Xen is an open-source software that allows multiple operating systems to run on the same hardware concurrently. It is a popular choice among users who want to host virtual machines on their systems. In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Xen on the Latest version of nixOS.
Note: This tutorial assumes that you have the latest version of nixOS installed on your system.
Before we proceed with the installation process, let's first update the system packages to the latest version.
sudo nix-channel --update
sudo nixos-rebuild switch
Now that our system is up to date, let's proceed with the installation of Xen. We will start by enabling the Xen hypervisor in the NixOS configuration file.
sudo nano /etc/nixos/configuration.nix
Locate the "boot.loader.grub" section and add the following lines beneath it:
nixpkgs.config.allowUnfree = true;
boot.loader.grub.extraEntries = ''
menuentry "Xen" {
insmod part_gpt
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,gpt2)
multiboot2 /boot/xen.gz console=com1,vga=mode-0x0311
module2 /boot/vmlinuz-linux console=com1,vga=mode-0x0311 root=UUID=f8b7bedc-86ba-4hee-a754-2323ea3b1460 rw xen_blkfront.max=256
module2 /boot/initrd-linux.img
}
'';
boot.loader.grub.version = 2;
Save and exit the file.
Next, update the system again using:
sudo nixos-rebuild switch
Once the system has finished updating, reboot the system using:
reboot
When the system reboots, you can verify that Xen is installed by running the following command:
xl info
This should show you information about the Xen hypervisor and its configuration.
Congratulations, you have successfully installed Xen on nixOS latest! You can now start creating virtual machines with Xen and leverage the power of multiple operating systems running concurrently on your hardware.
If you want to self-host in an easy, hands free way, need an external IP address, or simply want your data in your own hands, give IPv6.rs a try!
Alternatively, for the best virtual desktop, try Shells!
