Complete Guide to Implementing the New HWE Virtualization Stack in Ubuntu 26.04 LTS

The new Hardware Enablement (HWE) virtualization stack introduced by Canonical for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS allows users to access newer virtualization components while maintaining the long-term support of the release. This approach is particularly useful for those needing advanced virtualization features without having to migrate to non-LTS versions.

Traditionally, Ubuntu has provided HWE kernels to support newer hardware. The new model extends this concept to the user components needed for modern virtualization, including packages such as qemu-hwe, libvirt-hwe, edk2-hwe (with OVMF firmware) and seabios-hwe.

• Organizations managing confidential VMs with AMD SEV-SNP or Intel TDX.
• Regulated workloads requiring more robust isolation.
• Confidential AI inference and private and sovereign cloud platforms.
• Infrastructures needing long-term maintenance with support for evolving hardware.

Thanks to this stack, administrators can avoid having to choose between upgrading virtualization hosts to an intermediate short-lived release or waiting for the next LTS release to access new features.

For more details, check the official announcement from Canonical.

Prerequisites

• Operating System: Ubuntu 26.04 LTS
• Virtualization Components:
  • qemu-hwe
  • libvirt-hwe
  • edk2-hwe (including OVMF firmware)
  • seabios-hwe
• Additional Tools: ubuntuvirthelper

PROCEDURE: Configuring the virtualization HWE stack on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS

By the end of this guide, you will have correctly configured the Hardware Enablement (HWE) virtualization stack on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, allowing you to access newer virtualization components.

• Update the system before proceeding:
  • Open a terminal.
• Install the HWE packages for virtualization:
• Verify the installation of the HWE packages:
  • Ensure the packages are listed with the correct version.
• Configure the ubuntuvirthelper tool to manage the virtualization stack:
  • Install the tool: sudo apt install ubuntuvirthelper.
  • Run the command: sudo ubuntuvirthelper --enable-hwe.
• Verify the configuration of the virtualization stack:
  • Ensure the virtualization stack is correctly configured.

Verification and Troubleshooting

By the end of this guide, you will be able to test the correct functioning of the Hardware Enablement (HWE) virtualization stack on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and resolve any issues.

Functionality Test

• Check the kernel version: Ensure the HWE kernel is in use with:

  uname -r

• Test the creation of a VM: Create a test virtual machine to verify that virtualization works correctly. Use libvirt or a graphical interface like virt-manager.
• Verify support for AMD SEV-SNP or Intel TDX: If necessary, check that confidential computing features are active with:

  dmesg | grep -E 'SEV-SNP|TDX'

Troubleshooting

• Missing or outdated packages: If some HWE packages are not installed or are outdated, update the system with:

  sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

  then install the missing packages with:

  sudo apt install qemu-hwe libvirt-hwe edk2-hwe seabios-hwe

• Incorrect kernel: If the kernel is not the HWE one, update the kernel with:

  sudo apt install linux-image-hwe

  then reboot the system.
• Issues with libvirt: If libvirt is not working correctly, restart the service with:

  sudo systemctl restart libvirtd

• Package inconsistencies: Use the ubuntuvirthelper tool to manage the virtualization stack as a complete unit and prevent incomplete or inconsistent combinations.

Educational Summary

• Support for advanced technologies: Ubuntu 26.04 LTS supports AMD SEV-SNP and Intel TDX for enhanced data protection in VMs.
• Regular updates: During the first two years after the release, the HWE stack will be updated every six months.
• Optional: The new stack is optional and requires explicit action by the administrator to be activated.
• Unified management: The ubuntuvirthelper tool facilitates the management of the stack as a complete unit.
• Use cases: Ideal for environments with confidential VMs, regulated workloads, confidential AI inference, private clouds, and infrastructures needing long-term support.

Call to Action

Try implementing the new HWE virtualization stack on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS to leverage the latest virtualization features without having to migrate to an intermediate release. Check the improvements in terms of security and performance of your VMs.