Kernel-based Virtual Machine

Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) is a <a href="/facts/Free_and_open-source/1cHtjLCB">free and open-source</a> <a href="/facts/Virtualization/bEqH0Wtf">virtualization</a> module in the <a href="/facts/Linux_kernel/dlkduHuA">Linux kernel</a> that allows the <a href="/facts/Kernel_(operating_system)/uEj4U3Rz">kernel</a> to function as a <a href="/facts/Hypervisor/3gX9fKlH">hypervisor</a>. It was merged into the <a href="/facts/Mainline_Linux/dlkduHuA">mainline Linux kernel</a> in version 2.6.20, which was released on February 5, 2007. KVM requires a processor with <a href="/facts/Hardware_virtualization/6e2Bhhz2">hardware virtualization</a> extensions, such as <a href="/facts/Intel_VT/utQwmdY3">Intel VT</a> or <a href="/facts/AMD-V/utQwmdY3">AMD-V</a>. KVM has also been ported to other operating systems such as <a href="/facts/FreeBSD/RKsFTm7F">FreeBSD</a> and <a href="/facts/Illumos/helcbXv6">illumos</a> in the form of loadable kernel modules.
KVM was originally designed for <a href="/facts/X86/Kypq5fgu">x86</a> processors but has since been <a href="/facts/Porting/7s6tFs8B">ported</a> to <a href="/facts/IBM_ESA/390/lzkp2UE5">ESA/390</a>, <a href="/facts/PowerPC/DqmM9y50">PowerPC</a>, <a href="/facts/IA-64/m6egpGno">IA-64</a>, and <a href="/facts/ARM_architecture/SALsYA79">ARM</a>. 
The IA-64 port was removed in 2014.
KVM supports <a href="/facts/Hardware-assisted_virtualization/n4kjJLqA">hardware-assisted virtualization</a> for a wide variety of guest operating systems including <a href="/facts/BSD/XQKcURrh">BSD</a>, <a href="/facts/Solaris_(operating_system)/KPfT98EJ">Solaris</a>, <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Windows/bwhAhuSL">Windows</a>, <a href="/facts/Haiku_(operating_system)/0urtHJxC">Haiku</a>, <a href="/facts/ReactOS/BFmfC6BB">ReactOS</a>, <a href="/facts/Plan_9_from_Bell_Labs/pQjPlS7w">Plan 9</a>, <a href="/facts/AROS_Research_Operating_System/qctF50SD">AROS</a>, <a href="/facts/MacOS/Y93vVpTm">macOS</a>, and even other Linux systems. In addition, Android 2.2, <a href="/facts/GNU/Hurd/LU1mHe5M">GNU/Hurd</a> (<a href="/facts/Debian/cBd93qfJ">Debian</a> K16), <a href="/facts/MINIX_3/vnerKq0a">Minix</a> 3.1.2a, Solaris 10 U3 and <a href="/facts/Darwin_(operating_system)/DogI3ptd">Darwin</a> 8.0.1, together with other operating systems and some newer versions of these listed, are known to work with certain limitations.
Additionally, KVM provides <a href="/facts/Paravirtualization/5MMXo72C">paravirtualization</a> support for Linux, <a href="/facts/OpenBSD/xmPS9tek">OpenBSD</a>, FreeBSD, <a href="/facts/NetBSD/PTm5HWls">NetBSD</a>, Plan 9 and Windows guests using the VirtIO <a href="/facts/API/GMlN4vUr">API</a>. This includes a paravirtual <a href="/facts/Ethernet_card/wyf5FR29">Ethernet card</a>, disk I/O controller, <a href="/facts/Balloon_driver/IKAoHs7m">balloon driver</a>, and a <a href="/facts/VGA/8GGsGTSc">VGA</a> graphics interface using <a href="/facts/SPICE_(protocol)/J1PfQBUP">SPICE</a> or <a href="/facts/VMware/lKHGULx3">VMware</a> drivers.

Kernel-based Virtual Machine open-in-new

Kernel-based Virtual Machine