The Linux kernel has been ported so that it runs on itself, in a set of Linux
processes. The result is a user space virtual machine using simulated hardware
constructed from services provided by the host kernel. A Linux virtual machine
is capable of running nearly all of the applications and services available
on the host architecture. This paper describes the capabilities of a user-mode
virtual machine, the design and implementation of the port, some of the applications
that it lends itself to, and some of the work that remains to be done.
This paper was originally published in the
Proceedings of the 4th Annual Linux Showcase and Conference, Atlanta,
October 10-14, 2000, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Papers Index