Making use of Linux’s Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) opens up new possibilities while users can still enjoy the VirtualBox VMM itself. The KVM support is part of the mainline kernel so there is less worries with not having to use the VirtualBox kernel driver, KVM tends to support new features quite quickly, and tends to be more actively developed than VirtualBox and is embraced by a range of organizations. Early users of this backend by Cyberus customers are said to be experiencing better performance too.

  • Karna@lemmy.mlOP
    311·
    9 months ago

    Known issues and limitations

    Currently, Intel x86_64 is the only supported host platform.
    AMD will most likely work too but is considered experimental at the moment.
Linux is required as a host operating system for building and running VirtualBox KVM.
Starting with Intel Tiger Lake (11th Gen Core processors) or newer, split lock detection must be turned off in the host system. This can be achieved using the Linux kernel command line parameter split_lock_detect=off or using the split_lock_mitigate sysctl.

    Source: https://github.com/cyberus-technology/virtualbox-kvm

  • LeFantome@programming.dev
    17·
    9 months ago

    This is really interesting and great news. I use VirtManager and Boxes but find VirtualBox to be easier to use and configure.

    Commercially, there are sometimes VirtualBox images available that cannot be used with QEMU. I think even Microsoft makes “test” instances of Windows available as VB images.

    VirtualBox is cross platform. I teach sometimes and, while I am using Linux, most of the students use Windows or macOS. It is easier to create instructions and give demos that use VirualBox. This announcement will be great for me.

  • flatpandisk@lemm.ee
    4·
    9 months ago

    Dumb question: why would anyone improve VBox?

    I have heard of Oracle looking at IP addresses and if they notice a trend they try to collect a license off it. Same crap they do with Java. Do people use VBox and not concerned of Oracle looking over them?

    I loved VBox back then, it worked great.

    • ikidd@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      9 months ago

      The performance of Virtual Box wasn’t even a contest vs KVM/QEMU. It’s easy to use, though VirtManager has gotten close to the ease of use that VB has.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldBEnglish
    2·
    9 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    Cyberus Technology announced today the open-source release of a KVM back-end developed for VirtualBox.

    This new back-end allows the VirtualBox VMM to run virtual machines utilizing the Linux KVM hypervisor instead of the custom kernel module relied upon by the standard Oracle VM VirtualBox software.

    Making use of Linux’s Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) opens up new possibilities while users can still enjoy the VirtualBox VMM itself.

    The KVM support is part of the mainline kernel so there is less worries with not having to use the VirtualBox kernel driver, KVM tends to support new features quite quickly, and tends to be more actively developed than VirtualBox and is embraced by a range of organizations.

    Cyberus intends to continue developing this VirtualBox KVM back-end and implement more features over the course of the year.

    More details on the VirtualBox KVM back-end are available from the announcement at Cyberus Technology.

    The original article contains 173 words, the summary contains 148 words. Saved 14%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

  • EddyBot@feddit.de
    1·
    9 months ago

    hope this helps with the dumbster fire of the virtualbox version in the official Ubuntu repositories
    (virtual box basically “breaks” on Ubuntu LTS once a newer HWE kernel gets released unless you install a newer version of it, leading to hundreds of support threads every time this happens)