LOVE XCP-NG but don't know how to do this

Software & Web Applications
1

So, I want to build a machine that works JUST like a regular XCP-NG install… EXCEPT for one thing.

I want to be able to “send” the output of 1 VM to my monitor and peripherals so that, outwardly, it functions just like a normal desktop. Under the hood, I still have 7-10 VM’s all doing their thing, as usual. Everything else stays the same.

How do I do this?

2

You don’t without a lot of work because it is not designed to work that way.

3

So, how could I build something like this?

4

That is a really broad question so here is a broad answer: The code is open source, so start coding and build the system you want.

5

So, is there another solution (not XCP-NG) that will do this out of the box? Unraid perhaps?

6

Unraid would work. I use ESXi (free version) and it can do pretty much what you’re asking for. You’ll have to have a dedicated GPU for the VM and pass some USB ports to the VM too.

7

Proxmox can do this as well I believe, never done it myself.

8

This is all good info… but another question, if I set up USB passthrough for my keyboard and mouse, as well as GPU passthrough, why is this impossible on XCP-NG?

9

The pass through is not impossible, it’s just not a feature exposed in Xen Orchestra
https://wiki.xenproject.org/wiki/Xen_PCI_Passthrough

10

Most type 1 hypervisors are geared towards servers and virtual desktops with thin clients for accessing them. Where as a type 2 hypervisor you would run on a desktop OS and then use it to run other virtual machines, think VirtualBox.

I looked at taking my main desktop and having Proxmox installed to the baremetal and then adding a second video card to allow for a virtual machine to be my desktop with a mouse, keyboard and monitor and then creating a second Virtual machine with a third video card to run using another keyboard and mouse as a windows machine. I ran into a number of problems, first the stablity of getting my motherboard, CPU to work with passthough and also running out of PCIe lanes for all the needed hardware connections. I ended up just building a smaller machine for use as my daily linux box.

2 Likes
11

XCP-NG is not your friend in this case unless you have supported GPU that can be passed through. However, even if you manage to pass through a GPU in XCP-NG, you will run into the issue of passing through USB devices. You would be better off using Hyper-V role installed on your regular windows 10 desktop (that way you can have VMs that always run independent of the windows 10 OS) or use KVM if you use a linux desktop.

12

hey, sorry to bump this…i managed to get my gpu passthrough working.
now …can i output to HDMI?
or is it not possible…i only have 1 GPU