Lguest is an open source, minimal 32-bit x86 hypervisor for the Linux kernel. It is targeted at Linux developers and users wanting to experiment with virtualization with the minimum of complexity.
Lguest is not a full virtualization solution, as it operates the Linux kernel with lguest support. It comprises two main parts: a kernel module and a client launcher.
Lguest is designed to be simple to use and modify, with the aim of keeping the codebase small. It is only about 5,000 lines of code.
Lguest uses the same kernel image (compiled with CONFIG_LGUEST) as host and guest.
Key Features
- Easy to set up and use.
- Kernel module which runs in a normal kernel.
- Simple I/O model for communication.
- Simple program to create new guests.
- Testbed for new ideas.
Website: lguest.ozlabs.org
Support:
Developer: Rusty Russell
License: GNU General Public License v2.0
Related Software
| Hypervisors | |
|---|---|
| Proxmox | Virtualization management platform |
| Xen Hypervisor | Fastest and most secure infrastructure virtualization solution |
| KVM | Full virtualization solution for x86 hardware |
| oVirt | Virtualization solution for your entire enterprise |
| Firecracker | Create and run lightweight microVMs |
| XCP-ng | High performance enterprise level virtualization platform |
| Lguest | Little hypervisor designed for experimentation with virtualization |
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