Quickemu on Ubuntu: Set Up and Check a Virtual Machine

Updated September 8, 2026 · By Ryan Bold

Quickemu can prepare and launch a Linux virtual machine on an Ubuntu desktop. This walkthrough uses an Ubuntu 24.04 host and an Ubuntu 24.04 guest, so there is one concrete path to follow. The host is your existing computer; the guest is the separate system running in a window.

The useful result is an installed guest that keeps a file after shutdown. A downloaded ISO or a working live desktop is only an intermediate step. These instructions were checked against the project documentation on September 8, 2026; this is a documentation-based walkthrough, not a report of a physical test on every supported PC.

1. Check the host and choose a workspace

Use an Ubuntu desktop with hardware virtualization available. Record the operating-system release, architecture and available resources:

cat /etc/os-release
uname -m
free -h
df -h .
ls -l /dev/kvm

The worked path assumes an x86-64 computer, shown as x86_64. If your machine reports a different architecture, use the project’s instructions for that host rather than assuming the same guest image fits. Missing or inaccessible /dev/kvm is a host issue to resolve before continuing. Do not launch the VM as root to hide an access problem.

The host needs room for both the downloaded image and the guest disk as it grows. Leave memory for your usual desktop applications. If the host is already short of memory or storage, a VM will not fix that shortage.

2. Install Quickemu on the Ubuntu 24.04 host

The project’s Ubuntu installation instructions provide a maintainer PPA and call out an additional SPICE module for Ubuntu 24.04 and later. A PPA is a third-party software source: review its identity and use your organization’s approved process on a managed PC.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install software-properties-common
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:flexiondotorg/quickemu
sudo apt update
apt policy quickemu
sudo apt install quickemu qemu-system-modules-spice
quickemu --version

Read each package transaction before accepting it. If the repository does not support your release, or APT reports no installation candidate, stop rather than substituting a different Ubuntu codename. Newer Ubuntu releases may offer Quickemu in their own repository; the linked installation page distinguishes those routes.

3. Download one guest in a new folder

In your home folder, create a new empty folder named Quickemu-Lab using Files, then open a terminal in that folder. Choose another name if it already exists. The next commands run on the host, not inside a VM:

pwd
df -h .
quickget

Check that the working directory is your new folder and that your installed Quickget lists Ubuntu 24.04. The project’s Linux guest example uses this pair:

quickget ubuntu 24.04
quickemu --vm ubuntu-24.04.conf

Wait for Quickget to finish successfully before launching Quickemu. Quickget retrieves installation media and writes a configuration; Quickemu opens the virtual computer. If a download fails, preserve the error and check the source and free space before repeating it.

4. Install Ubuntu inside the VM window

Keep the initial configuration free of physical-disk passthrough and optional device sharing. Open ubuntu-24.04.conf as text before proceeding: the disk image should be a file in your VM workspace, not a physical device such as /dev/sda. If you cannot identify the disk, stop.

1. In the virtual machine’s Ubuntu installer, choose your language, keyboard and the interactive installation route.
2. Select the normal default application selection for this small practice guest.
3. For this new, disposable VM only, choose Erase disk and install Ubuntu after confirming that the installer is in the VM window and its target is the VM’s virtual disk. Do not apply that choice to your host installer or a VM containing data you need.
4. Create the guest account, choose the time zone and inspect the installation summary before starting.
5. When installation finishes, follow the restart prompt inside the guest. If the installer appears again, check the project’s boot instructions and configuration instead of installing repeatedly.

Ubuntu’s 24.04 installer guide explains the screens. Here, the installation target is the deliberately created virtual disk; you do not need to prepare a bootable USB for the host.

5. Prove that you installed a persistent guest

Inside the installed guest, create a text file containing VM persistence check: blue folder 27. Save it in the guest’s Documents folder, then shut down Ubuntu normally. Back on the host, start the same ubuntu-24.04.conf and reopen the file.

Observation	What it tells you
The file survives a normal shutdown and restart	The selected guest storage preserved that file.
The file disappears and the installer returns	Check whether you used a temporary live session or started another configuration.
The guest works but the host becomes sluggish	Reassess the memory and CPU allocation before adding more workloads.
The configuration exists but the guest data is missing	A configuration file is a recipe, not a backup of its virtual disk.

That test proves a narrow result, not complete hardware compatibility or backup recovery. While the guest is fully shut down, back up its configuration and referenced disk files together. Deleting the VM’s data files deletes the work stored inside it.

Before trying another operating system

A successful Ubuntu guest is a useful starting point for diagnosing host problems. Windows has its own compatibility and activation requirements. macOS licensing depends on the release and permitted hardware; consult Apple’s software licence agreements. Support in a VM utility does not itself grant a licence.

Add optional shared folders or device access only after the basic guest works and you understand the access being granted. For more practice reading command results, use our guided Linux command exercise.

Revision note, September 8, 2026: added a specific Ubuntu installation path and a single persistence check, replacing the earlier general setup outline.