4.4. Using USB Devices on Virtual Machines

A virtual machine that is connected with the SPICE protocol can be configured to connect USB devices. To do so, the USB device has to be plugged into the client machine, which is the hardware you use to access a guest. The device is then redirected to appear on the guest machine, which is the virtual machine you access through the User Portal.
Native mode for USB redirection enables native KVM/ SPICE USB redirection for Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Windows virtual machines. Virtual machines do not require any in-guest agents or drivers for native USB. This option is used for virtual machines compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization 3.1 and higher. Native USB mode is supported on the following clients and guests:
  • Client
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.0 and higher
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5 and higher
    • Windows XP
    • Windows 7
    • Windows 2008
  • Guest
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.0 and higher
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5 and higher
    • Windows XP
    • Windows 7

Procedure 4.5. Using USB devices on a Windows client

    • If the SPICE ActiveX component was installed by a user with administrative privileges, the usbclerk service has been automatically installed.
    • If the SPICE ActiveX component was installed by a user without administrative privileges, the usbclerk service must be manually installed by a user with administrative privileges.
      The usbclerk setup file can be found in the directory where virt-viewer was installed, for example: C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\virt-viewer\bin\usbclerk-setup.exe.
      Double click on the usbclerk-setup.exe file to launch the installer, and follow the prompts to install usbclerk.
  2. When the usbclerk service is installed and running, select a virtual machine which has been configured to use the SPICE protocol, and turn it on.
  3. Click the Edit button on the details pane to open the Console Options window, and tick the Enable USB Auto-Share check box.
  4. Double click on the running virtual machine to connect to it. When you plug your USB device into the client machine, it will automatically be redirected to appear on your guest machine.

Procedure 4.6. Using USB devices on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux client

  1. Select a virtual machine which has been configured to use the SPICE protocol, and turn it on.
  2. Click the Edit button on the details pane to open the Console Options window, and tick the Enable USB Auto-Share check box.
  3. Double click on the running virtual machine to connect to it. When you plug your USB device into the client machine, it will automatically be redirected to appear on your guest machine.
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