[ SOLVED ] Use a VM as a desktop, on a minimal server without GUI

Gruntz · 2017-12-26 22:35:04

Hello all,

First I want to mention that I am a virtual machine newbie.

I want to achieve the following:

Physical machine - a very lightweight arch, with the minimum amount of software. Just kernel, and the software needed for virtualization. No GUI, no web interfaces, just kvm module with qemu or libvirt. Very few software to update, very few things to break.
Virtual machine 1 - My main desktop, with X, that I will trash, break, experiment on, until it is dead, and then start all over again, without disturbing the other VM`s on the host.
Virtual machine 2,3,4, ... etc - Other VM`s, like movie stream, database server, web server, or whatever my heart desires.

How can I achieve this on a single machine.
Everywhere I look, everyone is using ether:
- a GUI on the server machine, and then virt-manager or some other GUI to control the VM`s and open them in windowses
- a second machine that is used to ssh/vnc to the virtual machine.

I don`t want any of this. I just want to power the server, get to getty, login, then start my linux vm 1, login, startx there and go on with my daily activities. I don`t want to start X on the server to use virt-manager, I don`t want to connect to the server from a second machine.

Is that even possible. I can`t find anywhere information about that. I know I can create disks with qemu, i can install vm`s with virt-install, i can start, stop vm`s with virsh.. i can mix all these things, i can even script it... the possibilities are endless, but I can`t find any information about login to local virtual machine from the server machine`s console. If I cannot connect to the console, i can edit the arch iso to automatically install arch on my machine, and start sshd at boot, but even then will I be able to use X over ssh from a server without a X?

I am on the verge of giving up and continuing as I am doing now ( using X and virt-manager on the server to start and use VM`s )

I can`t find or think of anything. Any help or advice will be helpful. Maybe you know how to do it? Maybe I should just continue using virt-manager like everybody else?

Best regards.

P.S. I didn`t mentioned that I have a spare video card that I had passed through a windows 10 VM for gaming and stuff. It works as charm. Maybe the best ( the only ) way is to get a second video card, then pass it to the linux vm that I want to use as desktop, and when the vm starts, just switch the video output... then install virt-manager on the linux vm, connect it to the server, and continue from there... Any thoughts on that?

Last edited by Gruntz (2017-12-30 08:00:26)

jasonwryan · 2017-12-26 23:36:16

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/QEMU

progandy · 2017-12-26 23:48:03

You may have to allocate a serial interface, possibly with "console=ttyS0" in your kernel command line. Also configure your boot loader for a serial console, for syslinux e.g. "SERIAL 0" in the config.

https://manned.org/virt-install.1#head9
--graphics
...
none
No graphical console will be allocated for the guest. Guests will
likely need to have a text console configured on the first serial
port in the guest (this can be done via the --extra-args option).
The command 'virsh console NAME' can be used to connect to the
serial device.

Edit: Running without X on the host might be possible using vnc (directvnc) or SPICE
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=177754

Last edited by progandy (2017-12-26 23:56:31)

Lone_Wolf · 2017-12-28 21:59:03

Sounds like you want to run a type I baremetal hypervisor, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypervisor#Classification

Xen is the only opensource type I hypervisor (that i know of) , check the arch wiki page on xen.

Last edited by Lone_Wolf (2017-12-28 21:59:27)

loqs · 2017-12-28 22:03:43

qemu when using kvm is hybrid type 1 hypervisor but using either kvm or xen as such would need a dedicated GPU as far as I am aware.

Gruntz · 2017-12-30 07:59:55

Thank You, guys.

That clarify it for me. I will get a cheap second hand video card for my desktop VM ( I have my eyes in "Nvidia GT 430 1gb silent pci-e" for 25$ ) that supports passthrough. I will need one anyway, because my integrated is only 4MB and don`t support my 1080p monitor.

Best regards.

Arch Linux

#1 2017-12-26 22:35:04

[ SOLVED ] Use a VM as a desktop, on a minimal server without GUI

#2 2017-12-26 23:36:16

Re: [ SOLVED ] Use a VM as a desktop, on a minimal server without GUI

#3 2017-12-26 23:48:03

Re: [ SOLVED ] Use a VM as a desktop, on a minimal server without GUI

#4 2017-12-28 21:59:03

Re: [ SOLVED ] Use a VM as a desktop, on a minimal server without GUI

#5 2017-12-28 22:03:43

Re: [ SOLVED ] Use a VM as a desktop, on a minimal server without GUI

#6 2017-12-30 07:59:55

Re: [ SOLVED ] Use a VM as a desktop, on a minimal server without GUI

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