# Install virt-manager with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper App for managing virtual machines. Version 5.1.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-05. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:virt-manager ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install virt-manager ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install virt-manager ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: gnome/virt-manager/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add virt-install ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: virt-install from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install virt-install ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: virt-install from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install virt-install ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: virt-install from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#virt-manager ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/vi/virt-manager/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S virt-manager ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: virt-manager from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - Ubuntu apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install virt-manager ``` Evidence: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: virt-manager from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install virt-install ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: virt-install from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:virt-manager - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 5.1.0 - **Source summary:** App for managing virtual machines - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-05T04:22:29Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - virt-clone (cli) - virt-install (cli) - virt-manager (cli) - virt-xml (cli) - virt-clone (alias) - virt-install (alias) - virt-manager (alias) - virt-xml (alias) ## Dependencies - adwaita-icon-theme - certifi - cpio - gtk-vnc - gtksourceview4 - libosinfo - libvirt-glib - libvirt-python - osinfo-db - py3cairo - pygobject3 - python@3.14 - spice-gtk - vte3 ## Build dependencies - docutils - gettext - meson - ninja - pkgconf ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on all ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 5.1.0 - Package-manager updated: 2026-07-05 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://virt-manager.org/ - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage Virtual Machine Manager, usually called virt-manager, is a desktop application and command-line tool suite for managing virtual machines through libvirt. It primarily targets QEMU/KVM, while also supporting Xen and libvirt LXC containers, and it ships tools such as virt-install, virt-clone, and virt-xml. ### Project history virt-manager emerged as a GTK desktop management layer over libvirt in the mid-2000s; its NEWS file marks 0.1.2 as the first public release. Early releases focused on Xen/libvirt management, graphical consoles, DBus behavior, translations, inactive domain management, and then QEMU/KVM support in 0.3.1 once the libvirt QEMU driver was available. The 0.5.0 and 0.6.x releases made virt-manager a stronger remote administration tool by adding multi-host views, SSH/TLS remote connections, GTK-VNC console replacement, remote storage management, and remote installation workflows. From 2009 through 2011, releases added clone and migration wizards, interface and storage management, SPICE support, USB redirection, LXC wizard support, and deeper hardware editing. The 0.10.0 release in June 2013 was a major internal transition: virt-manager merged code with python-virtinst, stopped treating virtinst as a public API, ported from GTK2 to GTK3, moved from gconf to gsettings, removed the text UI, and dropped HAL support. Version 1.0.0 followed in February 2014 with snapshots, the new virt-xml tool, better defaults, and more XML-backed hardware features. The project moved Git hosting to GitHub in the 1.3.0 cycle in 2015. Later milestones include the Python 3 port in 2.0.0 in 2018, the 3.0.0 cleanup in 2020 that removed virt-convert and expanded cloud-init/unattended install support, the 4.0.0 series in 2022 with stronger UEFI/virtiofs/TPM defaults, and the 5.x series in 2024-2025 with Meson build migration, HVF support, external snapshots, TDX support, and expanded architecture/device coverage. ### Adoption history virt-manager became the familiar graphical front end for libvirt on Linux distributions because it sits at the same abstraction layer administrators use for QEMU/KVM domains: connections, domains, storage pools, networks, consoles, snapshots, hardware devices, and install workflows. Its website explicitly points users to distribution packages for Fedora, Debian, Gentoo, and OpenBSD, reflecting the project's long history as distro infrastructure rather than a single-vendor GUI. The companion tools have become as important as the GUI. virt-install is commonly used in scripts and documentation to provision libvirt guests, virt-clone duplicates inactive guests, and virt-xml edits libvirt domain XML using virt-install-style options. That split lets the project serve both desktop users and automation-oriented administrators. ### How it is used Typical GUI use starts by connecting to a local or remote libvirt daemon, viewing running domains and resource graphs, creating VMs through a wizard, adjusting CPU/memory/storage/network/video devices, and opening an embedded VNC or SPICE console. Typical CLI use creates or modifies domains with virt-install and virt-xml, then manages the resulting guests through libvirt-compatible tools. virt-manager's package-nerd niche is that it packages a user-friendly face for libvirt without hiding the underlying libvirt model. Over time it has tracked changes in QEMU/KVM, libosinfo, UEFI, TPM, SPICE, virtio devices, cloud-init, non-x86 architectures, and libvirt XML, making it a practical compatibility bridge between virtual-machine theory and day-to-day host administration. ### Timeline - 0.1.2: First public release, according to NEWS.md. - 0.3.1: QEMU/KVM management support was added through the libvirt QEMU backend. - 2008-09: Version 0.6.0 added remote storage management and remote VM installation support. - 2011-01: Version 0.8.6 added SPICE support. - 2013-06: Version 0.10.0 merged with python-virtinst and ported from GTK2 to GTK3. - 2014-02: Version 1.0.0 added snapshot support and introduced virt-xml. - 2015-11: Version 1.3.0 moved Git hosting to GitHub. - 2018-10: Version 2.0.0 completed the Python 3 port. - 2020-09: Version 3.0.0 added cloud-init support and removed virt-convert. - 2022-03: Version 4.0.0 made osinfo a harder requirement for most virt-install cases and expanded UEFI/virtiofs/TPM defaults. - 2024-11: Version 5.0.0 switched the build to Meson and added HVF, external snapshots, and loongarch support. - 2025-08: Version 5.1.0 added TDX VM creation support and further device/architecture improvements. ### Related projects - virt-manager is built around libvirt and commonly manages QEMU/KVM guests, while also supporting Xen and LXC. It is adjacent to virt-viewer, virt-install, virt-clone, virt-xml, libosinfo, SPICE, VNC, and the broader Linux virtualization stack. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal. - **Geiger risk:** orange / medium - infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** virt-manager - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 5 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - virt-install - 1:5.0.0-5+deb13u1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: virt-install from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | utilities to create and edit virtual machines | https://virt-manager.org/ - Debian apt - virt-manager - 1:5.0.0-5+deb13u1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: virt-manager from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | desktop application for managing virtual machines | https://virt-manager.org/ - Debian apt - virtinst - 1:5.0.0-5+deb13u1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: virtinst from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | transitional dummy package for virt-install | https://virt-manager.org/ - Nix - virt-manager: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/vi/virt-manager/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - virt-manager - 1:4.1.0-3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: virt-manager from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | desktop application for managing virtual machines | https://virt-manager.org/ - Ubuntu apt - virtinst - 1:4.1.0-3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: virtinst from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | utilities to create and edit virtual machines | https://virt-manager.org/ - apk - virt-install - 5.1.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: virt-install from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Utilities for installing virtual machines | https://virt-manager.org/ - apk - virt-manager - 5.1.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: virt-manager from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | GUI for managing virtual machines | https://virt-manager.org/ - apk - virt-manager-bash-completion - 5.1.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: virt-manager-bash-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Bash completions for virt-manager | https://virt-manager.org/ - apk - virt-manager-common - 5.1.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: virt-manager-common from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Common files used by virt-manager and virt-install | https://virt-manager.org/ - apk - virt-manager-doc - 5.1.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: virt-manager-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | GUI for managing virtual machines (documentation) | https://virt-manager.org/ - apk - virt-manager-lang - 5.1.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: virt-manager-lang from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Languages for package virt-manager | https://virt-manager.org/ - dnf - virt-install - 5.1.0-4.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: virt-install from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Utilities for installing virtual machines | https://virt-manager.org/ - dnf - virt-manager - 5.1.0-4.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: virt-manager from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Desktop tool for managing virtual machines via libvirt | https://virt-manager.org/ - dnf - virt-manager-common - 5.1.0-4.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: virt-manager-common from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Common files used by the different Virtual Machine Manager interfaces | https://virt-manager.org/ - pacman - virt-manager - 5.1.0-3: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: virt-manager from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Desktop user interface for managing virtual machines | https://virt-manager.org/ ## Related links - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [cpio](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cpio/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gtk-vnc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gtk-vnc/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [libosinfo](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libosinfo/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [docutils](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/docutils/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gettext](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gettext/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [meson](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/meson/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [ninja](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ninja/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [lume](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lume/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, virtualization. - [nemu](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/nemu/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, virtualization. - [osinfo-db-tools](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/osinfo-db-tools/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, virtualization. - [qemu](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/qemu/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, virtualization. - [vmdktool](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/vmdktool/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, virtualization. - [lima](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lima/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, virtualization. - [rvvm](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/rvvm/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, virtualization. - [czkawka](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/czkawka/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: adwaita, adwaita-icon-theme, cli, glib, gui. - [meta-package-manager](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/meta-package-manager/) - Both packages touch the same language runtime or ecosystem. Shared terms: certifi, cli, management, manager, python. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/virt-manager.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/virt-manager.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph