Run VyOS on Libvirt QEMU/KVM

Libvirt is an open-source API, daemon, and management tool for managing platform virtualization. You can deploy VyOS on libvirt KVM in several ways: using Virt-Manager or the native CLI. This example uses 4 gigabytes of memory, 2 CPU cores, and the default network virbr0.

CLI

Deploy from ISO

Create VM name vyos_r1. You must specify the path to the ISO image, the disk qcow2 will be created automatically. The default network is the virtual network (type Virtio) created by the hypervisor with NAT.

$ virt-install -n vyos_r1 \
  --ram 4096 \
  --vcpus 2 \
  --cdrom /var/lib/libvirt/images/vyos.iso \
  --os-variant debian10 \
  --network network=default \
  --graphics vnc \
  --hvm \
  --virt-type kvm \
  --disk path=/var/lib/libvirt/images/vyos_r1.qcow2,bus=virtio,size=8 \
  --noautoconsole

Connect to the VM with the command virsh console vyos_r1

$ virsh console vyos_r1

Connected to domain vyos_r1
Escape character is ^]

vyos login: vyos
Password:

vyos@vyos:~$ install image

After installation, exit the console using the key combination Ctrl + ] and reboot the system.

Deploy from qcow2

The benefit of using KVM images is that they don’t require installation. Download the predefined VyOS .qcow2 image.

curl --url link_to_vyos_kvm.qcow2 --output /var/lib/libvirt/images/vyos_kvm.qcow2

Create VM with import qcow2 disk option.

$ virt-install -n vyos_r2 \
   --ram 4096 \
   --vcpus 2 \
   --os-variant debian10 \
   --network network=default \
   --graphics vnc \
   --hvm \
   --virt-type kvm \
   --disk path=/var/lib/libvirt/images/vyos_kvm.qcow2,bus=virtio \
   --import \
   --noautoconsole

Connect to the VM with the command virsh console vyos_r2

$ virsh console vyos_r2

Connected to domain vyos_r2
Escape character is ^]

vyos login: vyos
Password:

vyos@vyos:~$

If you cannot access the login screen, the KVM console may be set as the default boot option.

Open a secondary session and run this command to reboot the VM:

$ virsh reboot vyos_r2

Then go to the first session where you opened the console. Select VyOS 1.4.x for QEMU (Serial console) and press Enter.

The system is fully operational.

Virt-Manager

The Virt-Manager application is a desktop user interface for managing virtual machines through libvirt. On Linux, open the VMM.

Deploy from ISO

Open VMM and create a new VM
Choose Local install media (ISO)

Choose the path to the VyOS ISO image. Select any Debian-based operating system.

Choose Memory and CPU

Disk size

Name of VM and network selection

Then the system will be taken to the console.

Deploy from qcow2

Download the predefined VyOS .qcow2 image.

curl --url link_to_vyos_kvm.qcow2 --output /var/lib/libvirt/images/vyos_kvm.qcow2

Open VMM and create a new VM
Choose Import existing disk image

Choose the path to the vyos_kvm.qcow2 image that you downloaded. Select any Debian-based operating system.

Choose Memory and CPU

Name of VM and network selection

Then the system will be taken to the console.