Run Win11 in LXD LXC virtual machine

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Updated: 20 April 2025

See https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/how-to-install-a-windows-11-vm-using-lxd#1-overview

Install LXD snap

sudo snap install lxd --channel=latest/stable
lxd --version # 6.3 at the time of writing

Install the LXD imagebuilder

sudo snap install lxd-imagebuilder --classic --edge

Initialise lxd and accept all the defaults

lxd init

If your Win11 VM has no internet access, it may be necessary to adjust the Firewall rules of the LXD bridge network.
See https://www.cloudwizard.nl/lxd-ufw-configuration-ubuntu-22-04/
This was necessary with an Ubuntu 24.04.2 LXD host, April 2024

sudo ufw allow in on lxdbr0
sudo ufw route allow in on lxdbr0
sudo ufw route allow out on lxdbr0
sudo ufw disable && sudo ufw enable

From the directory where the Windows ISO file has been downloaded

sudo lxd-imagebuilder repack-windows Win11_24H2_English_x64.iso win11.lxd.iso

Create the empty vm

lxc init win11c --vm --empty

Using 80GiB here instead of 50GiB

lxc config device override win11c root size=80GiB

Set CPU and RAM

lxc config set win11c limits.cpu=4 limits.memory=8GiB

Set TPM

lxc config device add win11c vtpm tpm path=/dev/tpm0

Insert the ISO

lxc config device add win11c install disk source=/home/chris/win11.lxd.iso boot.priority=10

Start the container. Hit Enter key inside the console (on this first occasion only) to boot from the ISO

lxc start win11c --console=vga

Reconnect via the console, each time Windows reboots

lxc console win11c --type vga

Windows setup

Skip setting device name
Choose ‘Set up for work or school’
Select ‘Sign in options’
Select ‘Domain join instead’
Choose ‘Join domain’

Clean up

Remove the install ISO disk

lxc config device remove win11c install

Drivers

Drivers might need to be updated. In my case only one display resolution was available. See https://discuss.linuxcontainers.org/t/how-to-increase-display-resolution-of-windows-vm/23508

Download virtio-win.iso from https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/archive-virtio/virtio-win-0.1.271-1/

Add the downloaded ISO as a device to the VM

lxc config device add win11c thedrivers disk source=/home/chris/Downloads/virtio-win-0.1.271.iso

Go to the CD Drive in Windows and run virtio-win-gt-x64.msi

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