kvm

linux kernel virtualization module

TLDR

Check KVM support

$ lscpu | grep Virtualization

Load KVM module

$
**Run VM with QEMU/KVM**

Check if KVM is enabled

$ ls /dev/kvm

List running VMs (libvirt)

$ virsh list --all

KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is a Linux kernel virtualization module. It turns Linux into a hypervisor, allowing it to run multiple virtual machines with near-native performance.KVM requires hardware virtualization support (Intel VT-x or AMD-V). It's typically used with QEMU for device emulation and optionally with libvirt for management.

ARCHITECTURE

$ Applications → Guest OS → KVM → Host Kernel → Hardware

Components:
- kvm.ko: Core virtualization
- kvm-intel.ko or kvm-amd.ko: CPU-specific
- QEMU: Device emulation
- libvirt: Management API

VERIFY SUPPORT

$ # Check CPU support
grep -E 'vmx|svm' /proc/cpuinfo

# Check KVM module
lsmod | grep kvm

# Check device
ls -la /dev/kvm

INSTALL

sudo apt install qemu-system-x86

sudo dnf install qemu-system-x86

sudo pacman -S qemu-system-x86

CAVEATS

Requires VT-x/AMD-V enabled in BIOS. Nested virtualization needs additional configuration. Performance varies by workload.

HISTORY

KVM was created by Qumranet and merged into Linux kernel 2.6.20 in 2007. Red Hat acquired Qumranet in 2008. KVM became the standard Linux hypervisor, replacing Xen in many deployments.

kvm