The project QEMU 11.0.0 has been released. QEMU, as an emulator, allows users to run programs compiled for one hardware platform on a system with a different architecture. For example, it enables running an ARM application on an x86-compatible PC. In virtualization mode, QEMU achieves high performance in executing code in an isolated environment by directly executing instructions on the CPU and utilizing the Xen hypervisor, KVM module in Linux, or NVMM module in NetBSD.
The project was initially developed by Fabrice Bellard to enable running Linux executable files compiled for the x86 platform on non-x86 architectures. Over the years, support for full emulation was expanded to include 14 hardware architectures and over 400 emulated hardware devices. For the preparation of version 11.0.0, over 2,500 changes were made by 237 developers.
Key improvements in QEMU 11.0 include:
- Support for 32-bit host systems, deprecated in the previous version, has been removed. This release also dropped support for i386, arm, ppc, and riscv32 platforms, streamlining the code base and build system for compatibility with 32-bit hosts.
- A new virtualization accelerator “nitro” and emulated systems “nitro” have been implemented to run isolated enclaves utilizing confidential computing technology like AWS Nitro Enclave.
- Enhanced support for virtualization accelerators MSHV (Microsoft Hypervisor) and WHPX (Microsoft Windows Hypervisor Platform Extensions).
- Support for Intel CET extension has been added when using the KVM hypervisor for protection against exploit techniques like ROP. Additionally, reboot support for confidential virtual machines using AMD SEV-SNP and Intel TDX extensions for memory encryption has been included.
- Improvements have been made to the VirtIO-GPU device.