@example
$ qemu-system-x86_64 \
-net user -net nic,model=virtio \
- -enable-kvm -m 512 /tmp/qemu-image
+ -enable-kvm -m 512 \
+ -device virtio-blk,drive=myhd \
+ -drive if=none,file=/tmp/qemu-image,id=myhd
@end example
Here is what each of these options means:
RAM available to the guest OS, in mebibytes. Defaults to 128@tie{}MiB,
which may be insufficient for some operations.
-@item /tmp/qemu-image
-The file name of the qcow2 image.
+@item -device virtio-blk,drive=myhd
+Create a @code{virtio-blk} drive called ``myhd''. @code{virtio-blk} is a
+``paravirtualization'' mechanism for block devices that allows QEMU to achieve
+better performance than if it were emulating a complete disk drive. See the
+QEMU and KVM documentation for more info.
+
+@item -drive if=none,file=/tmp/qemu-image,id=myhd
+Use our QCOW image, the @file{/tmp/qemu-image} file, as the backing store the
+the ``myhd'' drive.
@end table
The default @command{run-vm.sh} script that is returned by an invocation of