How to Install KVM on Windows 10
If you’re looking to run virtual machines on your Windows 10 computer, KVM (Kernel Virtual Machine) is a powerful open-source tool that allows you to do just that. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to install KVM on your Windows 10 machine so you can start virtualizing with ease.
Step 1: Check system requirements
Before you begin the installation process, it’s essential to ensure that your system meets the necessary requirements. Your Windows 10 machine must have a 64-bit processor with virtualization support enabled in the BIOS.
Step 2: Enable Hyper-V feature
In order to run KVM on Windows 10, you’ll need to enable the Hyper-V feature. To do this, open Control Panel, click on “Programs,” then select “Turn Windows Features on or off.” Check the box next to “Hyper-V” and click “OK” to enable the feature.
Step 3: Download and install Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)
Since KVM is designed to run on Linux systems, you’ll need to install the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) on your Windows 10 machine. WSL allows you to run a Linux environment directly on Windows. You can download WSL from the Microsoft Store.
Step 4: Install KVM on WSL
Once you have WSL set up on your system, you can install KVM by running the following command in the WSL terminal:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install qemu-kvm libvirt-bin virtinst bridge-utils
These commands will update the package list and install KVM along with the necessary components to run virtual machines. You may also need to add your user account to the libvirt group to manage KVM without sudo.
Step 5: Create your first virtual machine
With KVM installed on your Windows 10 machine, you’re ready to create your first virtual machine. You can use tools like Virt Manager or virt-install to set up and manage your virtualized environments.
Conclusion
By following these steps, you can easily install KVM on Windows 10 and start virtualizing your workloads. KVM is a powerful tool that provides a seamless virtualization experience on Windows, enabling you to run multiple operating systems and applications concurrently.