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I need to use Win10 with a server created with VMware ESXi 5.0. I'm going to install Debian 6.0 on VMware ESXi 5.0 and then install VirtualBox 5.0.14 with Win10 guest operating system. Will it work?

fuero
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Iren
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  • this looks similar to [How to run VMWare ESX or ESXi in a virtual machine?](http://serverfault.com/questions/28399/how-to-run-vmware-esx-or-esxi-in-a-virtual-machine) but you are using a bit of a different mix of tech. Though the key settings and hardware needed are for the physical host level and the VM parameters set in the physical host for the mid level machine. – BeowulfNode42 Mar 03 '16 at 08:05
  • @BeowulfNode42 Thanks, but in that topic they are dealing with the opposite question. Thus, they're installing ESX / ESXi inside the virtual machine, while I'm trying to run VirtualBox inside ESXi. – Iren Mar 03 '16 at 15:53
  • Why don't you just create a Windows 10 VM in ESXi? – joeqwerty Mar 03 '16 at 15:54

1 Answers1

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This is called "nested" virtualization and it's possible for some combination of hypervisor.

The reason is that for nested virtualization to work, the first hypervisor need to pass to the second one some CPU features (Intel VT-x or AMD-V).

VirtualBox does not support it. It has been a feature request for 7 years now! Source here.

But as I understand it that means it cannot be the first hypervisor, but maybe it could be the second one...

Why not update your ESXi to 5.5 then have directly your Windows 10 on ESXi?

Update

As of November 2018 it seems it will be supported soon.
From the previously linked page:

Nested AMD-V is functional (although not feature complete). Nested VT-x is still work-in-progress.

Update2 - April 2019

From @cursed_axes comment :

With VirtualBox 6.0.6: Oracle VM VirtualBox supports nested virtualization on host systems that run AMD CPUs. This feature enables the passthrough of hardware virtualization functions to the guest VM. That means that you can install a hypervisor, such as Oracle VM VirtualBox, Oracle VM Server or KVM, on an Oracle VM VirtualBox guest. You can then create and run VMs within the guest VM

JFL
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  • also see about nesting ESXi within ESXi 5 on http://www.virtuallyghetto.com/2011/07/how-to-enable-support-for-nested-64bit.html – BeowulfNode42 Mar 03 '16 at 08:13
  • With VirtualBox 6.0.6: Oracle VM VirtualBox supports nested virtualization on host systems that run AMD CPUs. This feature enables the passthrough of hardware virtualization functions to the guest VM. That means that you can install a hypervisor, such as Oracle VM VirtualBox, Oracle VM Server or KVM, on an Oracle VM VirtualBox guest. You can then create and run VMs within the guest VM. https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/UserManual.html#nested-virt – cursed_axes Apr 26 '19 at 07:19
  • @cursed_axes thanks for the info, adding it to the answer for more visibility – JFL Apr 26 '19 at 07:24