What it is
GNOME Boxes creates and runs virtual machines: whole computers running inside a window. Pick an operating system from its list and Boxes downloads it, or point it at an ISO file. It uses QEMU and KVM underneath, the same virtualization Linux servers use, but hides the details.
Why it’s here
- Try before you install. Test another Linux distribution without touching your disk.
- A clean test machine. Check software or a website on a fresh system, then throw it away.
- Simple. Sensible defaults and a short setup instead of pages of options.
On CoreDesktop
Boxes is installed from Flathub. Open it from the app menu. Virtual machines need virtualization turned on in your computer’s firmware settings. The Flatpak update keeps Boxes current.