How to Install KVM on Linux Mint 22 – Step-by-step

GNU/Linux Mint 22 Installing KVM – QuickStart Guide

Welcome! This tutorial provides a detailed guide on installing KVM on GNU/Linux Mint 22.x, covering everything from pre-installation checks to creating and managing virtual machines.

KVM for Mint 22 offers a complete virtualization solution for Linux systems on x86 hardware with virtualization extensions (Intel VT or AMD-V). With KVM, you can run multiple virtual machines using unmodified Linux or Windows images, each with its own virtualized hardware.

Follow this guide to install KVM in Linux Mint 22 and start using QEMU KVM virtualization effectively.

1. 1. Getting Started with Terminal

   Quick-start with the Command Line on Linux Mint 22:

   Console Linux Mint QuickStart Guide

   Getting-Started with Command Line on Linux Mint.

   Begin by updating the apt repository sources:

   sudo apt update

   Authenticate with your user admin password. For issues like “User is Not in Sudoers file,” consult: How to Enable sudo.

2. 2. Pre-Installation Checks

   Ensure your system supports hardware virtualization before installing KVM on Linux Mint 22:

   egrep -c '(vmx|svm)' /proc/cpuinfo

   A result greater than 0 indicates hardware virtualization support. You may need to enable it in the BIOS. Install the necessary tool with:

   sudo apt install cpu-checker

   Verify with:

   kvm-ok

   A positive result should display:

   INFO: /dev/kvm exists
   KVM acceleration can be used
   

   If KVM isn’t fully supported, it might still work in a slower mode.

3. 3. Installing KVM

   To install KVM on Linux Mint 22, run the following commands:

   sudo apt update

   sudo apt install qemu qemu-system qemu-kvm libvirt-bin ubuntu-vm-builder bridge-utils

   Here’s a brief overview of the packages:

   • libvirt-bin includes libvirtd for managing qemu and KVM instances.
   • qemu & qemu-kvm are the core components for virtualization.
   • ubuntu-vm-builder is a command-line tool for creating virtual machines.
   • bridge-utils sets up a network bridge for virtual machines.

4. 4. Adding User to the libvirt Group

   To manage virtual machines, add your user to the libvirt group:

   sudo addgroup libvirtd

   sudo adduser `id -un` libvirtd

   Ensure to log out and log back in to apply these changes.

5. 5. Verifying KVM Installation

   Check the KVM installation status on Mint 22 with:

   virsh list --all

   The output should be:

    Id    Name                           State
   ----------------------------------------------------

   This indicates that no virtual machines have been created yet.