I'm considering setting up Qubes OS with Kali Linux running inside it, and then running Parrot OS inside the Kali virtual machine. Since Qubes is built around virtualization, I'm wondering whether an ISO can be installed as a VM inside another VM, creating three layers. Is this technically possible on a normal computer, and would it be practical?
3 Answers
You probably don’t need to nest them. Qubes OS can host multiple separate virtual machines, so the simpler setup would be to run Kali and Parrot as two independent VMs alongside your other Qubes. That is easier to configure, faster, and keeps problems in one VM from affecting the others.
You can also boot or install multiple ISO images from a USB drive with a multiboot tool, but that is different from running them simultaneously. For everyday use, separate VMs under Qubes are the most practical approach; putting Parrot inside Kali adds complexity without much benefit.
The concept you’re describing is called nested virtualization: running a virtual machine inside another virtual machine. It can work when the hardware, hypervisors, and configuration support it, but performance and compatibility may be poor across multiple layers. You would need enough CPU virtualization support, memory, and storage.
That makes sense. I was mainly wondering whether the layers were technically possible, but I hadn’t considered how much performance would be lost.