virtme-ng

1.41 verified Mon Apr 27 auth: no python

Build and run a kernel inside a virtualized snapshot of your live system. Current version: 1.41. Released approximately weekly.

pip install virtme-ng

Common errors

error ImportError: cannot import name 'VirtmeNGConfig' from 'virtme_ng' ↓

cause Trying to import VirtmeNGConfig from the top-level virtme_ng package instead of virtme_ng.run.

fix

Use 'from virtme_ng.run import VirtmeNGConfig'.

error vng: error:argument --exec: not allowed with positional arguments ↓

cause Using --exec together with a command string after vng, which became mutually exclusive in v1.36.

fix

Use the -- syntax: vng -- uname -r instead of vng --exec uname -r.

error virtme-ng: error: --console and --exec are mutually exclusive ↓

cause Trying to use both --console and --exec options at the same time.

fix

Choose either interactive console or exec command, not both.

Warnings

breaking In v1.36, --exec and positional arguments became mutually exclusive. Using both will raise an error. ↓

fix Separate command and arguments using -- syntax: vng -- uname -r instead of vng --exec uname -r

deprecated The virtme-ng-init repository has been merged into main project as of v1.33. Old git submodule references are obsolete. ↓

fix Run `git submodule deinit virtme-ng-init` and `git rm virtme-ng-init` to clean up old submodule.

gotcha Default SSH transport uses vsock; if guest lacks vsock support, SSH will fail. ↓

fix Use `--ssh` option to force legacy TCP SSH, or ensure kernel has vsock support.

gotcha Stale file handle errors (ESTALE) were common with virtiofsd before v1.38. If you see this, upgrade. ↓

fix Upgrade to v1.38 or later.

Install

pip install virtme-ng[full]

Imports

VirtmeNGConfig

wrong

from virtme_ng import VirtmeNGConfig

correct

from virtme_ng.run import VirtmeNGConfig

VirtmeNGConfig is in virtme_ng.run, not top-level.

Quickstart

Run a kernel inside a virtualized snapshot of your live system.

from virtme_ng.run import VirtmeNGConfig, VirtmeNGRunner

config = VirtmeNGConfig(kernel_path='/path/to/bzImage', rootfs='/path/to/rootfs', memory='512M', cpus=2)
runner = VirtmeNGRunner(config)
runner.run()