# Qemu vs qemu from git



## BsDjUsTbSd (Jun 7, 2020)

what's the difference from pkg install qemu-kvm and cloning it from github
i found that the github version has more functionality such as emulation for powerpc and sparc but why doesn't that come with qemu-kvm(btw that happens also on linux)'

EDIT: you need to install qemu-arch-extra (arch stands for architecture)


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## jmos (Jun 7, 2020)

By using the source you're using the latest version, but you'll have to compile and install it by yourself (and maybe fix/patch it); By using pkg you're using the version the port maintainer recognizes, ported (and maybe the latest source fails, some features aren't portable etc.), and maybe three months later you'll get it via pkg.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but: There is no "qemu-kvm" on FreeBSD (so I'm a little confused about your question). KVM focused years ago on Linux only, and so you only can do a "pkg install qemu" - without KVM. qemu emulates hardware, while KVM uses existing hardware to accelerate qemu. You can use qemu on FreeBSD, but you'll need plenty of time f.e. just to see a Win10 login screen.

The possibility of moving a "Linux qemu virtual machine" to "FreeBSD-qemu" is only theoretical, you won't have fun; qemu on FreeBSD is more a technical thing than for daily use of VMs. And may I add: I wouldn't keep an eye on VirtualBox as alternative to qemu/KVM - but on bhyve.


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## BsDjUsTbSd (Jun 7, 2020)

jmos said:


> By using the source you're using the latest version, but you'll have to compile and install it by yourself (and maybe fix/patch it); By using pkg you're using the version the port maintainer recognizes, ported (and maybe the latest source fails, some features aren't portable etc.), and maybe three months later you'll get it via pkg.
> 
> Correct me if I'm wrong, but: There is no "qemu-kvm" on FreeBSD (so I'm a little confused about your question). KVM focused years ago on Linux only, and so you only can do a "pkg install qemu" - without KVM. qemu emulates hardware, while KVM uses existing hardware to accelerate qemu. You can use qemu on FreeBSD, but you'll need plenty of time f.e. just to see a Win10 login screen.
> 
> The possibility of moving a "Linux qemu virtual machine" to "FreeBSD-qemu" is only theoretical, you won't have fun; qemu on FreeBSD is more a technical thing than for daily use of VMs. And may I add: I wouldn't keep an eye on VirtualBox as alternative to qemu/KVM - but on bhyve.


yeah the package for freebsd is qemu but in linux is qemu-kvm


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## kpedersen (Jun 7, 2020)

If there was enough interest I am sure we could have a qemu-kvm which uses Bhyve underneath (qemu-bhyve). Similar to qemu-haxm (https://github.com/intel/haxm) using Intel's HAXM platform underneath.

However like with most FreeBSD stuff, using Bhyve directly is simpler, more consistent and has less breakage than the Linux counterpart.


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## jmos (Jun 7, 2020)

BsDjUsTbSd said:


> yeah the package for freebsd is qemu but in linux is qemu-kvm


qemu on FreeBSD contains qemu-system-riscv32 / qemu-system-riscv64 ("PowerPC") and qemu-system-sparc / qemu-system-sparc64 ("Spark") - so your two examples of what's missing compared to GitHub is included. Only the Linux-only KVM thing you won't get.


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