Install an Ubuntu 16.04 or Arch Linux VM on macOS using xhyve.
- Ubuntu 16.05 is known to work
- Arch Linux 201905 is known to work
- https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/QEMU#Preparing_an_(Arch)_Linux_guest
mkinitcpio -p linux
brew install xhyve
sudo ./prepare.sh ubuntu-16.04.5-server-amd64.iso
Passing paths with spaces may fail here. Better if you copy the iso into this directory first.
sudo ./create.sh ubuntu-16.04.5-server-amd64.iso
After booting, install Ubuntu just like you normally would.
Pro tip: Don't resize your terminal while you're going through the installer.
When you get to this question.
Install the GRUB boot loader to the master boot record?
Make sure you say, "yes".
When you get to "Installation complete", select "Go Back". Then, "Execute a shell".
Find your current IP address.
/sbin/ip addr show enp0s2
2: enp0s2: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc pfifo_fast qlen 1000
inet 192.168.64.8/24 brd 192.168.64.255 scope global enp0s2
Next, we're gonna copy some files back to the host. The exact name of the following files might be slightly different, depending on when you download the Ubuntu server ISO.
In the guest, run this.
cd /target/boot
cat initrd.img-4.4.0-131-generic | nc -l -p 1234
# now run the below `nc ...` command on the host
cat vmlinuz-4.4.0-131-generic | nc -l -p 1234
# run the next `nc ...` on the host
On the host, run this.
cd boot/
# after running `cat ...` on the guest:
nc 192.168.64.8 1234 > initrd.img-4.4.0-131-generic
# and again for the next file:
nc 192.168.64.8 1234 > vmlinuz-4.4.0-131-generic
after copying the files, run ls -la on both guest and host to ensure the file sizes are exactly the same.
Now, you can exit the shell and finish the installation.
Update environment.sh to ensure the filenames in boot/ match.
sudo ./start.sh
Here are some things you should probably do after logging in.
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade -y
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade -y
sudo apt-get install -y xterm
echo "export TERM=xterm-256color" >> $HOME/.bashrc
xterm is important because it'll install the resize command. You'll need to
manually resize the terminal dimensions because we're using a serial TTY or
something.
The default terminal is vt220, which doesn't have colors by default. We're
probably more used to xterm.
Everytime you resize your terminal, you need to run resize. Otherwise, your
output will get jacked.
That's it! You don't really need to reboot, but here's what that looks like.
jaime@xhyve:~$ sudo poweroff
[ 636.675689] reboot: System halted
jaime@mac:~$ sudo ./start.sh
The purpose is unclear. But I think it may be because the author want to boot the ubuntu when MacOS reboot. Not sure it is what you want and hence if you are not sure, there is no need. And if you need it, you have to modify the file variadico.xhyve.ubuntu.plist as it contains the directory where the file belong
sudo chown root variadico.xhyve.ubuntu.plist
sudo ln -s $(pwd)/variadico.xhyve.ubuntu.plist /Library/LaunchDaemons/
sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/variadico.xhyve.ubuntu.plist
# Verify status
sudo launchctl list | grep "xhyve"
# Stop
sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/variadico.xhyve.ubuntu.plist