### Install QEMU
```
sudo apt-get install qemu
```

### Create a hard disk
Create a hard disk for your virtual machine with required capacity.
```
qemu-img create -f raw armdisk.img 8G
```

You can then install Debian using an ISO CD or directly from vmlinuz

### Netboot from vmlinuz

First, you should decide what CPU and machine type you want to emulate.

You can get a list of all supported CPUs (to be passed with `-cpu` option, see later below):
```
qemu-system-arm -cpu help
```

You can get a list of all supported machines (to be passed with `-M` option, see later below):
```
qemu-system-arm -machine help
```

In this example, I chose the `cortex-a9` CPU and `vexpress-a9` machine. This is an ARMv7 CPU which Debian calls as `armhf` (ARM hard float). You must download vmlinuz and initrd files for, say [Wheezy armhf netboot](http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/wheezy/main/installer-armhf/current/images/vexpress/netboot/). Cortex-A8, A9, A15 are all ARMv7 CPUs. 


You can emulate ARMv6 which Debian calls as `armel` by downloading the corresponding files for [Wheezy armel netboot](http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/wheezy/main/installer-armel/current/images/versatile/netboot/).
Note that you need 'armel' for ARM v5, v6. Raspberry Pi uses ARMv6. In this case, the cpu is `arm926` and machine is `versatilepb`.


Create a virtual machine with 1024 MB RAM and a Cortex-A9 CPU:

```
qemu-system-arm -m 1024M -hda armdisk.img \
                -M vexpress-a9 -cpu cortex-a9 \
                -kernel vmlinuz-3.2.0-4-vexpress -initrd initrd.gz \
                -append "root=/dev/ram" 
```

Specifying `-cpu` is optional. It defaults to `-cpu=any`. However, `-M` is mandatory.

This will start a new QEMU window and the Debian installer will kick-in. Just proceed with the installation (takes maybe 3 hours or so).

You can start your virtual machine after the installation complete as follows:
```
qemu -m 1024 -hda armdisk.img

```

NOTE: For creating ARMv6, just pass `versatilepb`:

```
qemu-system-arm -m 1024M -M versatilepb \
                -kernel vmlinuz-3.2.0-4-versatile -initrd initrd.gz \
                -append "root=/dev/ram" -hda armdisk.img
```
 

### Netboot from ISO


Download netboot ISO for [armhf](http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/7.2.0/armhf/iso-cd/) or [armel](http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/7.2.0/armel/iso-cd/) as needed. 


WAIT! Apparently, these Debian CD images are not bootable! But Ubuntu's ARM CD image works [2].



[1] http://www.linuxforu.com/2011/05/quick-quide-to-qemu-setup/
[2] http://blog.troyastle.com/2010/07/building-arm-powered-debian-vm-with.html
[3] [Differences between ARM926, ARM1136, A8 and A9](http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/Feature_Comparison:_ARM_926,_1136_and_Cortex-A8)