Installing kvm

[nadewad]

I was able to install crouton successfully, however, I am having trouble getting kvm to work. It seems like there are some additional kvm kernel modules need to be installed. Is it possible to install these? If so how would I be able to accomplish this. Thanks again for providing these great scripts!

[nadewad]

Essentially I am trying to run a Windows 8 vm within the ubuntu guest OS. Is this possible?

[dnschneid]

You'd have to compile KVM for the Chromium OS kernel, disable verified boot, make the root FS writable (you'll lose auto-updates), and then install the kernel module. I wouldn't recommend it.

[nadewad]

Thanks for your advice. I think I'll stick of Ubuntu Unity. With the 3.9 kernel having support for Chrome OS, is it likely that virtualization support will be provided in a future chromeOS update? Thanks again.

[dnschneid]

Nope. It has no place in Chromium OS, so it's been omitted by choice, as far as I know.

[dkovach]

Just checking this answer remains the same 2 years later...

KVM acceleration support is needed for Android development and allowing it's emulation to work. I am trying to use Crouton to run Linux and my Android SDK, but need KVM support, bios setting changed, which I know is a kernel change.

There is no way to have a special target of an image of a Chromium build that has KVM support for this specific reason? I can see why running virtualized machines doesn't make a ton of sense using Crouton... but, KVM support for Android dev does...

Thoughts?

[DennisLfromGA]

@dkovach - There is at least one approach that works but it's a definite DIY project.
Take a look at this issue #1733 and the related article.

[dkovach]

Thanks @DennisLfromGA I saw that in my travels on this yesterday, and good to have you vouch for that solution. It is indeed very clear and enticing to maybe try that DIY project... I really want to not have a separate Linux machine, I really want a Chromebook with option to run Linux, so impressed with Crouton... but, it gets to a point of time/money and maybe just easier to get a dedicated Linux laptop.

Crouton allowing better speed than a virtual machine and shared resourcing with the ChromeOS -- really makes it enticing to keep trying to get a Chromebook to do Android development. That article looks like the only way.

I guess you also have to have the right type of Chromebook that is not locked to I guess the <= 3.4 Kernel as I am using a Acer C710 and though it says it will allow acceleration, I saw a comment from @dnschneid stating Crouton won't run accelerated on it.

It is weird that Google can't just get/make Android native development on ChromeOS a possibility.

[DennisLfromGA]

@dkovach,

In my early Chrome OS days when it was just me and my trusty Cr-48 and 'crouton' had yet to be invented - or at least not yet released to us mere mortals, I tried various builds using the 'Chromium OS Developer Guide' method and even used other 'test pilots' builds - tvierling,moraj,hexxeh to name some. Just so you know, this was back in January of 2011 around version 10 (0.10.157.2011_01_26_1111). It was a lot of fun and truly got me hooked on Chromebooks.
So, to cut to the chase, the method linked above by Ron Minnich is definitely one way of getting KVM.

My Cr-48 still works, albeit at a snails pace, but I've added an Acer C710 (4GB RAM / 128GB SSD) and more recently an HP Chromebook 14 (4GB RAM / 128GB SSD). I've configured both with 'crispy crouton' ( that's 'ChRoots In a Seperate Partition - Yay! CROUTON' ) and ChrUbuntu.

Our Acer C710 (Parrot)s, however unfortunately, do not have the legacy boot (Sea BIOS) option so, as far as I know, they are still reliant on the Chrome OS kernel.

The HP Chromebook 14 (Falco), the older model, does have legacy boot and can boot other kernels like Jay Lee mentions in 'ChrUbuntu for New Chromebooks: Now with more Ubuntu'. I've loaded Linux Mint 17.1 Rebecca in the ChrUbuntu partiton that I boot with Ctrl+L but I haven't tried adding KVM to the kernel on it since 1) I hadn't been doing any VMs on it and 2) I've had to give it up to my wife since her windoze PC died - she loves it BTW.

With the Acer C710, I think your only option is to use Ron's method - backing up everything important first of course. If it doesn't work you can always do a usb restore.

[gvrajesh]

Future sounds promising. Leaving some relevant links here...

https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/platform/crosvm/
https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/platform2/+/6c976ef165ee22ddf274035d16b8e2071b29cb0f/vm_tools/
https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/overlays/board-overlays/+/24a9d16fc15c3d07d726f3f974a541572d3584e5/project-termina/