Error installing KVM on Debian 11

[Peele]

Hi,
I installed a fresh Debian 11.3.0/64 and started installing KVM using this instruction

However, these commands generate fatal errors :

sudo virsh -c qemu:///system define Whonix-Gateway*.xml
error: Failed to define domain from Whonix-Gateway-XFCE-16.0.3.7.xml
error: invalid argument: could not get preferred machine for /usr/bin/qemu-system-x86_64 type=kvm

and

sudo virsh -c qemu:///system define Whonix-Workstation*.xml
error: Failed to define domain from Whonix-Workstation-XFCE-16.0.3.7.xml
error: invalid argument: could not get preferred machine for /usr/bin/qemu-system-x86_64 type=kvm

Correct the erroneous instructions, please!

[redex]

1. Make sure virtualization is enabled in the bios
2. You cant start virtualbox at the same time since it uses kvm as its back end
3. Install qemu-kvm package, sudo apt install qemu-kvm
4. restart service sudo systemctl restart libvirtd

Alternativly you can change the backend from
<domain type="kvm"> to <domain type="qemu">
witch is not recommended since its inferior to kvm.

[Peele]

* Make sure virtualization is enabled in the bios

Virtualization was already enabled initially.

* You cant start virtualbox at the same time since it uses kvm as its back end

There is no VirtualBox in the system! This is a clean new Debian 11 without graphics.

* Install qemu-kvm package, sudo apt install qemu-kvm

This was done as indicated in the mentioned instruction:

sudo apt install --no-install-recommends qemu-kvm libvirt-daemon-system libvirt-clients virt-manager gir1.2-spiceclientgtk-3.0 dnsmasq qemu-utils

* restart service sudo systemctl restart libvirtd

I’ve completely done a Debian reboot, isn’t that enough?

All these recommendations do not help. So, there is an error in the installation instructions.

Correct the erroneous instructions, please!

[nurmagoz]

@Peele

Virtualization was already enabled initially.

KVM need virtualization which vt-x so as vt-d, If both not present in the BIOS and activated then you cant run KVM.

[Patrick]

Try running a non-Whonix KVM VM first. In other words:
Try running Debian stable inside a KVM VM first.

As per:
https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Reporting_Bugs#Generic_Bug_Reproduction

Note: I am not maintaining Whonix KVM.

@Peele

without graphics.

Without graphics? You mean a host operating system without installed desktop environment?
Is this supported? @HulaHoop

@nurmagoz

@Peele

Virtualization was already enabled initially.

KVM need virtualization

Peele wrote “virtualization already enabled” to which you reply “KVM needs virtualization”. Mistake?

[nurmagoz]

@Patrick

Peele wrote “virtualization already enabled” to which you reply “KVM needs virtualization”. Mistake?

Virtualization option in the BIOS only refer to vt-x, so i meant kvm need this virtualization/vt-x option but not only this also need vt-d as well.

[Peele]

@Patrick

Without graphics? You mean a host operating system without installed desktop environment?
Is this supported?

Well yes. This is the KVM host operating system. Does she need a graphics system?
It’s not a graphical VirtualBox, is it?

But the Whonix-Gateway and Whonix-Desktop virtual machines have their own graphical environment.

[Patrick]

@nurmagoz

Virtualization option in the BIOS only refer to vt-x, so i meant kvm need this virtualization/vt-x option but not only this also need vt-d as well.

[Help Welcome] KVM Development - staying the course

Does Whonix KVM require VT-d?

[HulaHoop]

@Patrick

Without graphics? You mean a host operating system without installed desktop environment?
Is this supported? @HulaHoop

Yes virsh-console should be able to connect to the VM’s tty directly and allow running commands headlessly from the host’s console.

[Patrick]

@HulaHoop

@Patrick

Without graphics? You mean a host operating system without installed desktop environment?

Is this supported? @HulaHoop

Yes virsh-console should be able to connect to the VM’s tty directly and allow running commands headlessly from the host’s console.

Should meaning? Is this tested should work or tested and known to be functional that a user needs no running X / desktop environment and can use Whonix KVM?
If known functional, I’d like to add this to documentation.

[HulaHoop]

@Patrick

Should meaning?

Meaning theoretically as I don’t run headless. Though it makes intuitive sense since any interface accessible from a GUI console should be available in a headless env like Tor’s nyx interface.