+++ This bug was initially created as a clone of Bug #354651 +++

If the kvm package is installed, the /etc/sysconfig/modules/kvm.modules script
will load the kvm-intel or kvm-amd modules.  If these modules are loaded and one
tries to use VMware Server or Workstation to create a 64-bit guest, the system
will crash (presumably because both are trying to use the hardware
virtualization features).

The solution is easy: remove the kvm package (or the
/etc/sysconfig/modules/kvm.modules script).

If KVM is going to be in RHEL6, this will probably generate tickets, so at the
very least, it should be documented or in the release notes.

Or, maybe kvm.modules could check if VMware is installed and exit if so?
  [ -f /lib/modules/`uname -r`/misc/vmnet.o ] && exit

-- Additional comment from berrange on 2007-10-26 15:06 EST --
If you don't want it to crash don't install both KVM & VMWare at the same time. 

Raise a ticket with VMWare to address the crash. It is perfectly possible for
VMWare's closed source modules to detect that KVM is present & not do things
which crash the host. We cannot help with VMWare crashing the host because we
don't have control over their source code. 

Hacking the module initscripts to workaround closed source modules flaws is not
a maintainable solution.



-- Additional comment from jbastian on 2007-10-26 15:24 EST --
I agree with you that one should not install both KVM & VMware at the same time.
 However, people will install both (maybe accidentally, or maybe to compare and
contrast them), so that's why I said at the very least it should be well
documented to help prevent future tickets.

(I've actually got Xen, KVM, and VMware all on the same box so I can try all
three so I was expecting problems like this, but it took me a while to track
this one down to the /etc/sysconfig/modules/kvm.modules script.)

I understand not wanting to hack the initscripts.  I'll open a ticket with
VMware and see if they can check for KVM and Xen and warn the user before
crashing the box.


-- Additional comment from dmair on 2007-10-29 10:02 EST --
This needs to be documented.

-- Additional comment from dmair on 2007-10-29 10:03 EST --
Actually, I'll clone this for RHEL and request a release note over there.