Virtual machines are an essential tool for running guest operating systems. If you have never heard of KVM, you are not alone. It's easy to wonder: what is KVM and what does it mean? How can you use KVM as a virtualization technology in your projects?
Getting started with KVM on Linux is a simple process. If you want to run other Linux distributions or even Windows on your Linux PC, all you have to do is install a few modules and get your PC ready for virtualization. This is how you can start using KVM on Linux.
What is KVM and how to use it?
If you want to turn your Linux system into a multi-machine hypervisor, one of the best virtualization technologies you can use is the kernel-based virtual machine (KVM). KVM is built into almost all Linux distributions and allows you to host multiple separate and isolated virtual machines (VMs) on physical servers.
It is important to note that KVM servers are completely different from KVM switches (in this case, keyboards and videos, mice). Linux KVM serves as a hypervisor that allows multiple virtual machines to exist on the same server.
Each machine created by the KVM hypervisor will have a virtual BIOS and simulated virtual hardware. Virtual machines under the hypervisor run simultaneously and independently of each other. Applications for managing virtual machines are used to create and work with KVMs.
Some people like to use KVM to try out other operating systems without any obligation. Whereas professional teams use KVM as a cloud hypervisor or use it to run large server systems.
KVM has several distinct advantages over other virtualization technologies:
- Free to use and open source
- Authoritative and time-tested
- Built into almost all Linux distributions
- Uniquely combines the structure of a type 1 and type 2 hypervisor.
However, KVM is not without its drawbacks. Compared to other virtualization technologies such as VirtualBox and Hyper-V, KVM is much more difficult to master. There is also no compatibility with any operating systems other than Linux.
Despite these shortcomings, the availability and quality of KVM make it an important part of Linux virtualization. KVM supports many important features, including live migration of virtual machines between hosts and full scalability. As a result, KVM servers are commonly used for data centers and cloud networks.
Implementing KVM for Linux Virtualization
If you want to use KVM for Linux virtualization, you will need to prepare your computer to be a suitable virtualization host. You should start by confirming that your processor supports hardware virtualization.
Your processor must have a hardware virtualization extension such as AMD-V and AMD64 or Intel-VT and Intel 64. You will need to enable both CPU virtualization extensions and KVM kernel modules on your system.
You can check if CPU virtualization extensions are available and if KVM kernel modules are loaded using the following commands:
grep -E 'svm|vmx' /proc/cpuinfo lsmod | grep kvm
If you have the CPU virtualization extension available, you should be able to find the vmx or svm entry in the list of flags printed by the first command. If you don't see any of the checkboxes, you may need to enable virtualization extensions in the BIOS.
You also need to make sure the KVM modules are loaded correctly by looking for kvm_intel or kvm_amd in the output of the second command.
If the modules are not available, use the following commands to update the repositories, install packages, and make sure everything works correctly:
sudo apt update sudo apt install qemu-kvm libvirt-daemon-system libvirt-clients bridge-utils lsmod | grep kvm sudo systemctl status libvirtd.service
Finally, you will need to use a tool like Virtual Machine Manager to create and manage new virtual machines like Manjaro for example. Explore various KVM compatible virtual machine managers until you find the one that best suits your needs.
Many people enjoy using KVM with the Red Hat Linux platform. Red Hat KVM virtualization is flexible and easy to set up. You should consider Red Hat or another reputable solution for any professional KVM application.
Once you have selected and installed the application, you can use the program's documentation for instructions on creating new KVMs.
Use KVM for Linux Virtualization
Whether you're looking to use KVM for a cloud solution or you just want to run a new virtual machine on your PC, KVM is one of the best virtualization technologies you can use.
Creating a new virtual machine with KVM is as simple as installing the right modules and using the Virtual Machine Manager to create a new virtual machine.
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