# Move KVM vm:s to bhyve



## pos (Mar 9, 2019)

Hi all pro:s in this area

Could not find a better channel than "Base System" for this...

I think I will try to move a linux+KVM host and replace it with FreeBSD+bhyve. But maybe this is a bad idea as it does not seem to be mature enough yet. And the docs is, well..., not good. At least for non FreeBSD guests. For now, I cannot just momentarily convert all linux vm:s to FreeBSD. It takes some time  If I have to be a detective due to lack of docs, I will probably wait to do this...

I have in a test server installed the packages vm-bhyve grub2-bhyve uefi-edk2-bhyve. Also, I have converted a KVM qcow2 image back to raw format and copied it to the FreeBSD host as I have found treads that says I have to convert it to RAW.

Can anyone point me in the direction (i.e to docs) of how to boot this linux VM from lets say test.raw? To create a new vm of FreeBSD type, that is very well documented though... I don't have to use vm-bhyve package. I am open to suggestions of how to make this transition as easy as possible.

Tnx in advance
Peo


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## abishai (Mar 10, 2019)

As you've written you use vm-bhyve, the port has wiki https://github.com/churchers/vm-bhyve/wiki
If your VMs are not UEFI, configuring grub is always a trial&error in grub console


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## pos (Mar 10, 2019)

abishai  Your last sentence is what I need help with as there is not much docs about it.


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## abishai (Mar 12, 2019)

Do you have concrete questions ? Abstract one discussed on wiki I've linked. The process is straight forward: you boot your VM to grub console and ls to discover where your kernel is/try to boot it manually using trivial grub commands. like `kernel`/`initrd`. After you figured out the exact commands, you set them in config file to allow VM to boot automatically.

You are out of the luck if you try to boot:

32 bit VM
Modern linux with XFS root.


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## pos (Mar 15, 2019)

abishai  Now I have spent a little more time with bhyve... I have stepped into every whole there is around bhyve 

I have tried to convert a KVM vm (CentOS7 with XFS on /boot)
I have tried to install CentOS7 directly with UEFI and vnc (fails due do bug in CentOS that is fixed in repo.Bugs that other Linux distros does not have...)
I have noted that keymapping is VERY bad in vnc and simpy does not work at all. UNLESS you change client OS keymapping to US. Then it at least can be used.
Have noted that some test installs with grub required me to spend time in grub console
and more...

However....

FreeBSD works flawlessly to install and run with UEFI 
Scentific Linux works  flawlessly to install and run (installed with ext4 on/boot) as it does not have the same bug as CentOS when using UEFI

I find the bhyve a little unpolished compared to KVM... But now I have Linux and FreeBSD working good with vnc console and autoboot. Performance seems  good as well. Think I will move over to bhyve if it also shows to be stable over the upcoming week. 

So... NO. At the moment I have no more concrete questions. But many thanks for spending time answering.

PS
Who is using 32bit vm:s


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