QEMU-START(1) - General Commands Manual

#NAME

qemu-start - start a QEMU VM from the command line

#SYNOPSIS

qemu-start

#DESCRIPTION

qemu-start is a simple interactive POSIX shell script to facilitate launching QEMU VMs.

qemu-start utilitises shell variables to create a QEMU command line. The available variables are listed in the ENVIRONMENT section of this page. Variables can be set via the $HOME/$QEMU_START_CONF/default file, or via files in the $HOME/$QEMU_START_CONF/configs/ directory. Setting a variable in a file is done via the standard VAR=VALUE shell syntax, one variable per line. Any variable not set will be used with a default value defined within the script.

Upon starting, qemu-start presents the user with an interactive menu:

-- qemu-start --
1) Use defaults.
2) Use defaults and ISO in current directory.
3) Use defaults but change value(s).
4) Use config.
5) Use config and ISO in current directory.
6) Use config but change values(s).
a) Create config.
b) Create hd.
q) Quit.
Choice?

The 'hard disk' created via "Create hd" will be in qcow2 format.

#ENVIRONMENT

qemu-start uses the following variables, with the accompanying default values:

QEMU_BINARY

/usr/bin/qemu-system-x86_64

QEMU_KVM

yes

QEMU_MEM

512M

QEMU_KBD

en-us

QEMU_BOOT_ORDER

dc

QEMU_HDA

''

QEMU_CDROM

''

QEMU_DISPLAY

gtk,zoom-to-fit=on

HD_DIR

$HOME/$QEMU_START_CONF/hd

ISO_DIR

$HOME/$QEMU_START_CONF/iso

HD_SIZE

2G

By default, the path to qemu-start config is $HOME/.config/qemu-start, as specified by the QEMU_START_CONF variable.

#AUTHORS

Alexis <flexibeast@gmail.com>

Linux 6.2.12-gentoo-dist - April 26, 2023