Install QEMU

pacman -S qemu  # Arch Linux

Name                New Version  Net Change  Download Size

extra/bluez-libs    5.26-1       0.28 MiB         0.06 MiB
extra/celt0.5.1     0.5.1.3-3    0.16 MiB         0.04 MiB
extra/libcacard     2.1.2-1      0.09 MiB         0.03 MiB
extra/libiscsi      1.12.0-1     0.44 MiB         0.10 MiB
extra/seabios       1.7.5-2      1.69 MiB         0.12 MiB
extra/spice         0.12.5-1     2.41 MiB         0.56 MiB
community/usbredir  0.6-4        0.15 MiB         0.03 MiB
extra/vde2          2.3.2-6      0.78 MiB         0.19 MiB
extra/qemu          2.1.2-1      178.21 MiB      19.38 MiB

Total Download Size:    20.53 MiB
Total Installed Size:   184.21 MiB

Create Image

qemu-img create -f qcow2 test.qcow2 100G

output :

Formatting 'test.qcow2', fmt=qcow2 size=107374182400 encryption=off cluster_size=65536 lazy_refcounts=off

Install OS from bootable ISO

  • -m to assign memory size

  • -cdrom to assign bootable ISO

  • -boot order=d to change the booting priority for cdrom

qemu-system-x86_64 -m 2G -cdrom ArchLinux.iso -boot order=d test.qcow2

QEMU with KVM

check your kernel has KVM support :

lsmod | grep kvm

output :

kvm_intel             143245  0
kvm                   421519  1 kvm_intel

start QEMU in KVM mode (add --enable-kvm)

qemu-system-x86_64 --enable-kvm test.qcow2

with previous booting optinos :

qemu-system-x86_64 --enable-kvm -m 2G -cdrom ArchLinux.iso -boot order=d test.qcow2