GNOME Boxes gives you a GNOME desktop interface for creating and running virtual machines. Install it when you need a Linux or Windows guest without changing your current boot setup, then use an ISO image or a supported download inside the app.
What GNOME Boxes runs
Boxes is GNOME’s desktop app for virtual and remote systems, using libvirt and QEMU on a local Linux machine so a guest gets virtual CPU, memory, storage, and networking rather than access to your host installation.
Hardware virtualization support matters for usable guest performance. In a terminal, lscpu can show a Virtualization line when the host exposes that capability, but firmware settings and host hardware still decide whether acceleration is available.
Install GNOME Boxes on Debian and Ubuntu
Debian and Ubuntu provide the package as gnome-boxes, including the libvirt and QEMU components needed for a standard desktop setup.
sudo apt install -y gnome-boxes
Run the version command to confirm that the executable is available.
gnome-boxes --version
Open Boxes from your applications menu after the installation completes. If you use a distribution outside the Debian or Ubuntu family, install the package from its supported software source, or use the GNOME Boxes Flatpak on Flathub.
Create your first virtual machine
Select the plus button in Boxes, then choose an operating system download offered by the app or select an ISO file you already have. Choose Create after reviewing the guest name, memory, and storage allocation.
Boxes starts the guest and presents its installer in a window. Complete the guest installer as you would on a separate computer, then restart the guest when its installer requests it.
Choose storage and memory deliberately
A guest disk is a file on the host, so its allocation competes with your normal files for available storage. Give a desktop Linux guest enough memory to run its desktop, but keep capacity for the host and any other programs you need at the same time.
Open the guest’s properties in Boxes before you begin an installation if you need to adjust memory or disk capacity, because increasing storage becomes more involved after the guest writes its filesystem.
Understand the boundary before you trust a guest
A virtual machine separates its operating system from the host, but it does not remove every host-facing decision. Shared folders, clipboard integration, USB redirection, and network access create deliberate connections between the guest and host.
Use the default isolated setup for unfamiliar ISO files, adding sharing only when the task needs it and keeping updates, disk space, and backups under the guest’s own maintenance plan.
When GNOME Boxes is the right fit
Boxes fits a desktop task where you want to install and open a guest with a small set of controls. Use virt-manager when you need detailed virtual hardware, network, or storage configuration.
The GNOME Boxes app page lists supported operating system downloads and the project-maintained installation route. Start with a small guest, confirm it boots, then increase its resources only when the guest workload requires them.