What is hardware virtualization
Hardware virtualization is CPU/chipset support that helps a hypervisor run multiple isolated operating systems (virtual machines) efficiently on the same physical machine.
Typically it provides:
- CPU virtualization (Intel VT-x / AMD-V): lets a guest OS run in a controlled mode while the hypervisor retains control.
- Memory virtualization (e.g., EPT/NPT): accelerates address translation between guest and host memory.
- I/O and device virtualization (e.g., VT-d/IOMMU, SR-IOV): isolates and optionally passes through devices safely.
CPU virtualization (Intel VT-x / AMD-V)
Quick CPU capability check
egrep -wo 'vmx|svm' /proc/cpuinfo | head- vmx = Intel VT-x
- svm = AMD-V
If this prints nothing, the CPU either doesn’t support it or it’s disabled in BIOS/UEFI.