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Building and Training Your Own SLM

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Creating an independent Small Language Model (SLM) is a rewarding project that bridges the gap between deep learning theory and practical, local application. By keeping your model local, you retain full control over your data and system architecture. Below is a structured approach to building and training your own model from the ground up on a local Ubuntu environment. Before you begin, ensure your development environment is optimized for local computation. A robust setup with a capable GPU (such as an NVIDIA RTX series) and sufficient RAM is recommended for efficient training. Use Ubuntu for a stable, customizable development environment. Verify your environment with the following commands:    * Update your package lists:  sudo apt update.    * Install pip:  sudo apt install python3-pip    *I nstall necessary libraries:  pip install torch tiktoken An SLM relies on the quality of its input data. For a personal AI, curated, factual...
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Running Windows 11 on Linux with KVM/QEMU

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This guide walks through the full process of running Windows 11 on Linux using KVM/QEMU and Virt-Manager, the most robust and future-proof setup available today.

While tools like VirtualBox still exist, KVM/QEMU has quietly become the gold standard on Linux.

It offers:

  • Near-native CPU performance

  • Excellent disk and network throughput

  • Proper UEFI, Secure Boot, and TPM support

  • Long-term compatibility with Windows 11 updates


Before starting, make sure you have:

  • A Linux system with virtualization enabled in BIOS

    • Intel: VT-x / VT-d

    • AMD: SVM / IOMMU

  • At least 8 GB RAM (16 GB recommended)

  • Around 80 GB of free disk space

  • A Windows 11 ISO

  • The VirtIO drivers ISO

Step 1: Check Virtualization Support

Open a terminal and run:

egrep -c '(vmx|svm)' /proc/cpuinfo

If the result is 1 or higher, virtualization is enabled.
If it returns 0, you’ll need to enable it in your BIOS before continuing.

Step 2: Install KVM, QEMU, and Virt-Manager

On Ubuntu / Debian-based systems:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y \
  qemu-kvm \
  libvirt-daemon-system \
  libvirt-clients \
  virt-manager \
  virtinst \
  bridge-utils \
  ovmf \
  swtpm

Enable libvirt:

sudo systemctl enable --now libvirtd

Add your user to the libvirt group:

sudo usermod -aG libvirt $USER
newgrp libvirt

This avoids permission headaches later.

Step 3: Download Required ISOs

Windows 11 ISO

Download directly from Microsoft:

VirtIO Drivers ISO

On your Linux host:

wget https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/stable-virtio/virtio-win.iso

Store both ISOs somewhere sensible, such as:

~/VMs/iso/

Step 4: Create Virtual Disk Storage

Create a fast, flexible virtual disk:

mkdir -p ~/VMs/win11
qemu-img create -f qcow2 ~/VMs/win11/win11.qcow2 80G

QCOW2 allows snapshots and grows only as needed.

Step 5: Launch Virt-Manager

virt-manager

Click Create New Virtual Machine and choose:

  • Local install media (ISO)

Select the Windows 11 ISO.

Set OS type to:

  • Windows → Windows 11

Step 6: Configure Windows 11 Requirements (Important)

Before starting the install, select “Customize configuration before install.”

Firmware

  • Use UEFI (OVMF)

  • Enable Secure Boot

TPM

  • Add hardware → TPM

  • Type: Emulated

  • Version: 2.0

Windows 11 will not install without this.

Step 7: CPU, Memory, and Devices

Recommended settings:

  • CPU model: host-passthrough

  • CPUs: As many cores as you can spare

  • Memory:

    • Minimum: 8 GB

    • Recommended: 12–16 GB

  • Disk bus: VirtIO

  • Network device: VirtIO

These settings are key to performance.

Step 8: Install Windows 11

Start the VM.

When the installer says “No drives found”:

  1. Click Load Driver

  2. Browse the VirtIO ISO

  3. Select:

    vioscsi → w11 → amd64

Your disk will appear. Continue the installation normally.

Step 9: Install VirtIO Guest Tools (Critical)

Once Windows boots to the desktop:

  1. Open This PC

  2. Open CD Drive (virtio-win)

  3. Run:

    virtio-win-guest-tools.exe

  4. Install all drivers

  5. Reboot

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