Can I disable all linux graphics adapters at boot?
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I think I would like to try a VGA-passthrough of my primary (and only) nVidia graphics adapter via qemu and vfio to a virtual machine. As near as I can tell, I meet all of the other qualifications described here for making this work, and have already verified that my adapter is the sole occupant of its own IOMMU group. But I have only the one adapter.
My suspicion is that I can setup the boot process to report to a serial console rather than a VGA console, and thereby free the host kernel from any ties to the adapter. I can initiate a SPICE-agent or x11vnc server in the host, and, once my guest boots with control of the video, I can remote back to the host's display - a sort of symbiotic relationship, maybe.
But I have little experience with serial consoles or vesafb's or any of that, and, though searching has made it abundantly clear that headless installations are possible, I've discovered nothing whatsoever about whether the same is true even when a graphics card is present?
linux graphics qemu
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:13
Community♦
1
asked Feb 19 '15 at 12:08
mikeserv
45.2k566153
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
I think I would like to try a VGA-passthrough of my primary (and only) nVidia graphics adapter via qemu and vfio to a virtual machine. As near as I can tell, I meet all of the other qualifications described here for making this work, and have already verified that my adapter is the sole occupant of its own IOMMU group. But I have only the one adapter.
My suspicion is that I can setup the boot process to report to a serial console rather than a VGA console, and thereby free the host kernel from any ties to the adapter. I can initiate a SPICE-agent or x11vnc server in the host, and, once my guest boots with control of the video, I can remote back to the host's display - a sort of symbiotic relationship, maybe.
But I have little experience with serial consoles or vesafb's or any of that, and, though searching has made it abundantly clear that headless installations are possible, I've discovered nothing whatsoever about whether the same is true even when a graphics card is present?
linux graphics qemu
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:13
Community♦
1
asked Feb 19 '15 at 12:08
mikeserv
45.2k566153
It seems like your idea is clear enough to try, why don't you just do it? Or are you looking for someone to warn you not to waste your time, lol? You could just leave support out of the host kernel completely, but you probably need some kind of dummy driver for X. Does qemu really need X to run?
– goldilocks
Feb 19 '15 at 13:48
@goldilocks - partly, yeah. But I'm also not sure about all the switches that need throwing, you know? I'm looking for any advice anyone might have on the matter.qemudoesn't need X - in fact, because the goal is to surrender the video adapter anyway, one of the CLI switches I'm supposed to use is-vga none. I'm just hoping someone sees this with a little more experience on the matter than I have, and maybe could save me hours/days of frustration w/ a simple tip or two - cause once I get into that stuff I'm pretty relentless no matter how stupidly unlikely my goal becomes.
– mikeserv
Feb 19 '15 at 13:54
1
I think if you just use e.g.console=ttyAMA0,115200on the kernel command line it won't use video at all; that's easy enough to test. But it could be that it can still then prevent qemu from using it, unless you just leave video support out. Or not.
– goldilocks
Feb 19 '15 at 14:03
@goldilocks - that's close to what I found here but it does also talk about initializinggettys. But browsing the kernel docs tree I was running into all kinds of stuff likefbconandvgaarbiterand other things I hadn't heard of before. I'm not sure how much of it is relevant.
– mikeserv
Feb 19 '15 at 14:06
I'm presuming you aren't really going to use the serial line? The kernel shouldn't care if it has no console at all, I think (as in by design shouldn't, I dunno if it does). I thinkfbconis the thing that gives you a line of penguins on the console at boot. You don't have to bother with that. A lot of kernel stuff can be sorted out by just grepping through[src]/Documentation.
– goldilocks
Feb 19 '15 at 14:15
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
I think I would like to try a VGA-passthrough of my primary (and only) nVidia graphics adapter via qemu and vfio to a virtual machine. As near as I can tell, I meet all of the other qualifications described here for making this work, and have already verified that my adapter is the sole occupant of its own IOMMU group. But I have only the one adapter.
My suspicion is that I can setup the boot process to report to a serial console rather than a VGA console, and thereby free the host kernel from any ties to the adapter. I can initiate a SPICE-agent or x11vnc server in the host, and, once my guest boots with control of the video, I can remote back to the host's display - a sort of symbiotic relationship, maybe.
But I have little experience with serial consoles or vesafb's or any of that, and, though searching has made it abundantly clear that headless installations are possible, I've discovered nothing whatsoever about whether the same is true even when a graphics card is present?
linux graphics qemu
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:13
Community♦
1
asked Feb 19 '15 at 12:08
mikeserv
45.2k566153
I think I would like to try a VGA-passthrough of my primary (and only) nVidia graphics adapter via qemu and vfio to a virtual machine. As near as I can tell, I meet all of the other qualifications described here for making this work, and have already verified that my adapter is the sole occupant of its own IOMMU group. But I have only the one adapter.
My suspicion is that I can setup the boot process to report to a serial console rather than a VGA console, and thereby free the host kernel from any ties to the adapter. I can initiate a SPICE-agent or x11vnc server in the host, and, once my guest boots with control of the video, I can remote back to the host's display - a sort of symbiotic relationship, maybe.
But I have little experience with serial consoles or vesafb's or any of that, and, though searching has made it abundantly clear that headless installations are possible, I've discovered nothing whatsoever about whether the same is true even when a graphics card is present?
linux graphics qemu
linux graphics qemu
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:13
Community♦
1
asked Feb 19 '15 at 12:08
mikeserv
45.2k566153
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:13
Community♦
1
asked Feb 19 '15 at 12:08
mikeserv
45.2k566153
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:13
Community♦
1
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:13
Community♦
1
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:13
Community♦
1
1
asked Feb 19 '15 at 12:08
mikeserv
45.2k566153
asked Feb 19 '15 at 12:08
mikeserv
45.2k566153
asked Feb 19 '15 at 12:08
mikeserv
45.2k566153
45.2k566153
It seems like your idea is clear enough to try, why don't you just do it? Or are you looking for someone to warn you not to waste your time, lol? You could just leave support out of the host kernel completely, but you probably need some kind of dummy driver for X. Does qemu really need X to run?
– goldilocks
Feb 19 '15 at 13:48
@goldilocks - partly, yeah. But I'm also not sure about all the switches that need throwing, you know? I'm looking for any advice anyone might have on the matter.qemudoesn't need X - in fact, because the goal is to surrender the video adapter anyway, one of the CLI switches I'm supposed to use is-vga none. I'm just hoping someone sees this with a little more experience on the matter than I have, and maybe could save me hours/days of frustration w/ a simple tip or two - cause once I get into that stuff I'm pretty relentless no matter how stupidly unlikely my goal becomes.
– mikeserv
Feb 19 '15 at 13:54
1
I think if you just use e.g.console=ttyAMA0,115200on the kernel command line it won't use video at all; that's easy enough to test. But it could be that it can still then prevent qemu from using it, unless you just leave video support out. Or not.
– goldilocks
Feb 19 '15 at 14:03
@goldilocks - that's close to what I found here but it does also talk about initializinggettys. But browsing the kernel docs tree I was running into all kinds of stuff likefbconandvgaarbiterand other things I hadn't heard of before. I'm not sure how much of it is relevant.
– mikeserv
Feb 19 '15 at 14:06
I'm presuming you aren't really going to use the serial line? The kernel shouldn't care if it has no console at all, I think (as in by design shouldn't, I dunno if it does). I thinkfbconis the thing that gives you a line of penguins on the console at boot. You don't have to bother with that. A lot of kernel stuff can be sorted out by just grepping through[src]/Documentation.
– goldilocks
Feb 19 '15 at 14:15
add a comment |
It seems like your idea is clear enough to try, why don't you just do it? Or are you looking for someone to warn you not to waste your time, lol? You could just leave support out of the host kernel completely, but you probably need some kind of dummy driver for X. Does qemu really need X to run?
– goldilocks
Feb 19 '15 at 13:48
@goldilocks - partly, yeah. But I'm also not sure about all the switches that need throwing, you know? I'm looking for any advice anyone might have on the matter.qemudoesn't need X - in fact, because the goal is to surrender the video adapter anyway, one of the CLI switches I'm supposed to use is-vga none. I'm just hoping someone sees this with a little more experience on the matter than I have, and maybe could save me hours/days of frustration w/ a simple tip or two - cause once I get into that stuff I'm pretty relentless no matter how stupidly unlikely my goal becomes.
– mikeserv
Feb 19 '15 at 13:54
1
I think if you just use e.g.console=ttyAMA0,115200on the kernel command line it won't use video at all; that's easy enough to test. But it could be that it can still then prevent qemu from using it, unless you just leave video support out. Or not.
– goldilocks
Feb 19 '15 at 14:03
@goldilocks - that's close to what I found here but it does also talk about initializinggettys. But browsing the kernel docs tree I was running into all kinds of stuff likefbconandvgaarbiterand other things I hadn't heard of before. I'm not sure how much of it is relevant.
– mikeserv
Feb 19 '15 at 14:06
I'm presuming you aren't really going to use the serial line? The kernel shouldn't care if it has no console at all, I think (as in by design shouldn't, I dunno if it does). I thinkfbconis the thing that gives you a line of penguins on the console at boot. You don't have to bother with that. A lot of kernel stuff can be sorted out by just grepping through[src]/Documentation.
– goldilocks
Feb 19 '15 at 14:15
It seems like your idea is clear enough to try, why don't you just do it? Or are you looking for someone to warn you not to waste your time, lol? You could just leave support out of the host kernel completely, but you probably need some kind of dummy driver for X. Does qemu really need X to run?
– goldilocks
Feb 19 '15 at 13:48
It seems like your idea is clear enough to try, why don't you just do it? Or are you looking for someone to warn you not to waste your time, lol? You could just leave support out of the host kernel completely, but you probably need some kind of dummy driver for X. Does qemu really need X to run?
– goldilocks
Feb 19 '15 at 13:48
@goldilocks - partly, yeah. But I'm also not sure about all the switches that need throwing, you know? I'm looking for any advice anyone might have on the matter.
qemu doesn't need X - in fact, because the goal is to surrender the video adapter anyway, one of the CLI switches I'm supposed to use is -vga none. I'm just hoping someone sees this with a little more experience on the matter than I have, and maybe could save me hours/days of frustration w/ a simple tip or two - cause once I get into that stuff I'm pretty relentless no matter how stupidly unlikely my goal becomes.– mikeserv
Feb 19 '15 at 13:54
@goldilocks - partly, yeah. But I'm also not sure about all the switches that need throwing, you know? I'm looking for any advice anyone might have on the matter.
qemu doesn't need X - in fact, because the goal is to surrender the video adapter anyway, one of the CLI switches I'm supposed to use is -vga none. I'm just hoping someone sees this with a little more experience on the matter than I have, and maybe could save me hours/days of frustration w/ a simple tip or two - cause once I get into that stuff I'm pretty relentless no matter how stupidly unlikely my goal becomes.– mikeserv
Feb 19 '15 at 13:54
1
1
I think if you just use e.g.
console=ttyAMA0,115200 on the kernel command line it won't use video at all; that's easy enough to test. But it could be that it can still then prevent qemu from using it, unless you just leave video support out. Or not.– goldilocks
Feb 19 '15 at 14:03
I think if you just use e.g.
console=ttyAMA0,115200 on the kernel command line it won't use video at all; that's easy enough to test. But it could be that it can still then prevent qemu from using it, unless you just leave video support out. Or not.– goldilocks
Feb 19 '15 at 14:03
@goldilocks - that's close to what I found here but it does also talk about initializing
gettys. But browsing the kernel docs tree I was running into all kinds of stuff like fbcon and vgaarbiter and other things I hadn't heard of before. I'm not sure how much of it is relevant.– mikeserv
Feb 19 '15 at 14:06
@goldilocks - that's close to what I found here but it does also talk about initializing
gettys. But browsing the kernel docs tree I was running into all kinds of stuff like fbcon and vgaarbiter and other things I hadn't heard of before. I'm not sure how much of it is relevant.– mikeserv
Feb 19 '15 at 14:06
I'm presuming you aren't really going to use the serial line? The kernel shouldn't care if it has no console at all, I think (as in by design shouldn't, I dunno if it does). I think
fbcon is the thing that gives you a line of penguins on the console at boot. You don't have to bother with that. A lot of kernel stuff can be sorted out by just grepping through [src]/Documentation.– goldilocks
Feb 19 '15 at 14:15
I'm presuming you aren't really going to use the serial line? The kernel shouldn't care if it has no console at all, I think (as in by design shouldn't, I dunno if it does). I think
fbcon is the thing that gives you a line of penguins on the console at boot. You don't have to bother with that. A lot of kernel stuff can be sorted out by just grepping through [src]/Documentation.– goldilocks
Feb 19 '15 at 14:15
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It seems like your idea is clear enough to try, why don't you just do it? Or are you looking for someone to warn you not to waste your time, lol? You could just leave support out of the host kernel completely, but you probably need some kind of dummy driver for X. Does qemu really need X to run?
– goldilocks
Feb 19 '15 at 13:48
@goldilocks - partly, yeah. But I'm also not sure about all the switches that need throwing, you know? I'm looking for any advice anyone might have on the matter.
qemudoesn't need X - in fact, because the goal is to surrender the video adapter anyway, one of the CLI switches I'm supposed to use is-vga none. I'm just hoping someone sees this with a little more experience on the matter than I have, and maybe could save me hours/days of frustration w/ a simple tip or two - cause once I get into that stuff I'm pretty relentless no matter how stupidly unlikely my goal becomes.– mikeserv
Feb 19 '15 at 13:54
1
I think if you just use e.g.
console=ttyAMA0,115200on the kernel command line it won't use video at all; that's easy enough to test. But it could be that it can still then prevent qemu from using it, unless you just leave video support out. Or not.– goldilocks
Feb 19 '15 at 14:03
@goldilocks - that's close to what I found here but it does also talk about initializing
gettys. But browsing the kernel docs tree I was running into all kinds of stuff likefbconandvgaarbiterand other things I hadn't heard of before. I'm not sure how much of it is relevant.– mikeserv
Feb 19 '15 at 14:06
I'm presuming you aren't really going to use the serial line? The kernel shouldn't care if it has no console at all, I think (as in by design shouldn't, I dunno if it does). I think
fbconis the thing that gives you a line of penguins on the console at boot. You don't have to bother with that. A lot of kernel stuff can be sorted out by just grepping through[src]/Documentation.– goldilocks
Feb 19 '15 at 14:15