Nested Virtualization Not Working as Expected with VirtualBox: Kubuntu in Windows 10 in Windows 11

Introduction

Running Kubuntu inside Windows 10, which itself is inside Windows 11, is an advanced use case of nested virtualization. This article will discuss how to achieve this using VirtualBox version 7.1.4r165100 on a host running Windows 10 and a guest running Windows 11.

Nested Virtualization: Overview

Nested virtualization is the ability of a virtual machine (VM) to run another VM. It involves a host machine running a hypervisor, which then runs a guest machine that also runs a hypervisor to support its own VMs.

Benefits of Nested Virtualization

Nested virtualization allows users to create a hierarchy of virtual machines, enabling them to test different configurations and scenarios. It is useful for software development, technical training, and research purposes.

Challenges of Nested Virtualization

Nested virtualization can be challenging to set up and may encounter performance issues depending on the hardware and software configurations.

VirtualBox: The Hypervisor of Choice

VirtualBox is an open-source hypervisor developed by Oracle. It supports both the x86 and AMD64 architectures. VirtualBox can run multiple VMs on a single host machine with different operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and MacOS.

VirtualBox Version 7.1.4r165100

This article will use VirtualBox version 7.1.4r165100 as the hypervisor for creating a VM running Windows 11 inside a Windows 10 host and a physical Windows 11 machine.

Running Kubuntu Inside Windows 10 Inside Windows 11

To run Kubuntu inside Windows 10 inside Windows 11, we need to create two VMs: the first VM will run Windows 10, and the second VM will run Kubuntu inside the first VM.

Creating the First VM

To create the first VM, follow these steps:

1. Download and install VirtualBox on the physical Windows 11 machine.
2. Create a new VM with the following configuration:

 Name: Windows10-VM
 Operating System: Windows
 Version: Windows 10
 Memory: 4096 MB
 Processors: 2
 Storage: SATA
 

3. Attach a virtual hard disk (VHD) to the VM.
4. Install Windows 10 on the VM.

Creating the Second VM

To create the second VM, follow these steps:

1. Install VirtualBox on the Windows 10 VM.
2. Create a new VM with the following configuration:

 Name: Kubuntu-VM
 Operating System: Linux
 Version: Other Linux (64-bit)
 Memory: 2048 MB
 Processors: 1
 Storage: SATA
 

3. Attach a VHD to the VM.
4. Install Kubuntu on the VM.

VirtualBox supports nested virtualization, allowing users to run multiple VMs on a single host machine. This article discussed creating a hierarchy of VMs using VirtualBox version 7.1.4r165100 to run Kubuntu inside Windows 10 inside a physical Windows 11 machine.

• Nested virtualization enables users to create a hierarchy of virtual machines.
• VirtualBox supports