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I'm new to Linux. I'm trying to build Chromium OS and run it on QEMU. Meanwhile I came across Linux KVM, Virtualbox and VMWare. So I have basically two questions about virtualization in Linux:

  1. What are the top popular open source virtualization systems that are used in the industry today? Do I have more choices for example when running another distro on top of my Ubuntu box?

  2. If someone has experience with virtualization in Linux would you please share some hints when to use what? Which ones are used to set up a cloud?

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  • As guys below noted, there's also XEN, which might cause you some headache while configuring it, but once you've done installing it - you'll have (AFAIK) the most low-level userspace virtualisation system available. XEN and KVM drop into one category (as well as proxmox, as it's based on KVM) and allow you to run VMs in low-level virtualization, i.e. you can detatch your PCI/USB/... devices from your HOST OS and give them away to your VMs. xen/kvm are much closer to the HW of your PC. Commented May 15, 2015 at 6:30
  • on the other hand VmWare and VBox are good choices too, especially if your CPU does not support virtualization and/or direct access to devices (speaking in intel terms - VTx and VTd).VmW and VBox can boot-up their own virtual PC and run instructions there (while they can also support VT-x/VT-d). Commented May 15, 2015 at 6:38
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    I used to love VBox when I had only a netbook w/o VT-x/VT-d. VMs were never lightning-fast... but they were available at least. Once I got my desktop PC with all the Intel CPU toys available, qemu/KVM is THE ONE for me as it lets me to give one of my GPUs away to Windows VM (I can install drivers there, play games, use AutoCad etc..). Yes, qemu/kvm is not as easy to maintain as VBox/VmW, but that's my choice. Commented May 15, 2015 at 6:43
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    Last note.. If you like messing around with your Linux build AND have VT-x/VT-d enabled CPU - I'd suggest you to go with qemu/KVM or xen. You'll have some fun headache building your VM... but it's fun :) But if you lack those VT-? flags on CPU AND/OR you're prefer staying in the UserLand (nice GUI, easy maintenance, no worries about drivers, shared folders, nifty tools), I'd suggest VmW/VBox. Commented May 15, 2015 at 6:50
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    VMware is not opensource. Virtualbox is partly opensource, but I've never seen or heard of it being used outside of as a desktop virtualization system. Xen, I've only seen being used for virtual desktop environments (as sold by Citrix, which I also believe is not all opensource). I believe KVM is the top of mind opensource virtualization now. But I don't have numbers, just my opinion based on limited observations. Commented May 15, 2015 at 12:59

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Are there more popular virtualization systems than the ones I mentioned above?

You listed almost all popular virtualization systems, except 'Xen'.

When to use what?

Since you are using Ubuntu box, I suggest qemu/kvm for you. You can start with 'virt-manager', which is 'GUI front' of libvirt/qemu/kvm, and looks very similar to 'vBox or VmWare Workstation' on windows.

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It depends. I like Virtualbox because of its GUI—it's simple but complete—and speed. But I also use kvm-qemu with libvirt, because it's faster and more configurable than Virtualbox. I don't like VMWare (Workstation) because it's commercial, closed source and really heavy. I like it only because it was one the first commercial companies which supported Linux by releasing VMWare Workstation and Server in the 90's. For virtualization there are a lot of products under Linux, you choose the product you like.

X86: VMWare, qemu, kvm, bochs (slow but works well with older operating systems), pc emulator
PPC: PearPc: very slow, claims to emulate old ppc mac-os
Sparc: qemu, slow and with cpu at 100%, emulates old solaris version
Alpha: some commercial emulators, good speed
Itanium: none

There are also a lot of emulators for unmaintained and old platforms, like basilisk, sheepsaver and a lot of others.

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  • Why isn't there any virtualization product for Itanium? Is the architecture too hard for virtualization? Commented May 15, 2015 at 9:15
  • I don't know why,consider also PPC is hard to emulate for many reason,the pearpc emulator is really slow and emulate only (and bad) old mac OS PPC until 10.4,those architecture are really different from intel and are "linked" to big corporation which for easy to understand reason never give the possibility to emulate their products,atm if you want to use a very ppc(testing AIX for example) you must buy a PPC workstation used from ebay,or wait for a good emulator,maybe the next 10 years or 20 years will reserve a good surprise for us. Commented May 15, 2015 at 18:31
  • And i forgot another architecture never emulated,the HPPA from HP,used recently an old workstation of 400mhz,very good performance for a 400mhz CPU! Commented May 15, 2015 at 18:32
  • How does, performance wise, KVM (Using Gnome Boxes) compare to VirtualBox (Let's say running Windows 10 on Linux System)? Commented May 8, 2018 at 20:48

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