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Intel Prepares For Mainline GVT-g Graphics Virtualization Support

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  • Intel Prepares For Mainline GVT-g Graphics Virtualization Support

    Phoronix: Intel Prepares For Mainline GVT-g Graphics Virtualization Support

    Intel's open-source developers maintaining GVT-g for Linux graphics virtualization support for their hardware are working on migrating their development workflow from this code that's been out-of-tree since its inception to now being mainline...

    Phoronix, Linux Hardware Reviews, Linux hardware benchmarks, Linux server benchmarks, Linux benchmarking, Desktop Linux, Linux performance, Open Source graphics, Linux How To, Ubuntu benchmarks, Ubuntu hardware, Phoronix Test Suite

  • #2
    Whenever this will get released, it makes me wonder: could you use something like Bumblebee so you can effectively forward a discrete GPU to the VM? I'm not too fluent in how all that works so I wouldn't be surprised if that's not realistic, but if it worked then other GPUs wouldn't need to do this.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by schmidtbag View Post
      Whenever this will get released, it makes me wonder: could you use something like Bumblebee so you can effectively forward a discrete GPU to the VM? I'm not too fluent in how all that works so I wouldn't be surprised if that's not realistic, but if it worked then other GPUs wouldn't need to do this.
      No. Bumblebee is for X only.

      You can use PCI passthrough if you want to do that, I think.

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      • #4
        i wonder how does this compare to virGL

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        • #5
          Originally posted by davidbepo View Post
          i wonder how does this compare to virGL
          it's better i think, it will use the windows drivers by intel

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          • #6
            Originally posted by tildearrow View Post
            No. Bumblebee is for X only.

            You can use PCI passthrough if you want to do that, I think.
            But if you're using a VM like Virtualbox or VMWare Fusion, aren't those X applications? I got the impression that Bumblebee basically forwards any instructions from a discrete GPU to the Intel GPU. But again, I don't know enough about how it works, since for example I'm not sure if the application requires direct access to the discrete GPU.

            PCI passthrough isn't generally a viable option for graphics use, due to GART issues. Only a handful of GPUs can get around this, and only programs like Xen and ESXi seem to specifically support GPU passthrough, both of which are hypervisors.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by davidbepo View Post
              i wonder how does this compare to virGL
              AFAIK virgl is stagnant and not developed anymore. I hope to be wrong.
              ## VGA ##
              AMD: X1950XTX, HD3870, HD5870
              Intel: GMA45, HD3000 (Core i5 2500K)

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              • #8
                Originally posted by schmidtbag View Post
                PCI passthrough isn't generally a viable option for graphics use, due to GART issues. Only a handful of GPUs can get around this, and only programs like Xen and ESXi seem to specifically support GPU passthrough, both of which are hypervisors.
                I use PCI passthrough on kvm for a year now, and it works pretty good ! Nvidia on the guest, Nvidia (or Intel) on the host.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by schmidtbag View Post
                  I got the impression that Bumblebee basically forwards any instructions from a discrete GPU to the Intel GPU.
                  No, Bumblebee sets up two graphics cards, then sends the instructions to one or other. At the hardware level, the "selected GPU" executes the instructions, but it is always the discrete one that sends the framebuffer to the display.

                  Intel GVT cannot use other GPUs, it is intended for Intel GPUs only. If you have a Nvidia Optimus machine, you simply cannot use the Nvidia GPU with GVT. The only solution remains the pci passthrough.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by pabloski View Post
                    Intel GVT cannot use other GPUs, it is intended for Intel GPUs only. If you have a Nvidia Optimus machine, you simply cannot use the Nvidia GPU with GVT. The only solution remains the pci passthrough.
                    PCIe passthrough alone is pointless on a Optimus machine as the NVIDIA GPU is not connected to output ports (either to screen or to external ports).

                    With GVT working, PCIe passthrough gets interesting though as the VM will see also the Intel GPU that is the one controlling the screen and ports, so the VM will be able to use switchable graphics the same it does on the physical PC, rendering on NVIDIA, displaying on Intel. Theoretically.

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