NVIDIA Now Allows GeForce GPU Pass-Through For Windows VMs On Linux

[mppix]

I now have an threadripper system so unfortunately the convenience of embedded GPU is no longer there and that is annoying, I now will need 2x GPUs or a sepperate device (i.e. laptop and ssh) to configure and get it going but either way its something I am hoping to go at again.

does a usb-c to hdmi converter work on threadripper without gpu?

[zexelon]

does a usb-c to hdmi converter work on threadripper without gpu?

Well that is a very interesting question! I have not looked into that at all or even thought of it as an option. I have only had this computer for a couple of weeks now and its been hard pressed in development so no time to tinker yet.

I will have to explore that idea!

[oiaohm]

Nvidia surely does not want outputless cards like mining cards to be used as a desktop card for VM. But arguably, it is a better use for mining cards to do graphics and CUDA compute instead of stupid-ass-mining.

Majority of your Nvidia decanted mining cards don't have the high end compute GPUs on them instead have your high end desktop GPUs without the output circuits so a really better suited to desktop rendering than compute in hardware but Nvidia driver does not support using them that way but people have done mega hacks at times to make it work. There are a lot of Virtual desktop infrastructure(VDI) setups where you use desktop GPU with fake monitor devices plugged in purely to disable GPU downclocking due to lack of output. Yes the VDI usage is why one of Nvidia firmware blocks that a desktop GPU has to have a output to work at full speed was basically patched over instantly because those doing VDI have been using monitor dummy plugs for decades now. Yes they first started using dummy plugs in the year 2000.

It would be good if compute cards were also VDI cards. Something else to remember the Nvidia GPU in laptops are also basically outputless cards soldered on to the motherboard in most cases.

Remember VDI can be useful in build farms as in build a graphical application run that application on a CI server without a really output and take pictures of the output compare if application is working right.

Really in my mind Mining cards that Nvidia is making should be targeted at VDI and Mining and development usages where output ports could be nothing more than pest nest holes. Yes that is not where Nvidia currently targets the mining cards.

[JimmyZ]

does a usb-c to hdmi converter work on threadripper without gpu?

It won't... type-c doesn't magically provides a GPU, if you want a real USB based display adaptor, I guess the thing you want is DisplayLink, not to be confused with Display Port though.

[Buntolo]

There are a myriad of variables. Most likely related to your motherboard setup. The error 43 issue with Nvidia is very easy to bypass... it is really nice to know now though that it may not require bypassing in the near future!

I have run GPU passthrough on an i5 for many years... used the integrated HD4600 for linux and passed through the 1070. It was totally solid and made so many things nicer to manage wrt windows. The only issue I ran into was some more modern games (i.e. warzone and star craft 2 ... so basically activision/blizzard) detected the hypervisor as a cheat system and either soft banned (warzone) or would not run at all (i.e. SC2).

I now have an threadripper system so unfortunately the convenience of embedded GPU is no longer there and that is annoying, I now will need 2x GPUs or a sepperate device (i.e. laptop and ssh) to configure and get it going but either way its something I am hoping to go at again.

.
i5 3570 + quadro K600
VBIOS not UEFI compatible

From my researches I should flash it with a UEFI compatible VBIOS.

[JimmyZ]

.
i5 3570 + quadro K600
VBIOS not UEFI compatible

From my researches I should flash it with a UEFI compatible VBIOS.

If nvidia doesn't provide one, I guess you're out of luck.

[dragon321]

So AMD should continue to officially block their drivers in a VM, because it worked for you? Or what do you want to say?

If AMD would intentionally block their drivers for VM then shouldn't every their GPU refuse to work? What makes you so sure that this is intentional lock and not some bug?

[biorpg]

Whenever something done by a for-profit corporation seems perplexing, just remember that it was for profit, and then certain seemingly far-fetched reasons become a bit clearer.
In this instance, given that this "new feature" is only "supported" on Windows guests, we could reasonably assume any or all of the following:

• NVidia wishes to change the narrative surrounding (actual) support of the feature, to one that suggests it is only possible using their newest driver, with Windows as a guest.
• NVidia and Microsoft are desperately trying to keep Windows gaming alive, due to the mutual benefits of their long-standing joint efforts to keep DirectX and other proprietary middleware relevant.
• Allowing the NVidia GPU to use its proprietary drivers on Linux, so that it can be aware of when TelemetryOS is running as a guest, no doubt offers that guest Windows a few previously hidden host machine metrics they can use to "approximate a single user". (https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/getstarted/telemetry)
• They are fine with making this "sacrifice" now that RemoteFX has been removed from Windows due to being 'susceptible to security vulnerabilities'. Disabled via security update on all Windows platforms on July 14th 2020. Removed from all Windows platforms on April 13th, 2021. Just two weeks after Nvidia begins allowing Geforce passthrough. (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/kb4570006-update-to-disable-and-remove-the-remotefx-vgpu-component-in-windows-bbdf1531-7188-2bf4-0de6-641de79f09d2)

If that all sounds rather petty and inconsequential to you.. consider the all-too-obvious rapid overhaul in Window's core services and the driver support mechanisms. One possible motive for all this that rings much closer to the corporate tone, is that Microsoft is working to move the goalpost, if you will, of Wine's re-implementations of the various components of Windows, far enough out that its team of volunteers who are forced to follow a "clean room" policy, would be rather hard pressed to offer a working compatibility layer that can pass as a version of Windows that is still within its support period. This would effectively allow game developers, NVidia, or even just Microsoft themselves, to require a minimum version of Windows in order to play certain titles. Thereby diminishing the success of Steam's Linux offering, as it also relies on Wine.

Microsoft's desperation is also evident in its recent buyouts of any main-stream social platform with a population of gamers+developers.