Interestingly enough Windows 2000 works fine on QEMU 64-bit but you have to specify Pentium as your CPU otherwise it doesn't complete the install (it will not pass the detecting/setting up devices phase).
-vga cirrus is wise because it is supported by Windows 2000 and allows higher resolutions and 24-bit color.
-cpu Pentium emulates an old computer and is necessary for install to complete
-device rtl8139 is important as this oldschool Realtek 8139 NIC is supported by W........
You should only get this if you are using a Pentium II or something really old. The problem here is that newer kernels than 2.6 don't have true i386 support even if you tell it to compile as i386. It will still include features like cmov that break older computers from being able to work.
Generally for very old computers like above, you need to use a 2.6.x kernel and of course make sure it is i386 and all the binaries are as well.
........
I am running a 64-bit host and was running a 32-bit XPguest which was crawling no matter what I was doing with it,in fact it frequently used 100% CPU power while having no real work load. I experienced with this other guests and wondered why KVM was slow compared to say Xen or Virtualbox.
This is because you need to use the "-cpu" flag.
For a full list of options run:
/usr/libexec/qemu-kvm -cpu ?
x86 ........
The New Chips on the BlockThe New Chips on the Block
By Bruce Gain
Story location: http://www.wired.com/news/infostructure/0,1377,67795,00.html
02:00 AM Jun. 13, 2005 PT
We have embarked upon a new era in x86 PC computing -- so say chip giants AMD and Intel following their launches of dual-core PC processors. So how will dual-core processing change your PC computing experience? Our FAQ should help you decide whether or when you sho........