Virtualization doesn’t have to be complicated. While tools like VirtualBox and VMware offer robust features, they can feel heavy or overwhelming when you just want to quickly try a new Linux distro, run an ISO, or create a sandboxed environment. That’s where GNOME Boxes shines—a clean, beginner-friendly virtual machine manager that “just works.”
In this post, you’ll learn how to install and run GNOME Boxes on any Linux distribution, regardless of your desktop environment.
What is GNOME Boxes?
GNOME Boxes is a virtualization tool built for ease of use. It leverages QEMU, KVM, and libvirt behind the scenes to power virtual machines, but offers a modern, intuitive interface.
Perfect for:
- Testing Linux distributions
- Running isolated environments
- Learning and teaching operating systems
- Lightweight virtual machine setups
Installing GNOME Boxes on Linux
Whether you're using GNOME, KDE, MATE, Cinnamon, or any other desktop, GNOME Boxes can be installed easily. Some extra steps might be needed to enable virtualization if your desktop environment doesn’t include it by default.
Step 1: Update Your System
# Debian/Ubuntu-based
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
# Fedora
sudo dnf update -y
# Arch-based
sudo pacman -Syu
Step 2: Install GNOME Boxes
# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install gnome-boxes -y
# Fedora
sudo dnf install gnome-boxes -y
# Arch
sudo pacman -S gnome-boxes
Step 3: Install Virtualization Support (libvirt, QEMU)
GNOME Boxes relies on virtualization packages like libvirt and qemu. If not already installed:
# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install libvirt-daemon-system libvirt-clients -y
# Fedora
sudo dnf install libvirt libvirt-daemon libvirt-daemon-driver-qemu -y
# Arch
sudo pacman -S qemu libvirt edk2-ovmf virt-manager
Step 4: Add User to libvirt Group
To run VMs without root permissions:
sudo usermod -aG libvirt $(whoami)
Then log out and log in again (or reboot) to apply the group change.
Launching GNOME Boxes
You can now launch GNOME Boxes from your applications menu or run:
gnome-boxes
To create a virtual machine:
- Click the “+” button.
- Select an ISO file or choose a recommended OS to download.
- Allocate CPU, RAM, and storage.
- Click Create—your VM will start!
Want the Latest Version? Use Flatpak
If your distribution's version is outdated, Flatpak offers the latest release of GNOME Boxes:
# Install Flatpak (if needed)
sudo apt install flatpak # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo dnf install flatpak # Fedora
sudo pacman -S flatpak # Arch
# Add Flathub and install GNOME Boxes
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
flatpak install flathub org.gnome.Boxes
Then launch it using:
flatpak run org.gnome.Boxes
