# Running Mender client on a cloud-based virtual machine

**URL:** <https://hub.mender.io/t/running-mender-client-on-a-cloud-based-virtual-machine/3830>\
**Category:** General Discussions\
**Created:** [July 5, 2021, 10:42am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/running-mender-client-on-a-cloud-based-virtual-machine/3830 "2021-07-05T10:42:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sven\_DS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Sven\_DS](https://hub.mender.io/u/Sven_DS)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2021, 10:42am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/running-mender-client-on-a-cloud-based-virtual-machine/3830/1 "2021-07-05T10:42:35Z")

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Hi guys,

I have the honor to test Mender in our project. Because we are currently working on the specification of our embedded device(s) the idea is to test the client part of Mender on a Linux-based virtual machine in the Google cloud.

My question is: from a technical point of view … is it possible to use the client part of Mender on a cloud-based virtual machine? Is it possible to use the Mender conversion tool to prepare a virtual hard disk with all its changes on the partition layout, boot loader and client installation? Was it ever done before or sounds it totally crazy?

Thanks for your thoughts and support!

Regards  
Sven

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**Author:** ![lramirez](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/lramirez/32/1195_2.png) [@lramirez](https://hub.mender.io/u/lramirez)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2021, 3:25pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/running-mender-client-on-a-cloud-based-virtual-machine/3830/2 "2021-07-05T15:25:06Z")

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I haven’t heard about anyone using it like this (but I can’t say it is like that). But, on the other side, I can confirm people successfully implemented QEMU ready images using mender from a Debian-based systems and a Yocto-based systems.

These links could be helpful:

> [@QEMU, the FAST! processor emulator (Ubuntu)](https://hub.mender.io/t/qemu-the-fast-processor-emulator-ubuntu/1550):
>
> Board description QEMU (short for Quick Emulator ) is a free and open-source emulator that performs hardware virtualization. QEMU is a hosted virtual machine monitor, it emulates the machine’s processor through dynamic and provides a set of different hardware and device models for the machine, enabling it to run a variety of guest operating systems. It also can be used with [KVM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kernel-based_Virtual_Machine) to run virtual machines at near-native speed (by taking advantage of hardware extensions such as [Intel VT-x](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_virtualization)). QEM…

> [@QEMU, the FAST! processor emulator (deprecated)](https://hub.mender.io/t/qemu-the-fast-processor-emulator/420/1):
>
> IMPORTANT: This tutorial has been mostly superseded by [Testing Mender with QEMU ARM64](https://hub.mender.io/t/testing-mender-with-qemu-arm64/8095). So unless you have very specific requirements, use the QEMU ARM64 tutorial. Introduction The [Yocto Project](https://yoctoproject.org) consists of recipes, dependencies and metadata to instruct the build system how to build software packages for installation into a target embedded operating system. The official [Mender documentation](https://docs.mender.io/) explains how Mender works. This is a board-specific complement to the official documentation for the QEM…