On 03/29/2012 11:55 PM, Teo En Ming (Zhang Enming) wrote: > On 30/03/2012 07:03, Wei Huang wrote: >> On 03/29/2012 04:29 PM, Casey DeLorme wrote: >>> David, >>> >>> XenServer VGA Passthrough requires a paid/licensed copy, which costs >>> $2500, a bit out of my price range for experimentation. Important >>> to note that the feature is not a part of the 30-day trial license. >>> >>> However, Citrix recently visited my college and I was able to >>> preview hardware access on a laptop one of the employees had, where >>> they swapped between Ubuntu and Windows with a hotkey, and various >>> hardware components including onboard GPU and the WebCam were >>> accessible. >>> >>> In testing XenServer, I can say that if I had a business, that's the >>> product I would use. In the past month having tried Xen and ESXi, I >>> was astonished with the ease of use for XenServer. >>> >>> As for Catalyst, version 12.2 (the latest currently) worked for me. >>> >>> Important to note that until I followed Andrews advice to omit the >>> Catalyst Control Center, the installation resulted in a BSOD. >> I saw similar issue whiling playing with XenClient. After discussing >> with AMD GPU driver team, the conclusion was that the installer has a >> bug. But I have not received any further update from them. Also >> manual driver installation (after many tries) did fix problem for me. >>> >>> The solution, select "Custom" installation and uncheck the CCC. >>> After the installation your first reboot should run some follow-up >>> updates via cmd, you need to reboot a second time for fully >>> functional drivers. >>> >>> Also, I had underscan on my monitor so I went out on a limb and >>> re-ran the setup for Catalyst, and was able to get CCC installed >>> with a second run through, which allowed me to fix my underscan issue. >>> >>> My conclusion is that the CCC requires some driver functionality >>> that isn't available until after you install the drivers, this could >>> be on all systems or it might be related to how HVM's handle the PCI >>> devices, that much I can't say. >>> >>> >>> >>> Teo, >>> >>> I could be spouting nonsense, and if so I'm sure Wei can correct me, >>> but I am pretty sure AMD engineers have been contributing to Xen for >>> a while, and some patches have already been applied. Obviously it >>> isn't flawless, I myself haven't gotten video at boot time, only at >>> the login screen. >>> >> This is because VBIOS patch wasn't applied. But as I said before, my >> VBIOS wasn't universal enough to put it as a production patch. So I >> am hesitant to put it out. > > Dear Wei Huang at AMD Corporation, > > Please put your Xen VGA Passthrough patch out so that all of us can > have a try. > > Thank you very much. > http://old-list-archives.xen.org/archives/html/xen-devel/2010-10/msg00284.html > -- > Yours sincerely, > > Mr. Teo En Ming (Zhang Enming) > Singapore > >>> Mine works on 4.1.2, but it is possible that 4.1.0 had less of these >>> "patches" hence Sebastien's post. >>> >>> Also, I apologize as I did not properly word my opinion before. VGA >>> Passthrough is new "for consumer components". In 2010 the number of >>> desktop (not server) boards boasting VT-d functionality could >>> probably be counted on one hand. To my understanding that means the >>> technology is at most 3 years old, still a baby in my opinion. >>> >>> I didn't mean that the technology hadn't been implemented into >>> various Hypervisors, just that it is clearly not a perfected >>> feature. If you consider 3 years of consumer availability, dates >>> become important when researching. Sebastien's post was May 2011, >>> just shy of one year ago, and Thomas's was in 2010. >>> >>> There are newer patches still for ATI in Xen 4.2, which I intend to >>> test over the next week. I have NOT gotten ATI to work at boot >>> time, video starts at the login screen. >>> >>> I agree with Wei that drivers can contribute to BSOD's and errors, >>> but when an install doesn't fail but the hardware reacts the same as >>> before, I would like to assume the driver is irrelative. >>> >> Have you looked at XenClient project? It has a customized ATI >> component which allows you to switch between VMs flawlessly. I think >> it is the most mature Xen solution for GPU passthru in client area. > > Dear Wei Huang at AMD Corporation, > > May I know what is the XenClient project? > > >>> >>> ~Casey >>> >>> On Thu, Mar 29, 2012 at 4:11 PM, Wei Huang >> > wrote: >>> >>> On 03/29/2012 01:35 PM, Teo En Ming (Zhang Enming) wrote: >>>> Dear Casey DeLorme, >>>> >>>> This guy, Sebastien Gauthier, also has the same problems as us. >>>> He was using Xen 4.1.0 and an ATI Radeon 4550. He applied Mr. >>>> Wei Huang's patch. After installing the latest ATI/AMD Catalyst >>>> drivers, he got a BSOD with Xen VGA Passthrough to Windows 7. >>>> >>>> Please read Sebastien Gauthier's case here: >>>> >>>> http://readlist.com/lists/lists.xensource.com/xen-users/11/59090.html >>>> >>>> Hence Sebastien Gauthier reported Xen VGA Passthrough with >>>> PARTIAL SUCCESS, like us. >>>> >>>> Dear Tobias Geiger, >>>> >>>> You were saying that with ATI VGA cards, you do not need to >>>> apply any Xen VGA Passthrough patches. But this guy Sebastien >>>> Gauthier applied Mr. Wei Huang's patches to Xen 4.1.0 and got a >>>> BSOD after installing ATI Catalyst drivers. Sebastien Gauthier >>>> did not get 100% success with Xen VGA Passthrough to Windows 7 >>>> using an ATI VGA card. >>>> >>> Hi Teo, >>> >>> The VBIOS patch I sent out did not work for all ATI cards. The >>> patch itself assumed certain behavior of GPU VBIOS. But this >>> doesn't apply to every GPU generation. From this perspective, my >>> patch isn't universal. Also there are many factors, some of >>> which are not in control by us (like graphics driver), can >>> contribute to BSOD you mentioned. I am not in a position to >>> debug it for everyone's card (as I don't have all cards). >>> >>> Thanks, >>> -Wei >>> >>>> -- >>>> Yours sincerely, >>>> >>>> Mr. Teo En Ming (Zhang Enming) >>>> Singapore >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On 29/03/2012 23:50, Teo En Ming (Zhang Enming) wrote: >>>>> On 29/03/2012 12:29, Casey DeLorme wrote: >>>>>> My mistake for not hitting "Reply to All", sorry. >>>>> >>>>> No worries Casey. >>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> It might be of some value to mention that my tests were with >>>>>> Windows 7, I have no interest in using XP anymore. Also, I >>>>>> did all of my testing through remote VNC, not once did I >>>>>> actually get video, even 2D, working. >>>>> >>>>> I bought 2 copies of Windows XP Home Edition in the past >>>>> because it is cheap, at S$145. I did not buy Windows 7 because >>>>> it is expensive. I got video working all right, but only 2D. I >>>>> cannot get 3D graphics working. >>>>> >>>>>> However, my errors are exactly as you described: >>>>>> >>>>>> 1. Windows recognizes the model (GTX 460), not "unknown PCI >>>>>> device". >>>>>> 2. Device code 43. >>>>>> 3. No resources assigned to the device. >>>>> >>>>> We have the same set of errors. >>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Might be worth mentioning, I was able to run the latest >>>>>> nVidia driver installation without errors, but after >>>>>> rebooting there was no change, same error code, still no video. >>>>> >>>>> Same situation here with the latest NVIDIA drivers. But I only >>>>> have 2D video working. I can't get 3D video to work. >>>>> >>>>>> To me this would be evidence that driver version isn't a >>>>>> problem, but then again I didn't have anything actually working. >>>>> >>>>> I agree that driver version isn't a problem. Something is >>>>> wrong somewhere. >>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> I am an IT student in college, so my experience is limited to >>>>>> mostly programming with very little knowledge of the >>>>>> inner-workings of hardware. So, forgive me for being unable >>>>>> to help with regards to memory addresses on the cards. >>>>> >>>>> I am hoping that Intel engineers and Xen developers would be >>>>> able to help. >>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> I've been using *nix for about 4 years, and Windows since I >>>>>> my age was a single digit. I have had experience setting up >>>>>> server features such as web, database, and application >>>>>> servers but I am still green when it comes to kernel or >>>>>> hardware configuration. >>>>> >>>>> I started learning Linux/UNIX since the year 2005, that is >>>>> about 7 years ago. I started using Windows when it was version >>>>> 3.1. I love compiling the latest Linux kernel and assembling >>>>> my own computer hardware. >>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> My Xen adventure began 35 days ago, and it is no exaggeration >>>>>> to say that in those 35 days I have learned more about linux >>>>>> than I had in the past two years. I like challenges as much >>>>>> as the next IT person, but I ran out of time and ideas for >>>>>> debugging my nVidia problems. The nVidia stretch of my >>>>>> adventure lasted for 24 days through 54 fresh linux >>>>>> installations accompanied by over 200~ pages worth of >>>>>> documented failures and not a single pixel sighted. >>>>> >>>>> Why not make your documentation into PDF? It is a very popular >>>>> document format. >>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> The ATI card took me a day, less than 12 hours of relatively >>>>>> easy debugging by comparison to the aforementioned testing. >>>>>> I do fully understanding financial constraints, but it is a >>>>>> working solution and worth mentioning. I do not know what >>>>>> the prices are like in Singapore, but in the states I was >>>>>> able to buy an ATI Radeon HD 6870 for $160. For me it came >>>>>> down to weighing my objectives against my curiosity. >>>>> >>>>> That ATI Radeon HD 6870 would cost me $279, I think. >>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> If you do continue your nVidia endeavors I wish you success, >>>>>> but as in my former email VGA passthrough is a new frontier, >>>>>> not even Guru's like David may not be able to help beyond >>>>>> their own hardware experiences. >>>>> >>>>> I don't think VGA passthrough is a new frontier. Oracle >>>>> VirtualBox and Linux KVM supports VGA passthrough as well. Xen >>>>> ATI VGA Passthrough works out of the box, as Tobias Geiger >>>>> suggested, but NVIDIA requires patches. >>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Documentation is one problem I agree with you on 100%. I >>>>>> came into this knowing relatively little about Linux & >>>>>> hardware, and nothing about Xen, and most every guide I found >>>>>> assumed I had been in a deep relationship with Linux for many >>>>>> years and had a basic understanding of Xen commands. >>>>> >>>>> I started learning Xen since the year 2007, which is about 5 >>>>> years ago. >>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Like you, I intend to use those documented failures as well >>>>>> as my recent success to create a comprehensive guide with >>>>>> photographs, screen captures, and perhaps even videos going >>>>>> from "assembled computer" to "Complete Xen Dom0 /w HVM & VGA >>>>>> Passthrough". Provided the wiki will allow me to upload the >>>>>> screenshots, I'll be certain to post it there. >>>>> >>>>> I will be looking forward to your documentation and videos. >>>>> Right now Xen wiki allows uploading image files and PDF files. >>>>> Why not create a PDF document and share it with all of us? It >>>>> is known as portable document format and is very popular, but >>>>> it appears that xen mailing lists don't like PDF format. >>>>> >>>>> _*I don't like wiki pages because anybody can edit and >>>>> fundamentally mess up the wiki pages, even providing bogus and >>>>> erroneous information. That's why I don't like creating wiki >>>>> pages. Anybody can edit and mess up the information you have >>>>> painstakingly created on the wiki pages. So please take note.*_ >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> Yours sincerely, >>>>> >>>>> Mr. Teo En Ming (Zhang Enming) >>>>> Singapore >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> ~Casey >>>>>> >>>>>> On Wed, Mar 28, 2012 at 10:21 PM, Teo En Ming (Zhang Enming) >>>>>> >>>>> > wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> Dearest Casey DeLorme, >>>>>> >>>>>> Thank you very very much for your kind feedback and >>>>>> input. I would also like to thank Mr. Tobias Geiger, >>>>>> again, for providing his suggestion on exposing the >>>>>> fourth memory region in >>>>>> tools/firmware/hvmloader/acpi/dsdt.asl. _In any case, >>>>>> either exposing the first 3 memory regions only or >>>>>> exposing all the 4 memory regions does not work._ Sadly, >>>>>> Tobias Geiger is unable to help me further. >>>>>> >>>>>> I have asked Jean David Techer, what about the 4th PCI >>>>>> memory region? Why only expose the first 3 PCI memory >>>>>> regions? I don't understand, of course. Jean David Techer >>>>>> did not reply to my question. >>>>>> >>>>>> I have decided to post your prompt reply to the xen-users >>>>>> and xen-devel mailing lists, in case people think that I >>>>>> am finding fault with Jean David Techer, or trying to >>>>>> irritate him, or trying to make him angry, or trying to >>>>>> aggravate him. Jean David Techer replied me with an email >>>>>> saying that I _spent too much time_ and _too bent_ on >>>>>> solving the yellow exclamation mark glitch for my NVIDIA >>>>>> Geforce 8400GS in Device Manager in Windows 8 Consumer >>>>>> Preview and Windows XP Home Edition, and that I sent >>>>>> *_stupid_* requests. Stupid requests? Did he read my >>>>>> emails carefully, word by word? >>>>>> >>>>>> Casey DeLorme, please, can I confirm with you again that >>>>>> you are getting the following errors after applying Jean >>>>>> David Techer's Xen 4.2-unstable VGA Passthrough patches: >>>>>> >>>>>> *_(1) Yellow exclamation mark besides your NVIDIA GTX 460 >>>>>> in Device Manager >>>>>> (2) Windows has stopped this device because it has >>>>>> reported problems. (Code 43) >>>>>> (3) This device isn't using any resources because it has >>>>>> a problem._* >>>>>> >>>>>> Jean David Techer insists that our technical issues are >>>>>> due to a NVIDIA driver problem. He insists that you have >>>>>> to install NVIDIA driver versions 275.33 WHQL and 275.50 >>>>>> BETA. Any other NVIDIA driver versions (above 280.XX) >>>>>> will not work, according to Jean David Techer. *_However, >>>>>> I have tried installing NVIDIA driver versions 275.33 and >>>>>> 275.50 from www.softpedia.com , >>>>>> as he suggested, but it caused my Windows XP Home Edition >>>>>> HVM virtual machine to be destroyed/terminated/crash >>>>>> after a few minutes and my dom0 to crash as well._* >>>>>> NVIDIA driver versions 275.33 and 275.50 for Windows XP >>>>>> 32-bit is not available from the official NVIDIA website. >>>>>> >>>>>> So it is definitely not a NVIDIA driver problem. I >>>>>> suspect that the technical issue has to do with *_MMIO >>>>>> BARs pBAR:vBAR 1:1 matching_*. I don't think there is any >>>>>> problem with vgabios-pt.bin extracted out from our NVIDIA >>>>>> VGA cards, because I have performed a "hexdump -C" on my >>>>>> extracted VGA BIOS EEPROM, or Electrically Erasable >>>>>> Programmable Read Only Memory. >>>>>> >>>>>> Secondly, it does seem strange that Jean David Techer was >>>>>> able to attain *_100%_*, ie. *_perfect success_* with Xen >>>>>> 4.2-unstable VGA Passthrough to his Windows XP 32-bit and >>>>>> 64-bit HVM domU. Have you watched his Youtube video? It >>>>>> is only 4 minutes. Please do watch Jean David Techer's >>>>>> Youtube video at the following URL: >>>>>> >>>>>> Jean David Techer's Xen 4.2-unstable VGA Passthrough to >>>>>> Windows XP x64 HVM domU Youtube video link: >>>>>> *_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SaYO0ERW44_* >>>>>> >>>>>> I am *_appalled_* and *_baffle__d_* that he has attained >>>>>> *_100% success_* while both of us have only attained >>>>>> *_partial succes__s_* (*_i.e. less than 100%_*) on Xen >>>>>> 4.2-unstable VGA Passthrough to Windows 8 Consumer >>>>>> Preview and Windows XP. >>>>>> >>>>>> *_Solving the yellow exclamation mark issue is important >>>>>> because we would not be able to run 3D graphics >>>>>> benchmarks and play 3D games without solving it. I am not >>>>>> sending silly emails about some yellow marks, as Jean >>>>>> David Techer suggested. I can't even run Unigine Heaven >>>>>> DX11, and 3dmark11 3D display benchmarks, because of the >>>>>> yellow exclamation mark for NVIDIA Geforce 8400 GS in >>>>>> Device Manager._* >>>>>> >>>>>> Casey DeLorme, with your report on relatively easy >>>>>> success with ATI VGA cards, I think I would go the ATI >>>>>> way, but I would have to spend a few hundred dollars >>>>>> compared to my cheap SGD$44 NVIDIA Geforce 8400 GS card. >>>>>> And while deciding to go the ATI way, I would also like >>>>>> to continue troubleshooting with the NVIDIA problem, >>>>>> because I consider it to be a technical challenge. >>>>>> >>>>>> In essence, Jean David Techner is considered to be a >>>>>> "boss", or business owner, or proprietor, or >>>>>> technopreneur, or entrepreneur, or technical support >>>>>> officer, or customer support officer, or IT helpdesk >>>>>> engineer, providing services like his forward-ported Xen >>>>>> 4.2-unstable VGA Passthrough patches and the >>>>>> documentation on his blog. I repost Jean David Techer's >>>>>> official website here: >>>>>> >>>>>> Jean David Techer's Xen 4.2-unstable VGA Passthrough >>>>>> blog: >>>>>> *_http://www.davidgis.fr/blog/index.php?2011/12/07/860-xen-42unstable-patches-for-vga-pass-through_* >>>>>> >>>>>> Jean David Techer's official website is his business venture. >>>>>> >>>>>> Basically, I am Jean David Techer's *_"customer"_*, >>>>>> trying to obtain technical support from him. Of course, >>>>>> he is *_not obliged_* to provide technical support to me >>>>>> since he is providing *_free_* services. It is, after >>>>>> all, an open source software project. Nobody is obliged >>>>>> to provide anybody with technical support. *_To do Jean >>>>>> David Techer justice, he replied most of my questions >>>>>> while avoiding some of my questions._* >>>>>> >>>>>> Finally, I have also failed to obtain technical support >>>>>> from Xen developers like Ian Campbell from *_Citrix >>>>>> Corporation_* and Konrad Wilk from *_Oracle >>>>>> Corporation_*. _*I have always provided all the steps >>>>>> which I have taken, the configuration files and necessary >>>>>> documentation, and kernel messages and error logs*_ to >>>>>> xen-users and xen-devel mailing lists, but they keep >>>>>> insisting I did not provide the information they >>>>>> required. I wondered why. I think they did not read my >>>>>> emails carefully. They told me they would not reply to me >>>>>> any more if I do not provide the information they >>>>>> requested. _*But the problem is that I have always >>>>>> provided information they requested!*_ I think they >>>>>> missed some of my emails, or did not read my emails >>>>>> carefully enough. I am an *_ardent supporter_* and >>>>>> *_SERIOUS software tester_* for open source Xen >>>>>> virtualization/hypervisor but they treated me lightly. >>>>>> _*I always read my emails WORD BY WORD.*_ I have even >>>>>> went to the point of making a video on the *_BUG_* and >>>>>> uploading my video to Youtube. The video is only THREE >>>>>> minutes. >>>>>> >>>>>> _*As everybody says, a picture is worth a thousand words. >>>>>> A video is worth a BILLION words!*_ >>>>>> >>>>>> I have also failed to obtain technical support from Xen >>>>>> developers regarding Xen 4.2-unstable VGA Passthrough. >>>>>> >>>>>> I am hoping Xen 4.2 would have official support for Xen >>>>>> VGA Passthrough for both NVIDIA and ATI cards. >>>>>> >>>>>> Casey DeLorme, thank you very much once again. I will be >>>>>> making changes to my Xen, Linux Kernel and Xen VGA >>>>>> Passthrough Documentation and will be releasing Version >>>>>> 1.7 shortly. Jean David Techer's documentation assumes >>>>>> some level of advanced Linux technical knowledge, so I am >>>>>> writing documentation on my own so that everybody, not >>>>>> just advanced Linux and Xen users, can follow. I have >>>>>> made references to Jean David Techer's documentation in >>>>>> my own documentation. >>>>>> >>>>>> I would be very happy if people would use my >>>>>> documentation. Of course, it satisfies my ego and my >>>>>> vanity. Haha. >>>>>> >>>>>> I have been un-employed for nearly three years now, and I >>>>>> would hesitate to spend a few hundred dollars on an ATI >>>>>> VGA card. I quit my job as an IT engineer 3 years ago >>>>>> because my father suffered from lacunar infarct, or more >>>>>> commonly known as stroke. My NVIDIA Geforce 8400 GS costs >>>>>> only S$44. Please understand why I hesitate to buy an ATI >>>>>> VGA card. The cheapest one costs SGD$279. >>>>>> >>>>>> I have a diploma in Mechanical+Electronics engineering >>>>>> from Singapore Polytechnic and a Bachelor's degree in >>>>>> Mechanical Engineering from the National University of >>>>>> Singapore. But I do not have qualifications in Computer >>>>>> Science or Information Technology. I have worked as an >>>>>> Information Technology engineer in Defense Science and >>>>>> Technology Agency, Ministry of Defense, Singapore, >>>>>> National Computer Systems Pte Ltd, Asiasoft Online Pte >>>>>> Ltd, and Ishinemax Singapore Pte Ltd. >>>>>> >>>>>> Google search terms: Frenchman Jean David Techer, >>>>>> Singaporean Teo En Ming's Xen, Linux Kernel and Xen VGA >>>>>> Passthrough Documentation, Xen 4.2-unstable VGA >>>>>> Passthrough to Windows 8 Consumer Preview and Windows XP >>>>>> HVM Virtual Machines >>>>>> >>>>>> Thank you very much for reading my lengthy email. I am >>>>>> always courteous, saying "Please help me. Please. Please. >>>>>> Please." and "Thank you very much for your kind >>>>>> assistance" in my emails. >>>>>> >>>>>> Thank you very much. >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> Yours sincerely, >>>>>> Mr. Teo En Ming (Zhang Enming) >>>>>> Singapore Citizen >>>>>> >>>>>> cc: His Excellency The Prime Minister Mr. Lee Hsien >>>>>> Loong, Prime Minister's Office, Republic of Singapore >>>>>> >>>>>> On 29/03/2012 03:53, Casey DeLorme wrote: >>>>>>> Hi Teo, >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I tried David's patch files a while ago *_without >>>>>>> success_*. I had Xen compiled with the patch files and >>>>>>> my GTX 460 VGA BIOS rom, _*but I got the same as you, >>>>>>> either a BSOD or Code 43 in Device Manager.*_ >>>>>>> >>>>>>> You sound plenty competent, but it's important to >>>>>>> remember that you are pioneering a technology that for >>>>>>> consumers is still in its infancy. Very few people are >>>>>>> testing this with consumer equipment, so finding results >>>>>>> seems to be a rarity. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>> Xen-users mailing list >>>>>> Xen-users@lists.xen.org >>>>>> http://lists.xen.org/xen-users >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >> > >