Is it possible to install KVM On A VMWare virtual machine? If so, what are the steps?

Question

I want to understand how to use KVM in CenTOS. At the moment, all I have is a VMWare ESX 5.x server to use. Is there a way to get KVM working on a system that is running on VMWare? Essentially, a nested install?

This will not be used for production purposes, only testing/learning.

Solution

To allow KVM to function inside a VM do the following;

In esxi 5.5 add the following line to your VM to enable nested virtualization;

hypervisor.cpuid.v0 = "FALSE"

Steps: go to "edit settings" ---->"options"---->"Advanced"---> "General"--->"Configuration Parameters"---->"configuration button, select add row and add the new parameter. hypervisor.cpuid.v0 = "FALSE"

Comments

[sunnysideup]

Yes it is possible, you have to enable nested virtualisation - virtuallyghetto.com/2012/08/…

[pilona]

@Urlich: Please convert the comment to an answer.

[pilona]

@Mike B: "install" is misleading most of the time. KVM is just a facility offered by the kernel (accessed through the character device at /dev/kvm). CentOS should have the kernel module in the kernel package by default (though it could also be compiled-in). What you install is the hypervisor that makes use of KVM (e.g., QEMU).

[bdutta74]

Any chance that something similar could be done on VMware Workstation (12 pro) as well ?