackware 13.0 x86_64 + KVM + QEMU ::

so, I am brand-new to KVM & qemu, this is going to be what you call a learning experience! I was thoroughly impressed with the amazing performance of virtualbox x64 on slackware64 13.0 & windows 7 x64 ultimate using intel-virtualization on the Q6600 CPU! then, I get on ##slackware @ freenode.net, and someone says KVM is faster then virtualbox AMD64?!@!!?? I had to try it, so here goes nothing ::

per this linuxquestions.org forum post KVM can coexist just fine with virtualbox, you must unload the kernel module for kvm like so ::

modprobe -r kvm_intel

INSTALLATION of KVM on slackware x86_64 using the kernel-huge-2.6.29.6-x86_64-2 SMP kernel (the one with no initrd/initial ramdrive required) was disturbingly easy! just... too easy. I am amazed at the ease of this process ::

modprobe kvm
modprobe kvm-intel
modprobe virtio


that takes care of the kernel modules! ha, already pre-built
now, to need to build KVM user-space code ::

git clone git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/virt/kvm/qemu-kvm.git
cd qemu-kvm
./configure && make && make install


we're done! really! now we have the kvm-modified qemu fully operational, with many virtual systems supported!
here are our options for Management of QEMU-KVM

converting an image to qemu-kvm

there are many options available! Happily enough, I just got done creating a Windows 7 x64 Ultimate VirtualBox VDI and there sure enough is support for vbox VDI => qemu-kvm QCOW2
Supported formats: cow qcow vdi vmdk cloop dmg bochs vpc vvfat qcow2 parallels nbd host_cdrom host_floppy host_device raw tftp ftps ftp https http

# qemu-img convert -f vdi -O qcow2 /mnt/sdd9/win7x64vdi/win7x64.vdi /mnt/sdd9/win7x64vdi/qemu-kvm.qcow2
    (( let's look at the sizes ))
# ls -al /mnt/sdd9/win7x64vdi/
total 15507544
drwxrwxrwx 1 root root          0 2009-09-11 06:03 .
drwxrwxrwx 1 root root       4096 2009-09-09 17:16 ..
-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7908491264 2009-09-11 06:15 qemu-kvm.qcow2
-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7971348992 2009-09-09 12:35 win7x64.vdi

the qemu-kvm is ~63MB smaller then the virtualbox image... interesting.
 

HOWTO boot up QEMU-KVM images + ISOs

startup windows 7 x64 ultimate freshly converted QEMU-KVM (qcow2) image

# sudo /usr/local/bin/qemu-system-x86_64 -smp 2 -hda /mnt/sdd9/win7x64vdi/qemu-kvm.qcow2 -m 2048 -soundhw sb16 -localtime


it booted up, entirely! it had to recognize a new network environment, but it did - had me restart it, and it was done - with the same feature-set as the virtualbox VM, internet and everything! I will leave you with an image to whet the appetite ::

HOWTO bootup ISOs in QEMU-KVM

here we will bootup the back|track linux 4 pre-final ISO (use this similar commandline for almost any linux/*bsd ISO image)

# sudo /usr/local/bin/qemu-system-x86_64 -smp 2 -cdrom /mnt/sdd2/liveusb/bt4prefinal.iso -m 2048 -soundhw sb16 -localtime


A plethora of options! (listed below are the more interesting options)

QEMU PC emulator version 0.11.50, Copyright (c) 2003-2008 Fabrice Bellard          
usage: QEMU [options] [disk_image]                                                 

'disk_image' is a raw hard image image for IDE hard disk 0

Standard options:
-M machine      select emulated machine (-M ? for list)
-cpu cpu        select CPU (-cpu ? for list)          
-smp n[,maxcpus=cpus][,cores=cores][,threads=threads][,sockets=sockets]
                set the number of CPUs to 'n' [default=1]             
                maxcpus= maximum number of total cpus, including      
                  offline CPUs for hotplug etc.                       
                cores= number of CPU cores on one socket              
                threads= number of threads on one CPU core            
                sockets= number of discrete sockets in the system     
-numa node[,mem=size][,cpus=cpu[-cpu]][,nodeid=node]                  
-fda/-fdb file  use 'file' as floppy disk 0/1 image                   
-hda/-hdb file  use 'file' as IDE hard disk 0/1 image                 
-hdc/-hdd file  use 'file' as IDE hard disk 2/3 image                 
-cdrom file     use 'file' as IDE cdrom image (cdrom is ide1 master)  
-drive [file=file][,if=type][,bus=n][,unit=m][,media=d][,index=i]     
       [,cyls=c,heads=h,secs=s[,trans=t]][,snapshot=on|off]           
       [,cache=writethrough|writeback|none][,format=f][,serial=s]     
       [,addr=A][,id=name][,aio=threads|native]                       
       [,boot=on|off]                                                 
                use 'file' as a drive image                           
-set group.id.arg=value                                               
                set <arg> parameter for item <id> of type <group>     
                i.e. -set drive.$id.file=/path/to/image               
-mtdblock file  use 'file' as on-board Flash memory image             
-sd file        use 'file' as SecureDigital card image                
-pflash file    use 'file' as a parallel flash image                  
-boot [order=drives][,once=drives][,menu=on|off]                      
                'drives': floppy (a), hard disk (c), CD-ROM (d), network (n)
-snapshot       write to temporary files instead of disk image files       
-m megs         set virtual RAM size to megs MB [default=128]              
-soundhw c1,... enable audio support                                       
                and only specified sound cards (comma separated list)      
                use -soundhw ? to get the list of supported cards          
                use -soundhw all to enable all of them                     
-usb            enable the USB driver (will be the default soon)           
-usbdevice name add the host or guest USB device 'name'                    
-device driver[,options]  add device                                       
-name string1[,process=string2]    set the name of the guest               
            string1 sets the window title and string2 the process name (on Linux)
-uuid %08x-%04x-%04x-%04x-%012x                                                 
                specify machine UUID                                            
Display options:
-nographic      disable graphical output and redirect serial I/Os to console
-alt-grab       use Ctrl-Alt-Shift to grab mouse (instead of Ctrl-Alt)     
-sdl            enable SDL                                                 
-vga [std|cirrus|vmware|xenfb|none]                                        
                select video card type                                     
-full-screen    start in full screen                                       
-vnc display    start a VNC server on display                              

Network options:
-net nic[,vlan=n][,macaddr=mac][,model=type][,name=str][,addr=str][,vectors=v]
                create a new Network Interface Card and connect it to VLAN 'n'
-net user[,vlan=n][,name=str][,net=addr[/mask]][,host=addr][,restrict=y|n]   
         [,hostname=host][,dhcpstart=addr][,dns=addr][,tftp=dir][,bootfile=f]
         [,hostfwd=rule][,guestfwd=rule][,smb=dir[,smbserver=addr]]          
                connect the user mode network stack to VLAN 'n', configure its
                DHCP server and enabled optional services                    
-net tap[,vlan=n][,name=str][,fd=h][,ifname=name][,script=file][,downscript=dfile]
                connect the host TAP network interface to VLAN 'n' and use the   
                network scripts 'file' (default=/etc/qemu-ifup)                  
                and 'dfile' (default=/etc/qemu-ifdown);                          
                use '[down]script=no' to disable script execution;               
                use 'fd=h' to connect to an already opened TAP interface         
-net socket[,vlan=n][,name=str][,fd=h][,listen=[host]:port][,connect=host:port]  
                connect the vlan 'n' to another VLAN using a socket connection   
-net socket[,vlan=n][,name=str][,fd=h][,mcast=maddr:port]                        
                connect the vlan 'n' to multicast maddr and port                 
-net dump[,vlan=n][,file=f][,len=n]                                              
                dump traffic on vlan 'n' to file 'f' (max n bytes per packet)    
-net none       use it alone to have zero network devices; if no -net option     
                is provided, the default is '-net nic -net user'                 

-bt hci,null    dumb bluetooth HCI - doesn't respond to commands
-bt hci,host[:id]                                              
                use host's HCI with the given name             
-bt hci[,vlan=n]                                               
                emulate a standard HCI in virtual scatternet 'n'
-bt vhci[,vlan=n]                                              
                add host computer to virtual scatternet 'n' using VHCI
-bt device:dev[,vlan=n]                                              
                emulate a bluetooth device 'dev' in scatternet 'n'   

Linux/Multiboot boot specific:
-kernel bzImage use 'bzImage' as kernel image
-append cmdline use 'cmdline' as kernel command line
-initrd file    use 'file' as initial ram disk     

Debug/Expert options:
-serial dev     redirect the serial port to char device 'dev'
-parallel dev   redirect the parallel port to char device 'dev'
-monitor dev    redirect the monitor to char device 'dev'     
-pidfile file   write PID to 'file'                           
-gdb dev        wait for gdb connection on 'dev'                 
-s              shorthand for -gdb tcp::1234                     
-d item1,...    output log to /tmp/qemu.log (use -d ? for a list of log items)
-hdachs c,h,s[,t]                                                            
                force hard disk 0 physical geometry and the optional BIOS    
                translation (t=none or lba) (usually qemu can guess them)    
-L path         set the directory for the BIOS, VGA BIOS and keymaps         
-bios file      set the filename for the BIOS                                
-enable-kvm     enable KVM full virtualization support                       
-no-reboot      exit instead of rebooting                                    
-daemonize      daemonize QEMU after initializing                            
-localtime      set the real time clock to local time [default=utc]          
-startdate      select initial date of the clock                             
-show-cursor    show cursor
-tb-size n      set TB size
-chroot dir     Chroot to dir just before starting the VM.
-runas user     Change to user id user just before starting the VM.

During emulation, the following keys are useful:
ctrl-alt-f      toggle full screen
ctrl-alt-n      switch to virtual console 'n'
ctrl-alt        toggle mouse and keyboard grab

When using -nographic, press 'ctrl-a h' to get some help.