IGVT-g

Intel GVT-g is a full GPU virtualization solution with mediated pass-through which allows host and multiple guests to share same Intel integrated videocard. Guest gets a near-native graphics peformance.

Win7-32 / Win7-64 / Win8.1-64 /Win10-RS1-64 are validated. Install recent Intel driver into the guest.

Hardware Requirements

For client platforms, 5th, 6th or 7th Generation Intel® Core Processor Graphics is required. For server platforms, E3_v4, E3_v5 or E3_v6 Xeon Processor Graphics is required.

NixOS configuration

/etc/nixos/configuration.nix

  boot.kernelPackages = pkgs.linuxPackages_4_16;
  boot.kernelParams = [ "i915.enable_gvt=1" ];
  nixpkgs.config.packageOverrides = super: let self = super.pkgs; in {
    linux_4_16 = super.linux_4_16.override {
      extraConfig = ''
  # since 4.16-rc1
  DRM_I915_GVT y
  DRM_I915_GVT_KVMGT m
      '';
    };
  };
  environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
  virtmanager
  virt-viewer
  libossp_uuid
  ];
  virtualisation.libvirtd.enable = true;
  users.extraUsers.user.extraGroups = [ "libvirtd" ];

Create or destroy VGPU

Show mode information

$ cat /sys/bus/pci/devices/0000:00:02.0/mdev_supported_types/i915-GVTg_V5_8/description 
low_gm_size: 64MB
high_gm_size: 384MB
fence: 4
resolution: 1024x768
weight: 2

Create

# uuid
a297db4a-f4c2-11e6-90f6-d3b88d6c9525
# echo "a297db4a-f4c2-11e6-90f6-d3b88d6c9525" > "/sys/bus/pci/devices/0000:00:02.0/mdev_supported_types/i915-GVTg_V5_8/create"

Destroy

# echo 1 > /sys/bus/pci/devices/0000:00:02.0/a297db4a-f4c2-11e6-90f6-d3b88d6c9525/remove

Configure KVM

Support for local display is present in Qemu 2.12. Only BIOS (SeaBIOS) machine is supported, UEFI (OVMF) is not supported.

Bare Qemu

  qemu-system-x86_64 \
     -enable-kvm \
     -m 1G \
     -nodefaults \
     -M graphics=off \
     -serial stdio \
     -display gtk,gl=on \
     -device vfio-pci,sysfsdev=/sys/bus/mdev/devices/a297db4a-f4c2-11e6-90f6-d3b88d6c9525,x-igd-opregion=on

libvirtd

If using virt-manager, create new or open existing VM. Its impossible to remove primary QXL videocard, but it will conflict, so change it to Cirrus.

 <domain type='kvm' xmlns:qemu='http://libvirt.org/schemas/domain/qemu/1.0>
 <!-- ... -->
 <devices>
 <!-- ... -->
 <graphics type='spice'>
  <listen type='none'/>
  <gl enable='yes'/>
 </graphics>
 <hostdev mode='subsystem' type='mdev' managed='no' model='vfio-pci'>
  <source>
    <address uuid='a297db4a-f4c2-11e6-90f6-d3b88d6c9525'/>
  </source>
  <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x09' function='0x0'/>
 </hostdev>
 </devices>
  <qemu:commandline>
   <qemu:arg value='-set'/>
   <qemu:arg value='device.hostdev0.x-igd-opregion=on'/>
  </qemu:commandline>
 </domain>

Finally use sudo virt-viewer --attach win10

Used sources

• vgpu display support on a contributor (kraxel)'s blog - this guide misses info that Windows guests do require x-igd-opregion=on parameter and also that QXL goes into conflict
• https://github.com/intel/gvt-linux/wiki/GVTg_Setup_Guide - obsoleted guide, but some parts are useful
• https://github.com/intel/gvt-linux/wiki/Dma_Buf_User_Guide - obsoleted guide, but some parts are useful