virt-manager VS FreeRDP

Compare virt-manager vs FreeRDP and see what are their differences.

virt-manager

Desktop tool for managing virtual machines via libvirt (by virt-manager)
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virt-manager FreeRDP
114 66
2,118 10,066
2.5% 2.3%
8.6 9.9
7 days ago 8 days ago
Python C
GNU General Public License v3.0 only Apache License 2.0
The number of mentions indicates the total number of mentions that we've tracked plus the number of user suggested alternatives.
Stars - the number of stars that a project has on GitHub. Growth - month over month growth in stars.
Activity is a relative number indicating how actively a project is being developed. Recent commits have higher weight than older ones.
For example, an activity of 9.0 indicates that a project is amongst the top 10% of the most actively developed projects that we are tracking.

virt-manager

Posts with mentions or reviews of virt-manager. We have used some of these posts to build our list of alternatives and similar projects. The last one was on 2024-04-16.
  • Reproducing the printer hack of Windows 95
    3 projects | news.ycombinator.com | 16 Apr 2024
    It's still being updated. I don't see anything on the virt-manager homepage or GitHub that would suggest it is deprecated.

    https://virt-manager.org/

    https://github.com/virt-manager/virt-manager

    It can't do literally everything Qemu/libvirt can do using only the UI, but given that it has escape hatches to directly edit libvirt configurations, and libvirt has escape hatches to directly pass arguments to Qemu, there's very little you can't do with it.

  • Proxmox VE: Import Wizard for Migrating VMware ESXi VMs
    4 projects | news.ycombinator.com | 27 Mar 2024
    I would love to see a serious comparison (features & performance) between VMWare ESXi, Proxmox VE and let's say a more stock RHEL or Ubuntu. And maybe even include FreeBSD/bhyve.

    Because yes, in terms of core functionality it should be in the same ballpark. And in terms of UI, Virtual Machine Manager [0] was not that bad.

    [0] https://virt-manager.org/

  • Manage virtual machines with virt-manager
    1 project | news.ycombinator.com | 30 Jan 2024
  • Quickemu: Quickly run optimised Windows, macOS and Linux virtual machines
    5 projects | news.ycombinator.com | 30 Jan 2024
    Shout out to https://virt-manager.org/ - works much better for me, supports running qemu on remote systems via ssh. I used to use this all the time for managing bunches of disparate vm hosts and local vms.
  • Oracle data base
    2 projects | /r/Fedora | 10 Dec 2023
    If not, I would just run a CentOS Stream 8 virtual machine using either GNOME Boxes or virt-manager, and set up networking and ssh so you can access the database from the host.
  • Can i run fortnite on Linux??
    1 project | /r/linux_gaming | 6 Dec 2023
    https://virt-manager.org/ <- Recommend this as Front-end
  • Cockpit: Web-based graphical interface for servers
    4 projects | news.ycombinator.com | 15 Oct 2023
    I'd say it is half-baked webmin. You can only use it with NetworkManager, and if you have an even remotely complex network setup for VMs, NetworkManager usually must be turned off, which makes Cockpit practically unusable. virt-manager [1] is way more powerful for those who like managing VMs with GUI.

    [1] https://virt-manager.org/

  • Failed to acquire pid file : /var/local/run/libvirt/qemu/driver.pid
    2 projects | /r/kvm | 28 Aug 2023
    $ apt build-dep libvirt $ git clone https://github.com/libvirt/libvirt.git Cloning into 'libvirt'... $ cd libvirt $ meson setup build $ ninja -C build $ ninja -C build install $ which virsh /usr/local/bin/virsh $ which libvirtd /usr/local/sbin/libvirtd $ apt install libgtk-3-dev libpulse-dev libgbm-dev libspice-protocol-dev \ libspice-server-dev libusb-1.0-0-dev libepoxy-dev libfdt-dev $ git clone -b v5.1.0 http://git.qemu.org/qemu.git $ cd qemu-v5.1.0 $ git submodule add -f https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/utils/dtc/dtc.git dtc $ ./configure --disable-werror --target-list=arm-softmmu \ --enable-opengl --enable-gtk --enable-kvm --enable-guest-agent \ --enable-spice --audio-drv-list="oss pa" --enable-libusb \ --enable-trace-backend=simple --enable-debug $ make $ make install $ git clone https://github.com/virt-manager/virt-manager.git $ apt install gobject-introspection libosinfo-1.0-0 libosinfo-1.0-dev \ gir1.2-libosinfo-1.0 libvirt-glib-1.0-dev $ cd virt-manager $ ./setup.py configure --prefix=/usr/local $ sudo ./setup.py install $ sudo usermod -a -G libvirt root $ sudo usermod -a -G libvirtd root $ sudo usermod -a -G libvirt-qemu libvirt-qemu $ sudo usermod -a -G libvirt marietto $ sudo adduser libvirt-qemu $ sudo groupadd --system libvirt $ sudo groupadd --system libvirt-qemu $ sudo newgrp libvirt-qemu $ newgrp libvirt $ /usr/local/sbin# libvirtd & [1] 2875 $ /usr/local/sbin# virtqemud & info : libvirt version: 9.7.0 info : hostname: chromarietto error : virPidFileAcquirePathFull:409 Failed to acquire pid file : /var/local/run/libvirt/qemu/driver.pid Resource temporarily unavailable error : virStateInitialize:672 : Initialization of QEMU state driver failed Failed to acquire pid file : /var/local/run/libvirt/qemu/driver.pid Resource temporarily unavailable error : daemonRunStateInit:617 : Driver state initialization failed $ /usr/local/sbin# ps ax | grep libvirt 2875 pts/0 Sl 0:00 libvirtd $ /usr/local/sbin# ps ax | grep virtqemu nothing If I do the opposite way : $ /usr/local/sbin# virtqemud & $ /usr/local/sbin# ps ax | grep virtqemu 3041 pts/0 Sl 0:00 virtqemud $ /usr/local/sbin# libvirtd & info : libvirt version: 9.7.0 info : hostname: chromarietto error : virPidFileAcquirePathFull:409 Failed to acquire pid file : /var/local/run/libvirt/qemu/driver.pid Resource temporarily unavailable virStateInitialize:672 : Initialization of QEMU state driver failed Failed to acquire pid file : /var/local/run/libvirt/qemu/driver.pid Resource temporarily unavailable daemon RunStateInit:617 : Driver state initialization failed $ /usr/local/sbin# ps ax | grep virtqemu 3041 pts/0 Sl 0:00 virtqemud $ /usr/local/sbin# ps ax | grep libvirt nothing
  • Issue Testing hyperland in virt-manger
    1 project | /r/NixOS | 14 Aug 2023
    I want to test Hyprland with NixOS in a VM using Virt-Manager (https://virt-manager.org/) on Arch Linux host before installing it on my machine.
  • We Replaced Firecracker with QEMU
    5 projects | news.ycombinator.com | 10 Jul 2023

FreeRDP

Posts with mentions or reviews of FreeRDP. We have used some of these posts to build our list of alternatives and similar projects. The last one was on 2023-12-11.
  • FreeRDP 3.2.0
    1 project | news.ycombinator.com | 19 Jan 2024
  • Windows App Virtualization
    2 projects | /r/linuxquestions | 11 Dec 2023
    #======================================================================== # NAME: run1in.sh # # PURPOSE: # # Login to Windows and Execute a Remote App to display on your # Linux Desktop using the Linux application called "freerdp" with: # # Since we are "localized" (Host to Container on the Host) we ignore # (re "don't use" RDP normal "certificate" authentication. # #------------------------------------------------------------- # xfreerdp command line options used are: # # (bpp:32) 32 bits per pixel (ie display resolution) # # a dynamic remote desktop "window" that's can be # resized/minimized/maximized on your Linux Desktop # # There are 2 Prerequisites for use of this script: # # 1) You have installed freerdp on your Linux Host # $ sudo apt install freerdp2-x11 -y # -or- # $ sudo apt install freerdp2-wayland -y # # 2) You have created a folder named "shared-folder" on your Linux # Host # example: $ mkdir /home/yourID/shared-folder # # You will use that folder to for exchange of files to/from your # Linux "/home/yourID/shared-folder" and the "Windows" system # you are connecting to! # # On Windows you have to click on "Network" to see the # "shared-folder" to copy/cut&paste/rename files to/from your # Linux Host's "shared-folder" /home/yourID/shared-folder # # Enable use of Clipboard to/from Windows and the Linux Host # # Enable Sound using currently utilizing Pulseaudio on the Linux Host as # neither XRDP or freerdp support/implement Pipewire yet. # # On login to Windows execute the Explorer.exe application which you had # previously setup as a Windows "Remote App" using Kim Knight's awesome # "RemoteAppTool" Windows native application (its on Github). # # On xfreerdp login to Windows the "Remote App".. Window's "Explorer.exe" # will start-up and be presented to the Linux Desktop User as # just another Linux Desktop application's "window". So you will see # Window's "Explorer.exe" presented which you can resize, minimize or # maximize --- or copy files to/from Windows & your Linux Host # /home/yourID/shared-folder # #--------- # NOTE #--------- # There are many more "xfreerdp" command options available: # # see: https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/wiki/CommandLineInterface # # One in particular is can be very useful: # "printer:," : Redirect a specific printer from your # Linux Host to your xfreerdp Windows Desktop "session" so you can print # from Windows to your local Linux attached Printer. #========================================================================
  • FreeRDP 3.0.0-C0
    1 project | news.ycombinator.com | 27 Nov 2023
  • FreeRDP: A remote desktop protocol implementation
    1 project | /r/hypeurls | 1 Oct 2023
  • FreeRDP: A Remote Desktop Protocol Implementation
    10 projects | news.ycombinator.com | 28 Sep 2023
  • ⟳ 4 apps added, 121 updated at f-droid.org
    24 projects | /r/FDroidUpdates | 15 Sep 2023
    aFreeRDP (version 2.11.0): FreeRDP is a free remote desktop protocol client
  • FYI stylus's work through Windows Remote Desktop. Also have WIP on freerdp for linux to windows remote stylus-ing, but needs more dev work (help?)
    1 project | /r/stylus | 5 Jul 2023
    On the linux side, recently I hacked on freerdp to get basic pen & eraser functionality working from the X11 client to be able to remote from linux to windows: https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/pull/9080
  • Windows Server Admin Center
    2 projects | /r/sysadmin | 5 Jun 2023
    Our Linux and Mac users have long used RDP to log into Windows. That's largely obsolete, so the plan is for the remaining Windows to be Infrastructure-as-Code via DSC.
  • How Complicated Are RemoteApps?
    1 project | /r/sysadmin | 20 May 2023
    FreeRDP has had RemoteApp support for a long time. I'd try out that client and see if you could get debugging messages -- or possibly it might just work? They have documentation on the protocol, and pointers to Microsoft's documentation.
  • RDP Server for Mac? Looking for a way to control my MAC from my Windows machine (No VNC)
    3 projects | /r/MacOS | 9 May 2023
    For Linux there is XRDP as well as FreeRDP https://www.freerdp.com both open sourced recreations of the original RDP standard and available for Operating Systems like Linux.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing virt-manager and FreeRDP you can also consider the following projects:

QEMU - Official QEMU mirror. Please see https://www.qemu.org/contribute/ for how to submit changes to QEMU. Pull Requests are ignored. Please only use release tarballs from the QEMU website.

Remmina - Mirror of https://gitlab.com/Remmina/Remmina The GTK+ Remmina Remote Desktop Client

quickemu - Quickly create and run optimised Windows, macOS and Linux desktop virtual machines.

xrdp - xrdp: an open source RDP server

docker-libvirtd

Remmina

sway - i3-compatible Wayland compositor

wayvnc - A VNC server for wlroots based Wayland compositors

cloud-hypervisor - A Virtual Machine Monitor for modern Cloud workloads. Features include CPU, memory and device hotplug, support for running Windows and Linux guests, device offload with vhost-user and a minimal compact footprint. Written in Rust with a strong focus on security.

libvncserver - LibVNCServer/LibVNCClient are cross-platform C libraries that allow you to easily implement VNC server or client functionality in your program.

lutris - Lutris desktop client

xpra - Persistent remote applications for X11; screen sharing for X11, MacOS and MSWindows.