Configuring a headless Linux OS installation strictly for virtualizing then managing a Windows installation?

Operating Systems & Open Source Linux
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101

So, the device is visible in the Windows 10 VM.

Screenshot from 2017-12-18 15-48-07
Screenshot from 2017-12-18 15-48-07.png746x540 57.5 KB

I mean, I don’t know how adding the PCI-e controller is going to change that?

Code 43 is caused by Nvidia drivers noticing they’re in a Virtual Machine and simply not working.

I have to find the right settings to trick the drivers into thinking they’re not in a VM, AFAIK.

102

Yeah I understand what you’re trying to do (hiding the host). But at this point there’s a lot of trial-and-error. Existing Windows installations sometimes aren’t kind to VM hardware changes (e.g increasing the amount of CPU’s for the VM)

Can also try to reinstall and just let windows update take care of the display drivers.

Others have reported ‘code 43’ gone in windows 8.1 and/or older drivers

1 Like
103

I have tried just using Windows Update and AFAIK reinstalling is just going to do that.

I must use Windows 10. The older drivers that lack the check are Version 340ish and those all only support Windows 8.1 or older.

So my only real option is to trick the drivers rather than get something without the check.

I may try to patch the drivers to work on Windows 10:

https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=229122

1 Like
104

Welp, patching the driver didn’t fix the issue.

I imagine it’s tied to this error:

kvm: -device vfio-pci,host=02:00.0,id=hostpci0.0,bus=ich9-pcie-port-1,addr=0x0.0,multifunction=on,romfile=/usr/share/kvm/GK208_BIOS_FILE.bin: 
Failed to mmap 0000:02:00.0 BAR 3. Performance may be slow

I’ve tried everything I have found to get the host to let go of the GPU. Here is my defaut GRUB line:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet amd_iommu=on video=vesafb:off,efifb:off nomodeset pcie_acs_override=downstream"

So the video is entirely disabled on the host. Or it should be.

And vfio-pci is definitely attached to the GPU.

lspci -k
02:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GK208B [GeForce GT 710] (rev a1)
	Subsystem: eVga.com. Corp. GK208 [GeForce GT 710B]
	Kernel driver in use: vfio-pci
	Kernel modules: nvidiafb, nouveau
02:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation GK208 HDMI/DP Audio Controller (rev a1)
	Subsystem: eVga.com. Corp. GK208 HDMI/DP Audio Controller
	Kernel driver in use: vfio-pci
	Kernel modules: snd_hda_intel
105

What’s in your /etc/modprobe.d/ ?

more suggestions:

  • try detaching to pci-stub via GRUB, so then after it attaches to VFIO
  • use an older q35 machine (starting from the beginning)
  • in /etc/default/grub: pcie_acs_override=downstream,multifunction

Which PCI slot is the GPU plugged into (physically) on your motherboard?