Running Nested Hypervisors with VMware Workstation on Fedora 20

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Introduction

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In this article, we will walk through the process of running nested hypervisors within a virtual machine (VM) environment using VMware Workstation. Specifically, we'll be focusing on setting up ESXi and Windows guests under a host operating system like Fedora 20.

Prerequisites

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Before proceeding with these instructions, ensure you have:

1. A working installation of VMware Workstariong 10.x or higher.

2. The latest version of the Guest Tools installed in your target guest OS (ESX/Windows).

Step-by-Step Installation Guide for ESXi on Fedora 20 VM

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### Step 1: Download and Extract the ESXi ISO

Download an appropriate ESXi build from VMware's official download page.

Once downloaded, extract it to a directory of choice. For this example, let's assume we've extracted it into `~/esxi`.

```bash

mkdir -p ~/vmware/esxiconfig/

cd ~/vmware/esxiconfig/

sudo tar xvf ESXi-6.x.iso --strip=1 .

```

### Step 2: Create a New VMware Workstation Virtual Machine

Launch the VMware Workstation application, then click on 'File' -> 'New VM...' and follow through with the wizard until you reach the 'Operating System' step.

Select `Other` as your operating system since ESXi is not listed. Click Next to proceed:

### Step 3: Configure Virtual Machine Settings

1. In the hardware tab, ensure that VT-x/AMD-V virtualization support is enabled for optimal performance.

2. Set up network settings as needed (e.g., NAT, Bridged).

### Step 4: Install ESXi Guest Operating System

Power on your newly created VM and follow through with the text-based ESXi installation process.

Step-by-Step Installation Guide for Windows Guests under Fedora 20 Host

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Note that these steps also apply to other supported guest operating systems like Ubuntu, RHEL etc. The main difference will be in selecting an appropriate ISO image during Step 1 below.

### Step 1: Download and Extract the Guest OS ISO

Download a suitable version of your chosen Windows (or any supported) operating system from Microsoft's official download page or another trusted source.

Extract it to a directory on your host machine. For example, let's assume we've extracted `Windows10x64.iso` into `~/vmware/guests/`.

```bash

mkdir -p ~/vmware/guests/

cd ~/vm troubleshootinge/vmware/guests/

sudo tar xvf Windows10x64.iso --strip=1 .

```

### Step 2: Create a New VMware Workstation Virtual Machine

Launch the VMware Workstation application, then click on 'File' -> 'New VM...' and follow through with the wizard until you reach the 'Operating System' step.

Select `Windows` as your operating system. Click Next to proceed:

### Step 3: Configure Virtual Machine Settings

1. In the hardware tab, ensure that VT-x/AMD-V virtualization support is enabled for optimal performance.

2. Set up network settings as needed (e.g., NAT, Bridged).

### Step 4: Install Guest Operating System

Power on your newly created VM and follow through with the graphical Windows installation process.

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In conclusion, we have successfully set up a nested hypervisor environment using VMware Workstation to run ESXi or other guest operating systems like Windows under our host Fedora 20 system. This guide should also serve as an excellent starting point for experimenting with various configurations on supported platforms such as Ubuntu, RHEL etc.

Remember that running virtualization software requires hardware support (VT-x/AMD-V) enabled in the BIOS settings of your physical machine(s). Always refer to VMware's official documentation and release notes for any specific compatibility issues or known workaringspecifics related to your particular setup.

Vmware workstation 10 fedora 20