Creating Virtual Machines

QB-VM-004 Rev 1.0

This chapter details how to create a VM, what each option means, and how to change a VM's configuration after it exists.

The Create Virtual Machine Dialog #

Click New to open the dialog. Its fields:

FieldDescription
NameA display name for the VM (required).
Operating SystemThe guest OS. Selecting one applies a preset (see Operating System Presets).
ProcessorsNumber of virtual CPU cores: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, or 16.
MemoryRAM assigned to the guest: 512 MB up to 32 GB.
Hard Disk SizeVirtual disk size: 8 to 500 GB. The disk grows on demand (it is sparse).
Installation Media (ISO)Optional path to an ISO to boot and install from.
PQC Disk EncryptionEncrypt the disk with AES-256-GCM + ML-KEM-768. Enabled by default.
Unattended InstallationOptionally auto-install the OS with preset credentials (see Unattended Installation).
Memory guidance: assign enough RAM for the guest OS but leave plenty for the host. A good rule is to keep total assigned guest memory below half of host RAM unless you know the guests are idle.

Operating System Presets #

Choosing an OS auto-fills CPU, memory, and disk with values suited to that system. You can override any of them before clicking Create.

OSDefault vCPUDefault RAMDefault Disk
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS24096 MB25 GB
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS24096 MB25 GB
Fedora24096 MB30 GB
Debian 1222048 MB20 GB
Arch Linux22048 MB20 GB
Kali Linux24096 MB40 GB
Rocky Linux 922048 MB20 GB
AlmaLinux 922048 MB20 GB
FreeBSD 1422048 MB20 GB
Windows 1024096 MB50 GB
Windows 1148192 MB80 GB
Windows Server 202248192 MB100 GB
Windows Server 202548192 MB100 GB
macOS Ventura 1348192 MB80 GB
macOS Sonoma 1448192 MB80 GB
macOS Sequoia 1548192 MB80 GB

The OS type also informs guest-tuned defaults such as the recommended firmware and device models. macOS and Windows guests have additional host and licensing requirements. See The ISO Library.

Unattended Installation #

Tick Unattended Installation to have QuantaBox generate install automation so the OS sets itself up without manual clicking:

  • Username / Password: the first user account created in the guest.
  • Hostname: the guest's computer name (auto-derived from the VM name if blank).

Under the hood, QuantaBox builds the right automation for the guest family:

  • Linux guests: a cloud-init datasource (meta-data, user-data, network-config) on a small ISO labelled cidata. It creates your user with sudo access, sets the locale/timezone/hostname, enables DHCP on the virtio NIC, and installs the guest agent.
  • Windows guests: an autounattend.xml on a virtual floppy that partitions the disk, creates your user, enables auto-logon, and bypasses the out-of-box setup screens.

See Architecture for details on the generated artifacts.

VM Settings Sections #

After creation, open a VM's Settings to adjust its hardware. Settings are grouped:

SectionWhat You Configure
GeneralName, description, and encryption status.
SystemCPU cores, memory, CPU usage cap, nested virtualization, and boot order.
DisplayVideo memory, monitor count, scale, graphics controller (VirtIO-GPU), 3D acceleration, and remote display.
StorageAttached disks: path, size, format, and bus/controller.
AudioEnable audio and pick a controller.
NetworkPer-adapter mode (NAT/Bridged/Host-Only/Internal), NIC model, MAC, and cable state. See Networking.
Serial PortsOptional virtual serial port.
USBEnable USB and choose the controller version (xHCI 3.0 / EHCI 2.0). See Shared Folders and USB.
Shared FoldersMap host directories into the guest. See Shared Folders and USB.
Most settings can only be changed while the VM is stopped. Start/stop the VM around configuration changes.

The VM Lifecycle #

A VM moves between three states:

        start                pause
Stopped --------> Running ----------> Paused
   ^                |  ^                 |
   |     stop       |  +-----resume-----+
   +----------------+

Control these from the toolbar, the right-click menu, or the CLI:

ActionGUICLI
StartStartquantabox start <vm>
Graceful stopStopquantabox stop <vm>
Force stopStop (force)quantabox stop <vm> --force
PausePausequantabox pause <vm>
ResumeResumequantabox resume <vm>
ResetResetquantabox stop <vm> then start

Cloning, Exporting, and Deleting #

  • Clone: copy a VM (config + disks) under a new name. GUI: right-click, then Clone. CLI: quantabox clone <source> --name <new-name>. Cloning requires the source to be stopped.
  • Export: package a VM to share or archive. See Backup, Export and Import.
  • Delete: permanently remove a VM. GUI: right-click, then Delete (with confirmation). CLI: quantabox delete <vm> (add --delete-disks to remove disk images too).
Warning: Deleting a VM is irreversible. Take a snapshot or export first if you might need it again.

Next #

Continue to Storage and Disks to understand disk formats and how to add, resize, or convert virtual disks.

← Getting Started Storage and Disks →