qemu-system-x86: qemu doesn't show window with VM

[Stefan Krusche]

Good Day All,

Problem description:

When I start qemu with the following command the VM seemingly gets
started but no window whatsoever shows up. AFAIR it always has worked
like that before.

$ qemu-system-x86_64 -m 1024M -name "Devuan GNU/Linux
Beowulf" -enable-kvm \
-vga cirrus -net nic -net user,hostfwd=tcp::1926-:22 -cdrom \
/mnt/somedir/devuan_beowulf_3.0.0_amd64_desktop-live.iso \
-boot menu=on &
$ qemu64 -m 1024M -name "eXe GNU/Linux" -enable-kvm -vga cirrus -net nic
\
-net
user,hostfwd=tcp::1921-:22 -cdrom /mnt/isodir/exegnu64_beowulf-20200707.iso
&

$ jobs
[1]- Running qemu-system-x86_64 -m 1024M -name "Devuan
GNU/Linux Beowulf" -enable-kvm -vga cirrus -net nic -net
user,hostfwd=tcp::1926-:22 -cdrom /mnt/somedir/devuan_beowulf_3.0.0_amd64_desktop-live.iso -boot
menu=on & (wd: /mnt/somedir)
[2]+ Running qemu-system-x86_64 -m 1024M -name "eXe
GNU/Linux" -enable-kvm -vga cirrus -net nic -net
user,hostfwd=tcp::1921-:22 -cdrom /mnt/isodir/exegnu64_beowulf-20200707.iso
& (wd: /mnt/isodir)

There is nothing in dmesg/syslog/messages/kern.log that indicates
something went wrong. There is only one message (per VM I think) which
says:

# kern.log
kernel: kvm [1608]: vcpu0, guest rIP: 0xffffffffbe25eb48 disabled
perfctr wrmsr: 0xc2 data 0xffff

After two hours of digging I neither can find a reason nor a report for
this behaviour on the net. Does anybody know what I might have missed
or how I can further troubleshoot?

Thanks for any hint.

Kind regards,
Stefan

Package: qemu-system-x86
Version: 1:5.2+dfsg-9~bpo10+1

The following sys info was gathered by reportbug. The misbehaviour also
happens with standard debian kernel: Linux 4.19.0-17-amd64 #1 SMP
Debian 4.19.194-3 (2021-07-18) x86_64 GNU/Linux.

# created by reportbug:
System information:
Distributor ID: Devuan
Description: Devuan GNU/Linux 3 (beowulf)
Release: 3
Codename: beowulf
Architecture: x86_64

Kernel: Linux 5.12.0-19.3-liquorix-amd64 (SMP w/8 CPU cores; PREEMPT)
Kernel taint flags: TAINT_PROPRIETARY_MODULE, TAINT_OOT_MODULE,
TAINT_UNSIGNED_MODULE
Locale: LANG=C.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=C.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8), LANGUAGE=C.UTF-8
(charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash
Init: sysvinit (via /sbin/init)

Versions of packages qemu-system-x86 depends on:
ii ipxe-qemu 1.0.0+git-20190125.36a4c85-1
ii libaio1 0.3.112-3
ii libasound2 1.1.8-1
ii libbrlapi0.6 5.6-10+deb10u1
ii libc6 2.28-10
ii libcacard0 1:2.6.1-1
ii libcapstone4 4.0.2-3~bpo10+1
ii libepoxy0 1.5.3-0.1
ii libeudev1 [libudev1] 3.2.9-10~beowulf1
ii libfdt1 1.6.0-1~bpo10+1
ii libgbm1 18.3.6-2+deb10u1
ii libgcc1 1:8.3.0-6
ii libglib2.0-0 2.58.3-2+deb10u3
ii libgnutls30 3.6.7-4+deb10u7
ii libibverbs1 22.1-1
ii libjpeg62-turbo 1:1.5.2-2+deb10u1
ii libncursesw6 6.1+20181013-2+deb10u2
ii libnettle6 3.4.1-1+deb10u1
ii libnuma1 2.0.12-1
ii libpixman-1-0 0.36.0-1
ii libpmem1 1.5.1-1
ii libpng16-16 1.6.36-6
ii librdmacm1 22.1-1
ii libsasl2-2 2.1.27+dfsg-1+deb10u1
ii libseccomp2 2.3.3-4
ii libslirp0 4.3.1-1~bpo10+1
ii libspice-server1 0.14.0-1.3+deb10u1
ii libtinfo6 6.1+20181013-2+deb10u2
ii libudev1 1:3.2.9+devuan4
ii liburing1 0.7-3~bpo10+1
ii libusb-1.0-0 2:1.0.22-2
ii libusbredirparser1 0.8.0-1
ii libvdeplug2 2.3.2+r586-2.2
ii libvirglrenderer0 0.7.0-2
ii libxendevicemodel1 4.11.4+107-gef32c7afa2-1
ii libxenevtchn1 4.11.4+107-gef32c7afa2-1
ii libxenforeignmemory1 4.11.4+107-gef32c7afa2-1
ii libxengnttab1 4.11.4+107-gef32c7afa2-1
ii libxenmisc4.11 4.11.4+107-gef32c7afa2-1
ii libxenstore3.0 4.11.4+107-gef32c7afa2-1
ii libxentoolcore1 4.11.4+107-gef32c7afa2-1
ii qemu-system-common 1:5.2+dfsg-9~bpo10+1
ii qemu-system-data 1:5.2+dfsg-9~bpo10+1
ii seabios 1.12.0-1
ii zlib1g 1:1.2.11.dfsg-1

Versions of packages qemu-system-x86 recommends:
pn ovmf <none>
pn qemu-system-gui <none>
ii qemu-utils 1:5.2+dfsg-9~bpo10+1

Versions of packages qemu-system-x86 suggests:
pn qemu-block-extra <none>
ii qemu-system-data [sgabios] 1:5.2+dfsg-9~bpo10+1
pn samba <none>
pn vde2 <none>

[Dan Ritter]

Stefan Krusche wrote:
> Good Day All,
>
> Problem description:
>
> When I start qemu with the following command the VM seemingly gets
> started but no window whatsoever shows up. AFAIR it always has worked
> like that before.
>
> $ qemu-system-x86_64 -m 1024M -name "Devuan GNU/Linux
> Beowulf" -enable-kvm \
> -vga cirrus -net nic -net user,hostfwd=tcp::1926-:22 -cdrom \
> /mnt/somedir/devuan_beowulf_3.0.0_amd64_desktop-live.iso \
> -boot menu=on &
> $ qemu64 -m 1024M -name "eXe GNU/Linux" -enable-kvm -vga cirrus -net nic
> \
> -net
> user,hostfwd=tcp::1921-:22 -cdrom /mnt/isodir/exegnu64_beowulf-20200707.iso
> &

I don't expect an invocation of qemu to open a window, I expect
it to run the VM.

If you want to see the console of the VM, use virtviewer or
spiceclient or vncviewer as appropriate.

if you want an all-in-one management system, run this via
virtmanager.

-dsr-

[Stefan Krusche]

Am Montag, 20. September 2021 schrieb Dan Ritter:
> Stefan Krusche wrote:
> > Good Day All,
> >
> > Problem description:
> >
> > When I start qemu with the following command the VM seemingly gets
> > started but no window whatsoever shows up. AFAIR it always has
> > worked like that before.
> >
> > $ qemu-system-x86_64 -m 1024M -name "Devuan GNU/Linux
> > Beowulf" -enable-kvm \
> > -vga cirrus -net nic -net user,hostfwd=tcp::1926-:22 -cdrom \
> > /mnt/somedir/devuan_beowulf_3.0.0_amd64_desktop-live.iso \
> > -boot menu=on &
> > $ qemu64 -m 1024M -name "eXe GNU/Linux" -enable-kvm -vga cirrus
> > -net nic \
> > -net
> > user,hostfwd=tcp::1921-:22 -cdrom
> > /mnt/isodir/exegnu64_beowulf-20200707.iso &
>
> I don't expect an invocation of qemu to open a window, I expect
> it to run the VM.

Well, not sure what you mean. Does the VM not run in a window?!

I'm pretty sure that in the past like until 1-2 years ago always a
window opened up in which the VM (actually the OS I wanted to run in a
VM) was running (for example with the boot menu from an install.iso).

In this window I could with 'Ctrl+1' or 'Ctrl+2' switch between the
running VM and the qemu console (there was also 'Ctrl+3' but I don't
remember whatfor). I can't remember to have used any virtmanager
software. I only used the command above and a window would open with
the running VM.

> If you want to see the console of the VM, use virtviewer or
> spiceclient or vncviewer as appropriate.
>
> if you want an all-in-one management system, run this via
> virtmanager.

I'm a bit puzzled because I never had to use any of these…

> -dsr-

Thank you.

Kind regards,
Stefan

[Dan Ritter]

Stefan Krusche wrote:
> Am Montag, 20. September 2021 schrieb Dan Ritter:
> > Stefan Krusche wrote:
> >
> > I don't expect an invocation of qemu to open a window, I expect
> > it to run the VM.
>
> Well, not sure what you mean. Does the VM not run in a window?!

No. The VM is a process. The VM may have a graphical interface,
in which case, something has to invoke it. Your command starts
the VM, but it doesn't start a graphical client.

> I'm a bit puzzled because I never had to use any of these…

Well, why don't you try them and find out if it solves your
problem?

-dsr-

[Thomas Schmitt]

Hi,

Stefan Krusche wrote:
> When I start qemu with the following command the VM seemingly gets
> started but no window whatsoever shows up. AFAIR it always has worked
> like that before.

That's my memory too. The script for my Sid VM has option -nographic
to prevent such a qemu window from showing up.

https://manpages.debian.org/bullseye/qemu-system-x86/qemu-system-x86_64.1.en.html

-nographic
Normally, if QEMU is compiled with graphical window support, it
displays output such as guest graphics, guest console, and the QEMU
monitor in a window. With this option, you can totally disable
graphical output so that QEMU is a simple command line application.
...


> $ qemu-system-x86_64 [...] -vga cirrus [...]

Did you try whether you get a window without option -vga cirrus ?


Have a nice day :)

Thomas

[Stefan Krusche]

I have got it. The hint to the graphics brought me on the right track. I
needed to install package qemu-system-gui to get the wanted behaviour
that qemu starts in a window.

Thanks everybody!

Cheers,
Stefan