[vfio-users] Hyperthreading and kvm

José Ramón Muñoz Pekkarinen koalinux at gmail.com
Sat Aug 22 17:17:04 UTC 2015


	Hi,

	Is it any other like vmware valid? I didn't try to install spice in my 
setup.

	BR.

	José.

On Saturday 22 August 2015 20:11:01 Blank Field wrote:
> >-vga cirrus
> 
> ...
> dude.
> You need QXL-VGA. Cirrus is.. deprecated, i think.
> 
> 2015-08-22 20:02 GMT+03:00 José Ramón Muñoz <koalinux at gmail.com>:
> >         Hi,
> > 
> >         I gave it a try today with no success. The launch command was:
> > /qemu-system-x86_64 -enable-kvm -vga cirrus -cpu host -smp
> > 4,cores=4,threads=1
> > -m 4096 \
> > 
> >         -netdev user,id=user.0 -device e1000,netdev=user.0 \
> >         -usb -usbdevice tablet \
> >         -drive
> >         if=pflash,format=raw,readonly,file=/usr/share/edk2.git/ovmf-
> > 
> > x64/OVMF_CODE-with-csm.fd \
> > 
> >         -drive if=pflash,format=raw,file=/usr/share/edk2.git/ovmf-
> > 
> > x64/Windows_ovmf_vars_x64.fd \
> > 
> >         -drive
> > 
> > file=/dev/koalita/koalitavm,format=raw,cache=none,aio=native,if=virtio
> > 
> >         I tried to launch it using the virtio disk, the ide disk, and
> > 
> > empty disk
> > with the windows 7 installer, and even without disk to see if the cdrom
> > launchs ok.
> > 
> >         Best regards.
> >         
> >         José.
> > 
> > On Wednesday 19 August 2015 23:23:43 Blank Field wrote:
> > > The need of Q35 is overrated. Usually you need it for booting from sata
> > > controllers or something.
> > > For our use 440fx works better.
> > > I've used windows 7 on my machine. All you need to do is to follow the
> > 
> > OVMF
> > 
> > > whitepaper:
> > > http://www.linux-kvm.org/downloads/lersek/ovmf-whitepaper-c770f8c.txt
> > > 
> > > 2015-08-19 20:35 GMT+03:00 José Ramón Muñoz <koalinux at gmail.com>:
> > > >         Hi,
> > > >         
> > > >         Sorry for not replying to all, I wrote from the phone and
> > > >         sometimes
> > > > 
> > > > happens.
> > > > 
> > > >         About the ovmf stuff, I would give it a try just in case I
> > 
> > didn't
> > 
> > > > read the
> > > > Alex Williamson post that explained that I need windows > win7 to be
> > 
> > able
> > 
> > > > to
> > > > use it. I'm still not planning to upgrade it to windows 10.
> > > > 
> > > >         How about q35? I tried to launch it but it seems to yield a
> > > > 
> > > > beautiful
> > > > BSOD because of the ati drivers not being expanded. Do anyone uses it
> > > > regularly?
> > > > 
> > > >         BR.
> > > >         
> > > >         José.
> > > > 
> > > > On Wednesday 19 August 2015 20:12:23 Blank Field wrote:
> > > > > Please, use the reply-all button. Include "vfio-users at redhat.com"
> > > > 
> > > > address
> > > > 
> > > > > in the "to:" field.
> > > > > 
> > > > > >    So, I got it right that using OVMF my setup can work reliably?
> > > > > >    I
> > > > > >    was
> > > > > 
> > > > > considering to build it but it seems to be not so straight forward
> > > > > in
> > > > > Gentoo.
> > > > > 
> > > > > I haven't tried doing this on gentoo, but you can try using "alien"
> > 
> > to
> > 
> > > > use
> > > > 
> > > > > RPMs from kraxel.org
> > > > > https://www.kraxel.org/repos/
> > > > > Also, i recall there was just plain binary files builds from
> > > > > jenkins,
> > > > 
> > > > lurk
> > > > 
> > > > > around and see if you can make yourself an ebuild with an overlay.
> > > > > Also, there's a xen-tools package which has OVMF USE-flag, try
> > > > 
> > > > researching
> > > > 
> > > > > this.
> > > > > And i think i saw an user-created portage overlay with the OVMF
> > 
> > package
> > 
> > > > in
> > > > 
> > > > > there.
> > > > > 
> > > > > I think plain libvirt and virt-manager should already be in the main
> > > > > portage tree.
> > > > > 
> > > > > 2015-08-19 6:16 GMT+03:00 José Ramón Muñoz Pekkarinen <
> > > > 
> > > > koalinux at gmail.com>:
> > > > > >      Hi,
> > > > > >     
> > > > > >     So, I got it right that using OVMF my setup can work reliably?
> > 
> > I
> > 
> > > > was
> > > > 
> > > > > > considering to build it but it seems to be not so straight forward
> > 
> > in
> > 
> > > > > > Gentoo.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >     BR.
> > > > > >     
> > > > > >     José
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > On Aug 19, 2015 3:09 AM, "Blank Field" <ihatethisfield at gmail.com>
> > > > 
> > > > wrote:
> > > > > >> Well, that sounds like the first time i've got it working.
> > > > > >> Sooo, i've managed to make it work back then with just x-vga and
> > > > > >> qemu.
> > > > > >> It worked. Sometimes.
> > > > > >> Sometimes it crashed the host.
> > > > > >> Sometimes it froze the VM and messed up the GPU.
> > > > > >> I did a foolish research with no results whatsoever, but i've
> > > > > >> made
> > > > > >> one
> > > > > >> observation - if the firefox is started and it eats a ton of
> > 
> > memory,
> > 
> > > > > >> i
> > > > > >> have
> > > > > >> better chances to run the VM right.
> > > > > >> However, i've dropped that way and went the OVMF way, avoiding
> > > > > >> the
> > > > 
> > > > VGA.
> > > > 
> > > > > >> Check the dmesg, maybe you're more lucky than me with the
> > 
> > motherboard
> > 
> > > > and
> > > > 
> > > > > >> it's just the GPU that freezes. Also, i'd check the temperatures.
> > > > > >> 
> > > > > >> 2015-08-19 0:25 GMT+03:00 José Ramón Muñoz <koalinux at gmail.com>:
> > > > > >>>         Hi,
> > > > > >>>         
> > > > > >>>         I'm using and APU a8-7650k, and apart that from time to
> > 
> > time
> > 
> > > > the
> > > > 
> > > > > >>> win7
> > > > > >>> guest decides to freeze, so many times during boot time, and
> > > > > >>> ocassionally
> > > > > >>> during gaming, I'm fairly happy with the performance. The passed
> > > > 
> > > > through
> > > > 
> > > > > >>> gpu
> > > > > >>> is a HD5670 and I managed to play games like MGS Ground Zeroes,
> > > > 
> > > > Blades
> > > > 
> > > > > >>> of
> > > > > >>> times, and currently DAO: Origins.
> > > > > >>> 
> > > > > >>>         Best regards.
> > > > > >>>         
> > > > > >>>         José.
> > > > > >>> 
> > > > > >>> On Wednesday 19 August 2015 00:09:09 Blank Field wrote:
> > > > > >>> > Use "Reply All" button. Include the mailing list in the "to:"
> > > > 
> > > > field.
> > > > 
> > > > > >>> > >I'm currently running an A10-5700 with a discrete Nvidia
> > > > > >>> > >card,
> > > > > >>> > >and
> > > > > >>> 
> > > > > >>> I've
> > > > > >>> 
> > > > > >>> > got a LMDE2 install in which I'm preparing to do an
> > 
> > experimental
> > 
> > > > W10
> > > > 
> > > > > >>> VM.
> > > > > >>> 
> > > > > >>> > So, according to your experience, I shouldn't expect much with
> > > > > >>> > this
> > > > > >>> > processor, then?
> > > > > >>> > http://pastebin.com/rEhebfQM
> > > > > >>> > It will work. But it has taken a year for me to figure out how
> > 
> > to
> > 
> > > > make
> > > > 
> > > > > >>> it
> > > > > >>> 
> > > > > >>> > work.
> > > > > >>> > The pastebin link is my currently working domain xml.
> > > > > >>> > Two asus HD7750 on an asus F2A55+Athlon X4 750k (Trinity).
> > > > > >>> > The kernel and module parameters are:
> > > > > >>> > options kvm-amd npt=1 nested=0
> > > > > >>> > options kvm ignore_msrs=0 allow_unsafe_assigned_interrupts=0
> > > > > >>> > options vfio_iommu_type1 disable_hugepages=1
> > > > 
> > > > allow_unsafe_interrupts=0
> > > > 
> > > > > >>> > CMDLINE:
> > > > > >>> > nofb pci-stub.ids=1022:780d,1002:683f,1002:aab0
> > > > > >>> > enable_mtrr_cleanup
> > > > > >>> > amd_iommu_dump=1 iommu=pt acpi_enforce_resources=lax
> > > > > >>> > 
> > > > > >>> > Try doing it with nested=1
> > > > > >>> > 
> > > > > >>> > If you will use libvirt, that should work 100%, as i have
> > 
> > almost
> > 
> > > > the
> > > > 
> > > > > >>> same
> > > > > >>> 
> > > > > >>> > CPU.
> > > > > >>> > 
> > > > > >>> > 2015-08-18 23:57 GMT+03:00 ALG Bass <olorin12 at gmail.com>:
> > > > > >>> > > Gotcha. So it would be better if I got the i7.
> > > > > >>> > > I'm currently running an A10-5700 with a discrete Nvidia
> > 
> > card,
> > 
> > > > and
> > > > 
> > > > > >>> I've
> > > > > >>> 
> > > > > >>> > > got a LMDE2 install in which I'm preparing to do an
> > 
> > experimental
> > 
> > > > W10
> > > > 
> > > > > >>> VM.
> > > > > >>> 
> > > > > >>> > > So, according to your experience, I shouldn't expect much
> > 
> > with
> > 
> > > > this
> > > > 
> > > > > >>> > > processor, then?
> > > > > >>> > > 
> > > > > >>> > > On Tue, Aug 18, 2015 at 3:46 PM, Blank Field <
> > > > > >>> 
> > > > > >>> ihatethisfield at gmail.com>
> > > > > >>> 
> > > > > >>> > > wrote:
> > > > > >>> > >> Hyperthreading on host means MORE cores which you can
> > 
> > commit to
> > 
> > > > the
> > > > 
> > > > > >>> VM.
> > > > > >>> 
> > > > > >>> > >> More cores = more performance.
> > > > > >>> > >> It is good for you.
> > > > > >>> > >> For the host it doesn't matter logical or physical. For the
> > 
> > VM,
> > 
> > > > > >>> you'd
> > > > > >>> 
> > > > > >>> > >> want to pin "pairs" of cores, so there would be less CPU
> > 
> > cache
> > 
> > > > > >>> issues.
> > > > > >>> 
> > > > > >>> > >> Like, assign a core and it's sibling instead of two
> > > > > >>> > >> separate
> > > > 
> > > > cores.
> > > > 
> > > > > >>> > >> I use AMD Athlon X4 750k which is based off A10-5700, and
> > 
> > it's
> > 
> > > > > >>> working
> > > > > >>> 
> > > > > >>> > >> very unstable.
> > > > > >>> > >> The only way to get it working - use OVMF without VGA and
> > > > > >>> > >> do
> > > > > >>> > >> not
> > > > > >>> > >> use
> > > > > >>> > >> hugepages.
> > > > > >>> > >> That's all.
> > > > > >>> > >> 
> > > > > >>> > >> P.S.
> > > > > >>> > >> Oh well, here we go again.
> > > > > >>> > >> 
> > > > > >>> > >> 2015-08-18 22:26 GMT+03:00 ALG Bass <olorin12 at gmail.com>:
> > > > > >>> > >>> Hi all, new to this list, kvm, and vfio. I've been
> > 
> > researching
> > 
> > > > > >>> this for
> > > > > >>> 
> > > > > >>> > >>> about a week.
> > > > > >>> > >>> I'm also going to be building a computer in the near
> > 
> > future,
> > 
> > > > > >>> > >>> so
> > > > > >>> 
> > > > > >>> I've got
> > > > > >>> 
> > > > > >>> > >>> a quick two part question:
> > > > > >>> > >>> Does the hyperthreading on i7 series Intel processors make
> > 
> > a
> > 
> > > > > >>> significant
> > > > > >>> 
> > > > > >>> > >>> difference in running Windows in a VM, such that it's a
> > > > 
> > > > noticeable
> > > > 
> > > > > >>> > >>> increase
> > > > > >>> > >>> in performance over an i5? And, does anyone here run
> > 
> > Windows
> > 
> > > > in a
> > > > 
> > > > > >>> VM
> > > > > >>> 
> > > > > >>> > >>> using
> > > > > >>> > >>> an AMD A-series APU like the 7700k, and how is the
> > > > > >>> > >>> performance?
> > > > > >>> > >>> 
> > > > > >>> > >>> Thank you!
> > > > > >>> > >>> 
> > > > > >>> > >>> _______________________________________________
> > > > > >>> > >>> vfio-users mailing list
> > > > > >>> > >>> vfio-users at redhat.com
> > > > > >>> > >>> https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/vfio-users





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