Facing problems installing KVM on RHEL6

Linux and Unix-Like Red Hat
1

I am running RHEL 6 on VirualBox/VMWare VM and on that VM i am trying to create a KVM virtual machine.

Issue is that command "egrep 'vmx|svm' /proc/cpuinfo doesn't show my any results, so that lets me think if my processor doesn't support Virtualization technology. But it does and i have configured Virtualization in BIOS also.

I have 32 bit host and i have installed 64 bit guest RHEL on VirtualBox and that worked only when i enabled Virtualization and VTx in the BIOS. Disabling this in BIOS doesn't let me install any 64 bit guest in VirualBox. So does that mean VM is seeing the Virtualization enabled on the physical host processor and because of that it allows me to install 64 bit guest OS.

VirtualBox or VMWare does have the setting to Enable or Disable the IntelVT or AMD-V technology for the guest VM. So does that mean it has facility to use VT technology of the host processor for Virtual VMs.

So i am wondering and confused why the command "egrep 'vmx|svm' /proc/cpuinfo" does not show any results.

So could you guys please let me know how can i install KVM VM on RHEL6 machine which is already running as a virtual machine i.e. as i am runnig RHEL6 in VirualBox and or VMWare VM.

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Rohit

2

I don't think an already-virtualized processor can virtualize.

3

Could you please explain in bit detail ?

4

Short answer - because your particular VirtualBox installation does not support vmx or svm cpu extensions.

5

You are running RHEL in a virtual layer. You can't make that virtual layer (KVM) work inside another virtual layer (Virtual Box).

6

The processor can't do that kind of triple-think in hardware.