Questions about VMs

[Judd]

I have a couple of questions about virtual machines specifically VMware workstation player.

 

1. Can you have multiple VMs running at the same time. Ex. Linux is the host and there is a Windows, freenas, and Lakka virtual mach Be at the same time.

 

2. If u had multiple monitors, would it work that the host is on 1 monitor, windows on another, freenas does not have one, and Lakka on another?

 

3. Can you use say 1 gpu for 2 VMs?

 

4. How is the mouse and keyboard setup, would u use a program like synergy, or would each  require separate ones, or can 1 be used for all of them.

 

If you could answer any of these questions I would be most grateful.

 

[tatte]

1-3: Yes.

4: One set can be used for all of them.

[AlTech]

11 minutes ago, Judd said:

I have a couple of questions about virtual machines specifically VMware workstation player.

 

1. Can you have multiple VMs running at the same time. Ex. Linux is the host and there is a Windows, freenas, and Lakka virtual mach Be at the same time.

Yes but you'll need a really awesome CPU with loads of RAM for this.

11 minutes ago, Judd said:

2. If u had multiple monitors, would it work that the host is on 1 monitor, windows on another, freenas does not have one, and Lakka on another?

You could try. What do you intend to use to setup the VMs?

11 minutes ago, Judd said:

3. Can you use say 1 gpu for 2 VMs?

By default, VMs use software graphics trickery.

 

If you want to use a real graphics card for GPU pass through then your host OS needs a GPU (such as an iGPU), and you need a GPU for each guest OS.

11 minutes ago, Judd said:

4. How is the mouse and keyboard setup, would u use a program like synergy, or would each  require separate ones, or can 1 be used for all of them.

Synergy would probably be a good idea.

 

I wouldn't recommend the version without SSL.

[Judd]

1 minute ago, AluminiumTech said:

16 minutes ago, Judd said:

I have a couple of questions about virtual machines specifically VMware workstation player.

 

1. Can you have multiple VMs running at the same time. Ex. Linux is the host and there is a Windows, freenas, and Lakka virtual mach Be at the same time.

Yes but you'll need a really awesome CPU with loads of RAM for this.

Planning on using the 1950X with 128gb ram. 

 

2 minutes ago, AluminiumTech said:

Quote

2. If u had multiple monitors, would it work that the host is on 1 monitor, windows on another, freenas does not have one, and Lakka on another?

You could try. What do you intend to use to setup the VMs?

I was gonna use VMware workstation player or pro if pro has any noticeable benefits.

 

3 minutes ago, AluminiumTech said:

Quote

3. Can you use say 1 gpu for 2 VMs?

By default, VMs use software graphics trickery.

 

If you want to use a real graphics card for GPU pass through then your host OS needs a GPU (such as an iGPU), and you need a GPU for each guest OS.

Would it be better to have 4 discrete graphics cards like 1050s for everything except windows and for Windows a 1080ti?

[AlTech]

Just now, Judd said:

Planning on using the 1950X with 128gb ram. 

That should be good enough.

 

Just now, Judd said:

Would it be better to have 4 discrete graphics cards like 1050s for everything except windows and for Windows a 1080ti?

What kind of hardware acceleration do you need in the VMs?

[Judd]

Windows is for gaming so a 1080ti is good enough

 

linux is simply to host so 1050 or 1050ti

 

freenas is to have accessible storage for whenever I'm away 1050 or 1050ti

 

Lakka is for retro arcade gaming pretty much any gpu will work

 

 

 

 

[AlTech]

3 minutes ago, Judd said:

Windows is for gaming so a 1080ti is good enough

kk

3 minutes ago, Judd said:

linux is simply to host so 1050 or 1050ti

I'd go further and say GT 1030s or RX 550s would be fine.

 

Perhaps even second hand GPUs.

[Judd]

Thanks

[sazrocks]

Does VMware even support PCIe passthrough?

[Judd]

Just now, sazrocks said:

Does VMware even support PCIe passthrough?

IDK, are there any other alternatives to VMware?

[sazrocks]

Just now, Judd said:

IDK, are there any other alternatives to VMware?

KVM, QEMU

[Judd]

Are those able to run on a Ubuntu Linux host? Also, I want something that will be simple to setup and VMware looks the simplist.

[sazrocks]

2 minutes ago, Judd said:

Are those able to run on a Ubuntu Linux host?

Yes.

3 minutes ago, Judd said:

I want something that will be simple to setup and VMware looks the simplist.

Both are not simple or easy. However if you truly want proper GPU performance on those VMs, you will need to use PCIe VGa passthrough, which VMware (at least its software versions) does not support.

[Judd]

If u were in my spot which would you use?

[sazrocks]

Just now, Judd said:

If u were in my spot which would you use?

I have experience with KVM, so I would use that, but I am not you, and that experience was painfully gained over an entire Christmas and spring break. 

 

What is it exactly that you want all these VMs for?

[SCHISCHKA]

42 minutes ago, Judd said:

1. Can you have multiple VMs running at the same time. Ex. Linux is the host and there is a Windows, freenas, and Lakka virtual mach Be at the same time.

2. If u had multiple monitors, would it work that the host is on 1 monitor, windows on another, freenas does not have one, and Lakka on another?

3. Can you use say 1 gpu for 2 VMs?

4. How is the mouse and keyboard setup, would u use a program like synergy, or would each  require separate ones, or can 1 be used for all of them.

1. yes

2. yes

3. by default VMs use VNC and software to display graphics. You can set one GPU dedicated to one machine to improve its graphics performance.

4. For VNC based machines you dont need anything. For GPU passthrough you will need to setup synergy or setup a second mouse and keyboard.

[SCHISCHKA]

18 minutes ago, sazrocks said:

Does VMware even support PCIe passthrough?

most vm tech supports passthrough. You need to do your own homework if your hardware supports passthrough.

[sazrocks]

23 minutes ago, SCHISCHKA said:

most vm tech supports passthrough. You need to do your own homework if your hardware supports passthrough.

VMware doesn't, except for the ESXi, which is itself an OS.

(Above post is from a VMware Employee)

[SCHISCHKA]

22 minutes ago, sazrocks said:

VMware doesn't, except for the ESXi, which is itself an OS.

(Above post is from a VMware Employee)

so your saying that VMWare technology just like other VM tech does do passthough. Thank you for wasting my time.

[sazrocks]

10 minutes ago, SCHISCHKA said:

so your saying that VMWare technology just like other VM tech does do passthough. Thank you for wasting my time.

That was rather... rude. The employee specifically mentions that VMware Workstation, which also happens to be the exact version of VMware the OP is using, can't do PCI Passthrough.  Therefore if the OP wishes to use PCIe passthrough (as I am sure they do considering they wish to game on one of the VMs), they must either switch to VMware ESXi, or use a hypervisor such as KVM on a linux host.

[SCHISCHKA]

15 minutes ago, sazrocks said:

That was rather... rude. The employee specifically mentions that VMware Workstation, which also happens to be the exact version of VMware the OP is using, can't do PCI Passthrough.  Therefore if the OP wishes to use PCIe passthrough (as I am sure they do considering they wish to game on one of the VMs), they must either switch to VMware ESXi, or use a hypervisor such as KVM on a linux host.

thank you for continuing to waste my time confirming that VMWare's technology can do passthrough. If you actually read my post you would see i am asking the op to research if their hardware can do passthrough without going into details on each technology because this is a bigger factor than wasting time talking about vmware licensing.

[sazrocks]

2 minutes ago, SCHISCHKA said:

VMWare's technology can do passthrough.

Only an irrelevant to this thread piece of software, but sure, if you want to count that go ahead.

3 minutes ago, SCHISCHKA said:

 i am asking the op to research if their hardware can do passthrough without going into details on each technology because this is a bigger factor than talking about vmware licensing.

1. I was not at all addressing nor do I disagree with having the OP research hardware passthrough support. Rather I was responding to your assertation that, in your own words:

1 hour ago, SCHISCHKA said:

most vm tech supports passthrough.

This statement implies that the software choice that the OP has made is of no consequence and supports PCI passthrough; I disagree with this.

 

2. My post in no way discussed VMware licensing; in fact, I encouraged the OP to use a free alternative, KVM. 

[Filthyscum]

Word of caution: Threadripper is not a wise choice for PCI passthrough at the moment.

 

Check the AMD support forums and VFIO subreddit for more info (tl;dr it's broken)

 

You supposedly can use Xen, but that is major PITA with Nvidia cards (exit code 43).