Choose the right kvm & kernel version

From KVM
Revision as of 09:40, 4 February 2009 by WikiSysop (talk | contribs)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
The printable version is no longer supported and may have rendering errors. Please update your browser bookmarks and please use the default browser print function instead.

Three Components

To make it work, you need to get the right version for three components:

  • Linux Module
  • User Space Application
  • Guest Virtio Driver

Linux Module

KVM come with a linux module to support full virtualization. The linux module is just three files: kvm.ko, kvm_intel.ko, kvm_amd.ko. You can install them just like you install drivers for your video card. The good news is, you might do not need it install it. The 2.6.20 version has already included those linux modules. Depends on your distribution configuration, it might not be installed, or as a module or built-in. Here is a table listing the relation:

  • 2.6.20 kvm-12
  • 2.6.21 kvm-17
  • 2.6.22 kvm-22

If you are not sure your linux distribution contain it or not, use this command:

modprobe -l | grep kvm

The linux module can be built from source code. This is also the recommanded way to get the right version of linux module. Compiling from the source code, and than make install should make the linux module inserted into your /lib/modules/linux-`uname -r`. Simply make it in use by:

modprobe kvm
modprobe kvm_intel

or

modprobe kvm
modprobe kvm_amd

User space application

Compile from source code, you can get it. Otherwise, refer to the previous section.

Guest virtio driver

There was no special requirement for guest operating system if you are not using para-visualized disk ornetwork adapter. If you are using them, make sure you get virtio_pci.ko, virtio_rng.ko, virtio_blk.ko, virtio_net.ko. They are in 2.6.25 or later kernel. There is also a option to backport them.

Refer to Virtio for more information