To set up a Juniper vMX on the free EVE-NG Community Edition, you must acquire the necessary KVM images directly from Juniper and follow a specific installation process. The vMX requires two separate virtual machines to function: a Virtual Control Plane (VCP) and a Virtual Forwarding Plane (VFP). 1. Download Juniper vMX Images
Since Juniper images are proprietary, you cannot download them directly from EVE-NG. Official Source: Visit the Juniper Software Download page.
Access Requirements: You typically need a valid Juniper support contract or an evaluation request to access vMX images.
Required Package: Download the KVM/QEMU bundle (usually a .tgz or .qcow2 format). For older versions like 17.x, this bundle includes the necessary disk images for both VCP and VFP. 2. Prepare EVE-NG for Installation
You must create specific directories on your EVE-NG server via SSH (e.g., using PuTTY) to house the VCP and VFP nodes.
Create Directories: The directory names must follow EVE-NG's strict naming convention:
VCP: /opt/unetlab/addons/qemu/vmxvcp-[VERSION]-domestic-VCP/
VFP: /opt/unetlab/addons/qemu/vmxvfp-[VERSION]-domestic-VFP/
Upload Files: Use an SFTP client like WinSCP or FileZilla to transfer the downloaded images to these new folders. 3. Rename and Fix Permissions
EVE-NG requires specific filenames within these directories to recognize the images.
Rename VCP Files: Typically, you rename the main image to virtioa.qcow2, the HDD image to virtiob.qcow2, and the metadata image to virtioc.qcow2.
Rename VFP Files: Similarly, the VFP image is usually renamed to virtioa.qcow2.
Fix Permissions: CRITICAL STEP. Run the following command in the EVE-NG CLI to ensure the system can execute the new files: /opt/unetlab/wrappers/unl_wrapper -a fixpermissions Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard 4. Deploy in EVE-NG Lab Add Juniper devices to your EVE-NG lab | Quick Labs
To download and set up a Juniper vMX for free in EVE-NG, you should use the official 60-day trial available on the Juniper website
and follow the standardized EVE-NG image naming conventions. While the vMX is a licensed product, the trial allows full functionality for lab testing Juniper Elevate Community Essential Resources Official Setup Guide EVE-NG Juniper vMX How-To juniper vmx download for eveng free
provides the exact folder structures and command-line steps required for integration. Free Trial Link : You can request a trial of the software on the Juniper vMX Trial Download page Video Tutorial : For a visual walkthrough, Juniper's guide on Deploying vMX on EVE-NG Community Edition is highly recommended for beginners. Juniper Networks Key Installation Steps Download the KVM/QCOW2 Images
: Ensure you download the KVM-specific packages, as EVE-NG is built on QEMU/KVM. Dual-Node Setup
: Note that modern vMX images require two separate virtual machines to run: the (Virtual Control Plane) and the (Virtual Forwarding Plane). Naming Convention
: You must name your folders and files exactly as specified in the EVE-NG Naming Table to ensure the software recognizes the nodes. VCP Folder VFP Folder Fix Permissions
: After uploading the files via WinSCP or FileZilla, always run the command /opt/unetlab/wrappers/unl_wrapper -a fixpermissions from the EVE-NG CLI. Quick Configuration Details Default Username Default Password None (Blank) A Network Engineer's Blog CLI commands for renaming the vMX image files within EVE-NG? Why is Juniper Getting Rid of vMX? Can I Use vSRX Instead?
To download and set up the Juniper vMX for free in EVE-NG, you must first obtain the official trial images from Juniper and then manually upload and configure them within your EVE-NG environment. 1. Download Official Images
EVE-NG does not provide copyrighted vendor images directly. You must download them from the official Juniper website:
vMX Trial: You can sign up for a free 60-day trial (available for current Juniper customers) to download the vMX images.
Alternative (vJunos): For newer labs, Juniper offers vJunos-router and vJunos-switch images which are often easier to obtain for evaluation.
Account Required: You will need an active Juniper account, which can be created for free. 2. Prepare the EVE-NG Environment
The vMX consists of two separate virtual machines that must be added as individual nodes: the Virtual Control Plane (VCP) and the Virtual Forwarding Plane (VFP).
Directory Setup via SSH:Access your EVE-NG CLI (root) and create the necessary directories for the images:
# Example for version 17.2R1.13 mkdir /opt/unetlab/addons/qemu/vmxvcp-17.2R1.13-domestic-VCP mkdir /opt/unetlab/addons/qemu/vmxvfp-17.2R1.13-domestic-VFP Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard 3. Upload and Rename Images Why is Juniper Getting Rid of vMX? Can I Use vSRX Instead?
Downloading and setting up the Juniper vMX on EVE-NG for free involves using Juniper’s official evaluation program. While the vMX has been announced for End of Life (EOL), evaluation images are still often accessible through the Juniper Support Portal for lab testing. 1. Secure the vMX Images Legally To set up a Juniper vMX on the
The most reliable way to get vMX images is through a vMX Trial Download.
Registration: You must create a Juniper account. When registering, choose "Evaluation user access" if you are not a current customer.
Download Trial: After approval, you can download the vMX bundle (e.g., vmx-bundle-17.1R1.8.tgz).
Free Forever?: The trial technically lasts 60 days with unlimited bandwidth. However, once the trial expires, the vMX usually continues to function but is capped at 1 Mbps throughput—which is perfectly fine for most home lab learning. 2. Alternatives for Labs: vJunos
Juniper has introduced newer, "lab-optimized" virtual images that are easier to download and deploy for free:
vJunos-router & vJunos-switch: These are specifically designed for labs and often don't require the complex two-node setup (VCP/VFP) that vMX requires.
Direct Download: You can find these on the Free Virtual Junos OS Download page. 3. Quick Setup in EVE-NG
Once you have the .tgz bundle, follow these standard steps to add it to EVE-NG:
Extract the Bundle: Use tar xvf vmx-bundle-*.tgz to get the internal .qcow2 images.
Upload to EVE-NG: Use an FTP client like FileZilla to move the files to /opt/unetlab/addons/qemu/. Rename Images:
VCP (Control Plane): Name the image virtioa.qcow2 inside a folder starting with vmxvcp-.
VFP (Forwarding Plane): Name the image virtioa.qcow2 inside a folder starting with vmxvfp-.
Fix Permissions: Run the EVE-NG fix permissions command:/opt/unetlab/wrappers/unl_wrapper -a fixpermissions. vMX Evaluation Licensing - Juniper Elevate Community
Getting the Juniper vMX (Virtual MX Series) into your EVE-NG lab for free is a multi-step process involving official evaluation software and specific platform configurations. While Juniper has moved toward newer "vJunos" versions for general lab use, you can still legally obtain vMX trials for high-performance routing simulations. 1. Downloading Juniper vMX for Free The "grub> " Boot Issue A common problem
The only official and legal method to get the vMX software for free is through Juniper’s 60-day trial evaluation.
Step 1: Create a Juniper AccountGo to the Juniper User Registration page and sign up. For standard evaluation access, choose "Evaluation user access" if you are not an existing customer.
Step 2: Request the vMX TrialNavigate to the vMX Trial Download page. You will need to accept the End User License Agreement (EULA).
Step 3: Download the KVM ImagesFor EVE-NG, you must download the KVM/QEMU package (typically a .tgz bundle or individual .qcow2 files). Older vMX versions (16.x and 17.x) often come as a bundle containing two primary components: VCP (Virtual Control Plane): The Junos OS management side.
VFP (Virtual Forwarding Plane): The packet-processing engine.
Tip: If you just need a functional Juniper router without the heavy resource requirements of vMX, consider the Free vJunos-router, which is often easier to download and set up for basic labbing. 2. Importing vMX into EVE-NG
Once you have the image files, you must follow the strict EVE-NG directory structure to make them visible in the GUI. Image Preparation Juniper images downloads | vMX
A common problem with legacy vMX images in EVE-NG is that the boot loader fails to start automatically, dropping the user into a grub> prompt.
virtioa.qcow2 or the VM settings in EVE are pointing to the wrong disk bus type (VirtIO is preferred).Here’s where it gets interesting. Juniper releases eval vMX images for KVM (used on their own vMX-LTS builds). Clever engineers have:
.qcow2 images from Juniper’s evaluation portal (free registration required).img extension)But: The license enforcement is tied to uuid and timestamps. Some repackaged images have been stripped of license checks (though these are in a gray legal zone). No reputable site distributes pre-cracked vMX for EVE-NG, but forum threads on GNVS or routing-bits often whisper about “eval-reset scripts.”
mv /tmp/vfp.img /opt/unetlab/addons/qemu/vmx-20.1-vfp/virtioa.qcow2
Fix Permissions (Crucial for free EVE-NG):
/opt/unetlab/wrappers/unl_wrapper -a fixpermissions
qemu-img convert.yml template (or modify an existing one)-cpu host, -machine pc, etc.)Solution: You connected the wrong interfaces. Ensure VCP Net0 is connected ONLY to VFP Net0. Do not connect any external cables to the VCP.