KVM/QUEMO questions

[vilde]

I do need some windowz applications for my genealogy work, it's mostly some small register applications coming on cd/dvd:s.  I use VB now.

Maybe I shall try KVM/QUEMO instead of VB? I have some questions:

   
• Will I be able to use/convert my existing W10 installation from VB? .vdi-file?
• Is it possible to copy and paste between the host and guest systems?
• Is it possible to connect virtual cd/dvds, .iso-files to KVM/QUEMO?
• I don't want the guest system to be connected to internet, mostly because windowz update is just a PIA and I don't need it. Is that possible?

[dibl]

Hi Vilde,

I switched from Vmware to Qemu/KVM, probably 6 or 7 years ago now. The libvirt documentation (or maybe qemu documentation) said I could convert my vmware .vdk file to a qemu image, but I could not make it work, and simply reinstalled Win 8 to the virtual scsi disk with Virt Manager. I later bought a Win 10 license and installed that on the virtual drive.

AFAIK, you CANNOT copy and paste directly between the host and guest (If anyone knows how to do that, I want to see how to do it). But the host has an "Attach/Rlease" USB device menu item, so you can copy data to a thumb drive, then eject it from the linux host, plug it into a different USB port, and connect it to the VM and Windows will see it.

Yes, virtual optical drive can be connected to the guest.

I haven't tried to run the guest with no network, but I do not know why that would not be possible. Just don't install the virtual network device, and there will be no network (I assume).

Hope this helps.

NOTE:  You'll want the Virtio Windows drivers as per this:  https://www.linux-kvm.org/page/WindowsGuestDrivers/Download_Drivers

EDIT: I think you might be able to set up the host and guest on a samba network and do file sharing that way.  Too much pain for me to think about ....   

[vilde]

Thanks dibl.
Copy and paste between the guest and host that's the thing I mostly do, a lot and it has to be easy and fast so if that's not possible or is to awkward  i will stay on VB

[dibl]

Vilde, you can copy data from a running package on the Linux host, and paste into a running Windows app, or vice versa. I do that all the time for my genealogy work, too.  What you cannot do is open a file manager on either the host or the guest, and see the files on the other filesystem.

[unklarer]

AFAIK, you CANNOT copy and paste directly between the host and guest (If anyone knows how to do that, I want to see how to do it). But the host has an "Attach/Rlease" USB device menu item, so you can copy data to a thumb drive, then eject it from the linux host, plug it into a different USB port, and connect it to the VM and Windows will see it.

^Yes, it is possible. (under Linux)   

I have always done this in QEMU, guest MX-Linux and host siduction/kde.

The solution is sftp. (I'm writing this from memory now, because I won't be back home at the corresponding machine until after September 13th)

Code Select Expand

sftp://user@IP of the host or guest

First the ssh-connection must be established in the terminal! Later I added this sftp-command to the file manager (Thunar; Dolphin; Konqueror etc.)

Required are the packages:
ssh/sftp
openssh-client
openssh-server
gvfs
gvfs-backends

[dibl]

^Yes, it is possible. (under Linux)

Wow, I am so glad to see this -- thank you!  Yes, I use KDE and Dolphin, so this should work on my setup. Once in awhile it would be very helpful just to copy a file over from Linux to Windows, do the needed edits with special tools like Adobe Acrobat, and then copy it back to Linux.

Thank you very much!

[vilde]

Vilde, you can copy data from a running package on the Linux host, and paste into a running Windows app, or vice versa. I do that all the time for my genealogy work, too.  What you cannot do is open a file manager on either the host or the guest, and see the files on the other filesystem.

That would be good for me, i probably try  one day when I have time and feel for it.

[dibl]

The solution is sftp. (I'm writing this from memory now, because I won't be back home at the corresponding machine until after September 13th)

Code: [Select]
sftp://user@IP of the host or guest

First the ssh-connection must be established in the terminal! Later I added this sftp-command to the file manager (Thunar; Dolphin; Konqueror etc.)

YES -- this works!  I just set it up on my siduction desktop system and it works perfectly.  Thanks again, @unklarer!

@vilde, this tutorial will help you set up the Windows ssh server, which is not installed or running by default: https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/hpc/How-To-Use-SSH-Client-and-Server-on-Windows-10-1470/

[unklarer]

Wow, I am so glad to see this -- thank you!

^^I am glad that I could help you