Gone back to Arch Linux for reliable non Windows Hosts for W11 VM's

Hi folks

@martyfelker and others interested : W11 VM's on KVM/QEMU

I've given up on 99% of other Linux distros now for using Windows VM's with KVM

Most of the current Windows VM's under KVM/QEMU fail because of problems with TPM (swtpm not working -- emulated TPM) or secure boot fails - wrong version of edmk (secure boot module --tianocore).

Arch Linux -- in spite of the fact you have to do more work on it - just runs every time and is totally up to date. No probs with W11 VM's on the host even on a really old host. Zero bloat too -- one of the few distros you can install a basic full featured GUI like KDE without all the zillions of bloat packages you don't want or use.

If you install KDE on Arch linux - without all the bloat -- just run pacman -S xorg plasma plasma-wayland-session. Also start the sddm session - KDE Window / GUI manager (systemctl enable sddm) before re-booting . Also a good idea to install openssh and enable sshd as well.

(Don't install the kde-applications package -- just individually install ones you ant -- konsole is pretty mandatory as is networkmanager !! and start it too -- syscntl enable NetworkManager before rebooting installed system).

Install Samba etc as you want -- but you get a really fast lean and mean system with a decent GUI not containing zillions of apps you don't want and don't use).

It's OK to use /dev/tpm0 if you want to passthru the tpm from the host -- but I like to run several VM's concurrently so the emulated TPM is the way togo -- with passthru obviously only 1 VM can have control of the physical hardware !!.

E.G -- just restored an Arch linux system over the Fedora 38 test system I had On Arch all working brilliantly again. Fedora 38 - KVM failed with tpm emulator after it;s latest set of updates. (Debian is also OK but only if you don't mind running "Not leading edge software" - but it's stable. Ubuntu etc irritate me beyond measure as they always want you to use flatpak or snap -- avoid those horrors at all costs !!.

Nice modern kernel ==> 6.4.3 also !! Note also only 919 packages on the system with most of the GUI things I need.




Cheers
jimbo

It just seems much easier to install Win 11 using VMware - mya experience anyway. The only weird thing is that (because of TPM it claims_ you need to install an encryption password. Don't need it to login.

martyfelker said:

It just seems much easier to install Win 11 using VMware - mya experience anyway. The only weird thing is that (because of TPM it claims_ you need to install an encryption password. Don't need it to login.

Click to expand...

Big problem with vmware is that if the kernel headers don't get updated the same time that a kernel is updated then it breaks assuming a host Linux machine. However vmware has some limitations in performance in the VM's and if you aren't using the paid version there are limitations such as being able to boot from the firmware etc doable but a bit of a hassle.

As for installing the OS - can't see any significant difference in doing the actual install -- assuming you've defined the basic VM config properly-- simply run the installer (dism /ApplyImage or the setup from the installer source) and it's identical to installing on a physical machine. The only area where vmware is slightly easier is that bridging network option is "automatic" if you select that - making connection between host and guest seamless.

performance wise a guest on HYPER-V and KVM/QEMU can run rings around a guest on vmware player / workstation. (workstation also is quite expensive if you have to buy it as an individual).

I've never needed an encryption password for TPM on KVM/QEMU whether using the emulated (swtpm) one or pass thru a real TPM (/dev/tpm0).

cheers
jimbo