virt-manager is a desktop tool for managing virtual machines through libvirt.
Open source
12 alternativesLooking Glass
Looking Glass provides low-latency KVM Frame Relay for virtual machine guests using VGA PCI passthrough.
About Looking Glass
Looking Glass lets a user operate a Windows virtual machine from a Linux host with very low display and input latency. It is an implementation of KVMFR (KVM FrameRelay) for guests that use VGA PCI passthrough. The current recommended setup installs the Looking Glass Indirect Display Driver in the Windows guest and runs the Looking Glass Client on the Linux host.
The Linux client is distributed as source code and must be built before it can be installed. The project's documentation covers building the client, configuring shared memory for the virtual machine, installing the driver in Windows, and running the client. Users who are not developers can download source archives from the project website instead of building from the git repository. The project is licensed under GPL-2.0.
Key features
- Displays a Windows virtual machine on a Linux host with low latency
- Uses the Looking Glass Indirect Display Driver in the Windows guest
- Runs the Looking Glass Client on the Linux host
- Configures shared memory for the virtual machine
- Provides source archives for users who do not build from git
- Documents build, driver installation, and client setup steps
Best for: Linux users who run Windows virtual machines with VGA PCI passthrough and want low display and input latency.
Good for
- Designed for very low display and input latency
- Open source under the GPL-2.0 license
- Step-by-step end-user guide covers the full setup process
Watch out for
- The Linux client is distributed as source and must be built before installation
- Building from the git repository requires checking out submodules
Looking Glass at a glance
- Website
- github.com/gnif/LookingGlass
- Category
- Software & Utilities › Virtualization
- Type
- Open-source project
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Platforms
- Linux, Windows
- Open source
- Yes · Source code
- Language
- English
- Last checked
- Oct 6, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
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Looking Glass FAQ
Do I need to build the Linux client before installing it?
Yes. The Linux client is currently distributed as source code and must be built before it can be installed.
What should a non-developer download to compile Looking Glass?
The project asks non-developers to download a source archive from https://looking-glass.io/downloads rather than building from the git repository, because the repository contains submodules that must be checked out.
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