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+--- Thread: How can you enable nested virtualization for Linux VMs in Hyper-V? (/showthread.php?tid=779)
How can you enable nested virtualization for Linux VMs in Hyper-V? - savas - 02-27-2022
Enabling nested virtualization for Linux VMs in Hyper-V is super exciting because it allows you to run a hypervisor inside your VM. It’s like creating a mini virtual world inside your existing one! This is particularly useful if you want to experiment with different hypervisor technologies without needing extra physical machines.
First things first, you should check if your hardware supports nested virtualization. Most modern processors from Intel and AMD do, but it’s always a good idea to verify that your CPU has VT-x (for Intel) or AMD-V (for AMD) enabled in the BIOS. You don’t want to be stuck wondering why it’s not working if you're missing this basic step.
Once you're sure your hardware is up to the task, you’ll want to jump into PowerShell. It’s your best friend in this scenario. Open up PowerShell as an administrator. You’ll need to navigate to the specifics of the VM you want to enable nested virtualization on. It's as simple as checking the command that lists your virtual machines. After you identify the one you’re interested in, you’ll run a command to enable nested virtualization.
What’s really cool is that you can do this even if the VM is powered on; however, it’s generally safer to shut it down first. The command you’ll need goes something like this: `Set-VMProcessor -VMName "Your_VM_Name" -ExposeVirtualizationExtensions $true`. It tells Hyper-V to expose those virtualization extensions to your Linux VM. Just replace “Your_VM_Name” with the actual name of your VM.
Now that you’ve enabled those extensions, you might need to adjust a setting in the VM’s configuration. This is where you specify the first-level control for the nested VM, typically by installing KVM on the Linux VM. You will also need to ensure that the Linux distribution you are using supports nested virtualization. Most popular distros, like Ubuntu and CentOS, do support it, so you should be in luck.
After setting everything up, it’s time to create a nested VM inside your Linux VM. It's the same process you'd go through to create a regular VM using the tools available in your Linux distro. Just remember that nested virtualization can be resource-intensive, so keep an eye on performance, especially if you’re running multiple layers of VMs.
When you start the nested VM, you can confirm that nested virtualization is working using the `lsmod | grep kvm` command. This checks if the kvm module is loaded properly. If everything looks good, you can look into whatever virtualization projects you had in mind.
It can feel so cool to layer these technologies on top of each other. Whether you're just tinkering or actively developing and testing, it's all about maximizing your setup without needing a small army of servers. And honestly, there's something gratifying about pushing the limits of what your hardware can do.
I hope my post was useful. Are you new to Hyper-V and do you have a good Hyper-V backup solution? See my other post