X11 forwarding vs. Virtual Machine reddit / BSD ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Flusel · 2017-09-11 07:43 Hi reddit, I have a special use case / problem and I'd like to know if there is a solution to it after all. I want to use windows and BSD simultaneously. I think the best solutions would be Windows in a VM or X11 forwarding to windows. However, second one does not allow me to have color managed display of *BSD applications. First one is more problematic because openBSD does not have any nvidia drivers and it is questionable whether games will work in a VM. So... What to do? solving the color management problem or going for FreeBSD and try to use Windows in a VM? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- jaypatelani · 2017-09-11 13:07 You can do dual boot with window and BSD too ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Flusel · 2017-09-11 15:15 thanks, but this is not really "simultaneously". However, it seems that its the only possibility I have left. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- jaypatelani · 2017-09-11 16:14 Games on windows in VM will not give good performance .. steam works on FreeBSD .. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapo_Rouge · 2017-09-11 18:23 One Linux to bind them all ? You could run Windows & FreeBSD in two KVM virtual machines, if you have the proper hardware, you can passthrough a GPU to the Windows VM for games, and have proper X11 forwarding from the BSD VM to the Linux host. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Flusel · 2017-09-12 13:47 yes, however, I don't quite get it why I would want a third OS? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapo_Rouge · 2017-09-12 15:14 Because the FreeBSD hypervisor (bhyve) is still in its infancy and afaik passing a GPU to a Windows VM is not supported on it, on KVM, it's quite doable (see /r/vfio) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- sneakpeekbot · 2017-09-12 15:14 **Here's a sneak peek of /r/VFIO using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/VFIO/top/?sort=top&t=all) of all time!** \#1: [GPU Passthrough works on Ryzen](https://i.redd.it/z5t19ucrygky.png) | [73 comments](https://np. reddit.com/r/VFIO/comments/5yip2v/gpu_passthrough_works_on_ryzen/) \#2: [GPU Passthrough with Ryzen: Now Working](https://youtu.be/aLeWg11ZBn0) | [22 comments](https://np.redd it.com/r/VFIO/comments/6jftna/gpu_passthrough_with_ryzen_now_working/) \#3: [Ryzen PCIe Passthrough Update, works but weird](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep_2dDaqBU4) | [4 comments](htt ps://np.reddit.com/r/VFIO/comments/5yo83m/ryzen_pcie_passthrough_updat e_works_but_weird/) ---- ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot, ^^beep ^^boop ^^| ^^Downvote ^^to ^^remove ^^| [^^Contact ^^me](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=sneakpeekbot) ^^| [^^Info](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/) ^^| [^^Opt- out](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/comments/6l7i0m/blacklist/) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Flusel · 2017-09-12 16:17 okay, that's nice. But, meh, I really would love my openBSD- Hostmachine to display some nice popup windows above my virtual windows machine so I recognize if there is activity. I dont want to have to switch back and forth every two minutes just to see if there are new mails or messages. This is why I wanted openBSD as host, and Windows as guest-machine. But this probably won't work anyway since openBSD does not really provide VM functionality. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapo_Rouge · 2017-09-12 19:12 openbsd has vmm in the works but it's still early so dunno if it can run Windows Maybe a dual screen would help ? One OS / screen (no matter how you setup the underlying virtualization) then fire up Synergy to use them in a smooth way ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Flusel · 2017-09-12 21:20 I think I will give qemu a shot. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- floatboth · 2017-09-15 09:17 My desktop is set up so that I can both dual boot and virtualize. FreeBSD is on a separate SSD, I can boot directly into it, or I can boot it in Hyper-V from Windows 10. I made a [little PowerShell script](https://github.com/myfreeweb/xvmmgr) to start the VM from a tray icon, and open an X11 forwarded terminal over PuTTY in VcXsrv. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Flusel · 2017-09-16 15:41 Though I would never give Windows 10 the power over my openBSD, I think that's also an amazing solution. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Flusel · 2017-09-18 07:07 i tried qemu but windows wouldn't finish install, I read very much about it, it's also awful slow without KVM. GPU passthrough also wouldn't work with openBSD (yet). Yet somehow I don't like the idea to run both OS as VM. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapo_Rouge · 2017-09-18 08:05 Yes, qemu without KVM is pretty slow indeed If you don't like the idea of a Linux-based hypervisor (KVM, Xen) then it looks like you'll need to wait until until vmm or bhyve (FreeBSD) improves and allows you to run Windows in a VM properly (if it ever supports VFIO) I know VMware ESXi can do passthrough with certain cards as well but this is proprietary (albeit solid & free for one host) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Flusel · 2017-09-18 08:32 Well, I just found out about Alpine Linux, I think I will give it a try using kvm. I just need some more information on window management / integration I would have loved to use my MS Windows within xmonad but I think this is a question for the kvm subreddit. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapo_Rouge · 2017-09-18 09:25 If you have a good LAN, you can stream Windows games to your Linux host using steam streaming or parsec.tv ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Flusel · 2017-09-18 19:40 So I have tried alpine now, and I am about to run the first vm for installation. I have not yet enabled passthrough. So, I am now in text mode with alpine, how do I get graphic output from the qemu vm? I have probably to set vga and display parameters somehow? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapo_Rouge · 2017-09-19 05:27 If you're in text mode, you wont have any graphical output, you need at least Xorg. There's a lof of variables going on depending on your hardware, OS and overall setup, you'll need to do some research. I would advise to head over to /r/vfio when stuck. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ctisred · 2017-09-23 20:41 Doesn't VirtualBox run on FreeBSD? I know it did at one point. If so, it should be able to run windows fine. Edit: Realized OP is talking about OpenBSD.. unfortunately native virtualization to the level of running windows isn't quite "there".. Am personally an OpenBSD fan, but yes, tend to run it in within a linux hosted VM in a workstation situation becuse of this + various stupid browser things like browser media, etc.