This script, download_windows_vm.sh, automates the process of downloading a Windows VMware image, converting it to a QEMU/KVM compatible format, and moving the resulting image to a specified directory. It's designed for Ubuntu systems and utilizes qemu-img for conversion.

• Ubuntu or another similar Linux distribution: The script is tailored for Ubuntu but should work on similar systems.
• Sudo privileges: Required for installing packages and moving files to protected directories.
• Internet connection: Necessary for downloading the VMware image and necessary packages.

Install Git: Before cloning the repository, ensure you have Git installed. If not, install it using the following command:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install git

Download the Script: Clone the repository or download the script directly to your desired directory using the following command:

git clone https://github.com/freekvlier/download-windows_vm-kvm-qemu.git

The script should be provided with the destination path for the converted QEMU image. The default location for QEMU images is typically /var/lib/libvirt/images/. Use the script as follows:

sudo ./download_windows_vm.sh /var/lib/libvirt/images/

Replace the path with your specific desired destination if it differs from the default.

• Resulting Path: The first (and only) argument you need to provide is the path where the resulting QEMU image will be stored.

• Automated Download: Downloads the specified VMware image from the provided URL.
• Extraction: Unzips the downloaded VMware image.
• Conversion: Converts the VMware image to a QEMU/KVM compatible .qcow2 format.
• File Cleanup: Removes all intermediate files, leaving only the converted QEMU image.

• Ensure you have sufficient permissions to run the script and write to the destination directory.
• Run the script in a controlled environment first to confirm it behaves as expected.
• Always be cautious when running scripts with sudo or as a root user.

After the Windows VM is set up, you'll need to install Virtio drivers and the QEMU guest agent to ensure optimal performance and functionality. These can be obtained from the following URL:

https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/stable-virtio/virtio-win.iso

Steps to Install Virtio Drivers:

1. Download the Virtio drivers ISO from the link above.
2. Mount the .iso file to your VM as a virtual CD/DVD.
3. Inside the VM, navigate to the mounted CD/DVD drive.
4. Run the appropriate executable files to install the Virtio drivers.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Note: The QEMU guest agent is also included in this ISO and can be installed for enhanced performance and management features.

• VM crashes with a blue screen error ("thread exception not handled"): This issue may arise due to CPU configuration. Try setting the CPU model to "hypervisor default" instead of "host passthrough".

• Permission Issues: If you encounter permission issues, especially when moving the converted image to /var/lib/libvirt/images/, ensure that:

  • You have sudo privileges.
  • The target directory has the correct permissions.
  • Your user is part of the necessary group (commonly libvirt or kvm).

• Package Installation Failures: If the script fails to automatically install required packages, you may need to install them manually. The necessary packages are qemu-utils, unzip, and wget. Install them using:

  sudo apt-get update
  sudo apt-get install qemu-utils unzip wget