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quickemu-project/quickemu

A QEMU wrapper that automatically downloads operating system images and launches optimised Windows, macOS and Linux virtual machines.

Open-source alternative to:Parallels DesktopVMware FusionVirtualBox

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What is it?

Quickemu wraps QEMU so you can create and run virtual machines without writing exhaustive configuration. You pick an operating system, the quickget command downloads the upstream image and generates a configuration file, and quickemu inspects the host hardware to launch the VM with a suitable setup.

The project covers Linux and macOS hosts and supports guests including macOS (Sequoia back to Mojave), Windows 10, 11 and Server editions, Ubuntu and its flavours, plus BSDs and other systems such as FreeDOS, Haiku and ReactOS. Virtual machines and their configs can live on external storage and run without elevated permissions.

Guest features include SPICE with clipboard sharing, VirtIO file sharing, VirGL acceleration, USB and smartcard pass-through, SSH and network port forwarding, and EFI or legacy BIOS boot.

Key features

  • 01Creates configs and downloads upstream OS images with quickget
  • 02Auto-detects host hardware to pick an optimised VM configuration
  • 03Supports macOS, Windows (including TPM 2.0) and many Linux and BSD guests
  • 04SPICE with host/guest clipboard sharing and VirtIO file sharing
  • 05USB and smartcard pass-through, plus SSH and port forwarding
  • 06Runs without elevated permissions

Use cases

  • Quickly testing Linux distributions without installing them
  • Running Windows or macOS VMs on a Linux or macOS desktop
  • Keeping VM images on an external USB drive for portable testing

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install Quickemu (see the wiki installation guide)

  2. 2

    Download an OS image and create a VM config

    quickget nixos unstable minimal
  3. 3

    Start the virtual machine

    quickemu --vm nixos-unstable-minimal.conf

Things to know

  • Host support is limited to Linux and macOS.
  • Installation requires following the separate wiki guide, which is not summarised in the README.

Topics

#qemu#virtualization#kvm#linux#macos#windows#spice#virtio#9p#efi

FAQ

What is quickemu?
A QEMU wrapper that automatically downloads operating system images and launches optimised Windows, macOS and Linux virtual machines. Quickemu wraps QEMU so you can create and run virtual machines without writing exhaustive configuration. You pick an operating system, the quickget command downloads the upstream image and generates a configuration file, and quickemu inspects the host hardware to launch the VM with a suitable setup.
Is quickemu free to use? What license does it have?
quickemu is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is quickemu still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to quickemu was on Oct 14, 2026.
What can I use quickemu for?
Quickly testing Linux distributions without installing them Running Windows or macOS VMs on a Linux or macOS desktop Keeping VM images on an external USB drive for portable testing
How do I install quickemu?
Install Quickemu (see the wiki installation guide) Download an OS image and create a VM config: quickget nixos unstable minimal Start the virtual machine: quickemu --vm nixos-unstable-minimal.conf
Where can I get quickemu?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/quickemu-project/quickemu

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

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