Haiku Moves Towards Virtualization with NVMM Merge, But Full Functionality Yet to Be Achieved
Haiku OS has merged the port of NVMM (NetBSD Virtual Machine Monitor) as part of a project initiated during GSoC 2024. While initial hardware virtualization support has been implemented, guest OS crashes remain unresolved, leaving the feature disabled by default.
According to a report by Phoronix’s Michael Larabel, the open-source operating system “Haiku,” inspired by BeOS, has released its June 2026 progress update. Among the key achievements over the past month are the merging of support for the NVMM virtual machine monitor, improvements to hardware drivers, and preparations for the upcoming beta release, “Haiku r1 Beta 6.”
Background and Current Status of the NVMM Port
The introduction of virtualization support for Haiku began during Google Summer of Code 2024. The project aimed to port the NetBSD Virtual Machine Monitor (NVMM) to Haiku, enabling hardware-accelerated virtualization through QEMU. This NVMM port has now been merged into Haiku’s upstream repository.
However, it has been revealed that the port is “not yet fully functional.” Specifically, guest operating systems such as Haiku or Linux encounter unexplained crashes during the later stages of the boot process. Debugging efforts have so far been unsuccessful, and as a result, NVMM support is provided in a disabled state by default. While this marks Haiku’s first attempt at virtualization support, significant challenges remain.
Other Developments
In addition to NVMM, several other improvements have been made. These include extended support for essential Bluetooth control commands, enhancements to screen brightness controls, fixes for crashes in the BFS file system, and ongoing refinements to various hardware drivers. Initial work toward supporting 64-bit PowerPC architectures has also commenced within the build system.
These developments contribute to improved OS stability and hardware compatibility. Specifically, fixes to BFS—the native file system of Haiku—directly enhance overall system reliability. Meanwhile, enhanced Bluetooth support is crucial for use cases involving laptops and tablets.
Path to r1 Beta 6
The Haiku development team is preparing for the long-awaited milestone, “Haiku r1 Beta 6.” The plan is to branch the code by the end of this week and release Beta 6 by mid-August.
Beta 6 will incorporate numerous accumulated bug fixes and feature enhancements. While virtualization support remains incomplete, the groundwork laid by these efforts positions Haiku for future releases with improved functionality. Although Haiku’s development pace has been relatively slow, the persistence of core developers and the community continues to drive progress.
As indicated by initiatives like the GNOME OS Test Center and Apple TestFlight, improving test quality is a challenge that the open-source industry as a whole faces. Haiku’s beta release process underscores the importance of community-driven testing in ensuring software quality.
Editorial Opinion
In the short term, the decision to merge NVMM into the codebase despite its current disabled state is a symbolic moment for Haiku’s development process. This approach of integrating unfinished features into the codebase is not uncommon among open-source projects. The next three to six months will be crucial in determining whether feedback from the community and additional patches can improve NVMM’s stability. However, given the unresolved nature of the crashes, a quick resolution seems unlikely.
From a long-term perspective, Haiku’s move toward virtualization is significant. Hardware virtualization via QEMU is a key element in positioning Haiku as a practical development and testing environment. If NVMM stabilizes within the next one to three years, it will unlock new use cases, such as running other operating systems on Haiku. Additionally, the initial work toward 64-bit PowerPC support signals a move toward accommodating a broader range of hardware platforms.
The editorial team is particularly interested in understanding the specific use cases Haiku envisions for this virtualization feature.
References
- “Haiku Merges NVMM For Initial Virtualization Support, But It Doesn’t Yet Fully Work”, by Michael Larabel — Phoronix, 2026-07-14T10:11:00.000Z (ARR)
- Source URL: https://www.phoronix.com/news/Haiku-June-2026
Frequently Asked Questions
- How can NVMM support be used in Haiku OS?
- NVMM provides hardware-accelerated virtualization in combination with QEMU. However, it is currently disabled by default due to unresolved issues causing guest OS crashes during boot. Users can enable it explicitly via kernel parameters, but stability is not guaranteed.
- When will Haiku r1 Beta 6 be released?
- The development team plans to branch the code by late July 2026 and release Beta 6 by mid-August. While no specific date has been announced, the goal is to release it within August.
- Can KVM or VirtualBox be used as alternatives to NVMM?
- Haiku does not currently offer native support for KVM or VirtualBox. NVMM is its first attempt at hardware virtualization. QEMU can operate in software emulation mode, but performance is significantly reduced.
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