QEMU

QEMU (short for Quick Emulator) is a free and open-source emulator and virtualizer that allows you to run operating systems and applications designed for one architecture (such as x86) on a host system with a different architecture (such as ARM). QEMU can emulate a wide range of hardware, including processors, storage devices, network interfaces, and other peripheral devices.

QEMU can be used in a variety of ways, including as a standalone emulator, a virtual machine monitor, or a machine emulator for hardware testing and development. QEMU works by creating a virtual machine (VM) that emulates the hardware of a computer system. The VM can be configured to have various amounts of RAM, CPU cores, and storage devices. The guest operating system is installed on a virtual hard drive, which is stored as a file on the host system's file system. When the VM is started, QEMU emulates the hardware, and the guest operating system runs as if it were running on physical hardware.

QEMU also includes a range of tools and features that make it useful for virtualization and emulation tasks. For example, it includes the QEMU monitor, a command-line interface that lets you interact with the virtual machine and its hardware. QEMU also supports live migration, which allows you to move a running VM from one host system to another without interrupting its operation.

In addition, QEMU can be used in conjunction with other virtualization technologies, such as KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine), which provides hardware acceleration for the virtualized guest operating system. This combination is commonly used in cloud computing environments to provide a virtualized infrastructure for hosting applications and services.

Pros:

• Free and open-source
• QEMU includes a range of advanced features, such as support for live migration and high availability
• QEMU allows you to configure virtual machines with different amounts of CPU, memory, and storage

Cons:

• Command line install
• QEMU may not be officially supported by all software vendors, especially for enterprise-level use

Link: qemu.org/download/