How to setup files sharing btw Win10 guest and Linux host - KVM/QEMU

sat2022 said:

Hi all,

I have KVM installed on a Linux host and already created a folder, namely KVM_Share, on /Home, of the host for files sharing. Files sharing between Linux guests and Linux host works without problem.

Please advise how to share files between Windows 10 guest and Linux host to a folder created on Windows 10.

I have tried "ext2 Volume Manager" (Win App) but I can't make it to work for files sharing. However I made "ext2 Volume Manager" to work, sharing files on Windows drive with other Linux drives in the same PC.

Please help. Thanks in advance.

Regards

Hi there

@sat2022

First on SAMBA in the Linux systems set the netbios name to computer and ensure the work group is the same name as the Windows machines.

Depending on the Linux distros you might need to set "Min protocol = NT1" in the [globals] section of SAMBA and enable SMB1 on Windows

On the Linux boxes you need to allow access to the shared file -- either add permissions for users -- or if it's just you simply type sudo chown -R <userid> <file name or device name>.

You don't have to use samba - but whether you do or not install openssh server (or whatever its called) and ensure the SSH daemon is running -- might be called sshd -- depends on your Linux distro(s). Using SAMBA though then gives no problems for Windows to read and write Linux formatted drives / folders. You need the SSH daemon for any sort of sensible file sharing and transfers.

A useful GUI tool for file transfer is filezilla-client --- install on both the windows and Linux machines -- it's free and excellent -- beats File explorer any day of the week for this stuff.

Filezilla : (note I'm using Icelandic language on Windows - filezilla will install in your default language -- probably English so no prob there !!!).



another idea is to create some "blk device" mount points e.g /mnt/DV0, /mnt/DV1 etc and then allow access by users or you if the only user. Then you can mount a device (with any file system) on it and have it shared -- sudo mount /dev/xxx -t auto -o rw /mnt/DV0 etc. If you also allocate these in SAMBA sharing section you can then stream data or whatever to remote devices including TV's phones etc.

Ensure also in Windows network discovery is enabled.

For the LINUX machines to read Windows files you need to ensure package ntfs-3g is installed.

Here's a windows machine with access to Linux (machine Wulf)



File system on Linux is XFS but with SAMBA Windows has no problems reading / writing to the shared drive (RAID 0 20 TB of data space).

some entries from SAMBA (/etc/smb.conf)

[global]
min protocol = NT1
# can set it to SMB2 if you want experimental SMB2 support.
#
workgroup = VIKINGURS <=== ensure workgroup name is common across your network
netbios name = wulf <========= computer host name of linux server
server string = Samba Server Version %v

in the sharing section :


[homes]
comment = Home Directories
browseable = yes
writable = yes
valid users = %S

[printers]
comment = All Printers
path = /var/spool/samba
browseable = no
guest ok = no
writable = no
printable = yes

[HDD0]
comment HDD0
path = /mnt/DV0
guest ok = yes
writeable = yes
browseable = yes

[HDD1]
comment HDD1
path = /mnt/DV1
guest ok = yes
writeable = yes
browseable = yes

[HDD2]
comment HDD2
path = /mnt/DV2
guest ok = yes
writeable = yes
browseable = yes

[HDD3]
comment HDD3
path = /mnt/DV3
guest ok = yes
writeable = yes
browseable = yes

[HDD4]
comment HDD4
path = /mnt/DV4
guest ok = yes
writeable = yes
browseable = yes

on Windows or example as you saw on the screenshot above the shared drive is HDD2 which is [HDD2] in the shared folders.
(You might want to add some extra security but I'm using a HOME LAN where this stuff is only shared internally so not bothered).

BTW this also works on W11 -- running on the insider preview version of W11. Same considerations as per W10.

Finally you will probably need to set up some bridging rather than NAT so you can access the machine on the network

1) create an Isolated network on the Host say in /tmp/isolated.xml (XML file) -- give it a fixed IP address e.g as shown.

<network>
<name>isolated</name>
<ip address="192.168.254.1" netmask="255.255.255.0"> ===== Your VM will use this addr 192.168.254.1 for accessing the Host
<dhcp>
<range start="192.168.254.2" end="192.168.254.254"/>
</dhcp>
</ip>
</network>

2) define it via virsh net-define
root@hestur hrafn]# virsh net-define /tmp/isolated.xml you should see response : Network isolated defined from /tmp/isolated.xml


3)auto start it and also start it (virsh-net start)
[root@hestur hrafn]# virsh net-autostart isolated response from console should be : Network isolated marked as autostarted

4) in the Virtual Machines configuration :
a) Ist Nic define as Host device <nic interface e'g ethx or empxx or whatever>:macvtap source mode bridge

b) add in the VM a second NIC defined as Virtual network <name --in my case isolated> device model virtio

5) start guest

6) Host will be accessible always as 192.168.254.1

Works fine for Windows VM's on Arch and Fedora. Should also work if the real NIC is a wifi card too. Should also work on any other Linux distro that supports KVM/QEMU Virtual Machines e.g OPENSUSE / LINUX MINT / UBUNTU/DEBIAN.

The XML generated file will look something like this for NIC 2 --depending on your hardware --this is generated automatically if everything is setup correctly.

<interface type="network">
<mac address="52:54:00:b0:3c:94"/>
<source network="isolated" portid="4afe495d-53a4-49fa-84e1-85d5c658bf78" bridge="virbr0"/>
<target dev="vnet0"/>
<model type="virtio"/>
<alias name="net0"/>
<address type="pci" domain="0x0000" bus="0x01" slot="0x00" function="0x0"/>
</interface>

If you've done it correctly you should see as the output on the host of ifconfig (or equivalent command) the network virbr1 at the bottom of the screenshot with IP address 192.168.254.1 which is what the Windows VM will use to access the Host. (Note the VM can access other machines on Lan / Internet in the normal way - this is only for the VM to get HOST access).


Cheers
jimbo

@sat2022

Did you try on your Linux Host in order for Windows Guest and Linux HOST communication when using KVM/QEMU do the following :

1) create an Isolated network on the Host say in /tmp/isolated.xml (XML file) -- give it a fixed IP address e.g as shown.

<network>
<name>isolated</name>
<ip address="192.168.254.1" netmask="255.255.255.0"> ===== Your VM will use this addr 192.168.254.1 for accessing the Host
<dhcp>
<range start="192.168.254.2" end="192.168.254.254"/>
</dhcp>
</ip>
</network>

2) define it via virsh net-define
root@hestur hrafn]# virsh net-define /tmp/isolated.xml

you should see response : Network isolated defined from /tmp/isolated.xml


3)auto start it and also start it (virsh-net start)
[root@hestur hrafn]# virsh net-autostart isolated response from console should be : Network isolated marked as autostarted



4) in the Virtual Machines configuration :
a) Ist Nic define as Host device <nic interface e'g ethx or empxx or whatever>:macvtap source mode bridge

b) add in the VM a second NIC defined as Virtual network <name --in my case isolated> device model virtio

5) start guest

6) Host will be accessible always as 192.168.254.1

Works fine for Windows VM's on Arch and Fedora. Should also work if the real NIC is a wifi card too. Should also work on any other Linux distro that supports KVM/QEMU Virtual Machines e.g OPENSUSE / LINUX MINT / UBUNTU/DEBIAN.

The XML generated file will look something like this for NIC 2 --depending on your hardware --this is generated automatically if everything is setup correctly.

<interface type="network">
<mac address="52:54:00:b0:3c:94"/>
<source network="isolated" portid="4afe495d-53a4-49fa-84e1-85d5c658bf78" bridge="virbr0"/>
<target dev="vnet0"/>
<model type="virtio"/>
<alias name="net0"/>
<address type="pci" domain="0x0000" bus="0x01" slot="0x00" function="0x0"/>
</interface>

If you've done it correctly you should see as the output on the host of ifconfig or ip -c a (or equivalent command) the network virbr1 at the bottom of the screenshot with IP address 192.168.254.1 which is what the Windows VM will use to access the Host. (Note the VM can access other machines on Lan / Internet in the normal way - this is only for the VM to get HOST access).



On Linux BTW if you have a GUI / desktop manager e.g KDE/GNOME/MINT etc then install virt-manager as it makes configuring the VM's a doddle.

One problem with KVM/QEMU VM's is that using WIFI to share between guest and Host (although the Guest can use Wifi for accessing Internet but not the host) is still "hit and miss" depending on your Wifi adapter.

You are better to use a wired connection - or even a USB->LAN connection. You can then route that connection into a cheap switch which can be plugged in to a wireless extender if you don't have easy access to run LAN cables to a router.

To mega increase the performance of the Windows Guest install the virtio drivers on the Windows guest -- download the ISO from the fedora site or git hub , attach to guest and install. The disks should also be formatted as raw rather than the default as well.

WindowsGuestDrivers/Download Drivers - KVM

easier : virtio-win-pkg-scripts/README.md at master . virtio-win/virtio-win-pkg-scripts . GitHub

These act as per vmware-tools in vmware or guest-additions in VBOX. Improves Video, has faster network and enables windows to use virtio for disks etc.

Cheers
jimbo

sat2022 said:

Perfored the steps as root

$ su -
Password:

# nano /tmp/isolated.xml
copy following content on it

Code:

<network>
<name>isolated</name>
<ip address="192.168.254.1" netmask="255.255.255.0"> ===== Your VM will use this addr 192.168.254.1 for accessing the Host
<dhcp>
<range start="192.168.254.2" end="192.168.254.254"/>
</dhcp>
</ip>
</network>

# virsh net-define /tmp/isolated.xml

Code:

Network isolated defined from /tmp/isolated.xml

# virsh net-autostart isolated

Code:

Network isolated marked as autostarted

On Virt-Manager
(Windows 10 guest)
There is only one NIC (NIC:6a:d1:30)
(pls refer to screenshot)

Please advise how to add 2nd NIC

I have tried -> Add Hardware
but can't find a solution.

Thanks

Regards

Hi there

@sat2022

Delete the NAT NIC, add the ISOLATED and MACVTAP NIC's.

Add your "Isolated" Network




Add the 2nd NIC from the dropdown as a Macvtap device with the name of the REAL interface which you find from using command ip -c a

In my case it's interface nr 3 (I also have wifi Nic on this machine but for this purpose I don't use it)



In the config (via the virtual machine manager) add this as a MACVTAP device via the dropdown using the interface (real) on your HOST -- nr 3 on mine from the console image above



depending on your Linux distro it might also ask for MODE -- in which case use BRIDGED. On Arch Linux which is what I'm using as HOST it's not required.

Note this NiC is required for the VM to have Internet and rest of your network / LAN access but doesn't have HOST communication --that's the point of the other NIC (Virtual) so that there's now complete communication on the network.

Host access from the Windows GUEST will be via 192.168.254.1 in this case if you are using my example. You can make it any accessible "Subnet".

So on Windows you can share with the HOST via address 192.168.254.1 (You will need to use this address as NETBIOS won't be available for resolve by name unless you do a lot of fiddling around -- not worth it on a HOME LAN).



If you downloaded the Windows VIRTIO ISO you can also use virtio for the NIC I/O. Using the Virtual INTEL NIC e1000e is good enough though. You'll also get better video if you install the qxl driver on the Guest for the display adapter and set the video driver to qxl in the VM config. The latest ISO has both W10 and W11 Windows drivers.

Cheers
jimbo