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comp / comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc / hardware passthrough?

Subject: hardware passthrough?
From: David Chmelik
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2024 02:21 UTC

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From: dchmelik@gmail.com (David Chmelik)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: hardware passthrough?
Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2024 02:21:50 -0000 (UTC)
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Apparently most hardware doesn't 'passthrough' to virtual machines (VM)
such as BHyVe. This is problematic because some doesn't have FreeBSD UNIX
drivers, just Linux kernel drivers, such as 5.25" front bay multi-function
hubs (such as with Alcor Micro Corp chips)... I thought if I could run
something such as Slackware GNU/Linux in VM then I'd get those (USB/etc.)
drivers... is it unlikely ever in future for all hardware to
'passthrough'?

Subject: Re: hardware passthrough?
From: Andreas Kempe
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Organization: Lysator ACS
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2024 22:58 UTC
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From: kempe@lysator.liu.se (Andreas Kempe)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: hardware passthrough?
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2024 22:58:42 -0000 (UTC)
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Den 2024-01-12 skrev David Chmelik <dchmelik@gmail.com>:
> Apparently most hardware doesn't 'passthrough' to virtual machines (VM)
> such as BHyVe. This is problematic because some doesn't have FreeBSD UNIX
> drivers, just Linux kernel drivers, such as 5.25" front bay multi-function
> hubs (such as with Alcor Micro Corp chips)... I thought if I could run
> something such as Slackware GNU/Linux in VM then I'd get those (USB/etc.)
> drivers... is it unlikely ever in future for all hardware to
> 'passthrough'?

You can pass PCI devices to bhyve hosts. I'm currently using the
wifibox port and passing my Intel WiFi card to a Linux VM to use the
Linux driver. If you are okay with the host not accessing USB devices
on a specific controller, you could pass the entire USB controller to
the VM.

If you want a VM solution with decent USB passthrough of single
devices, you could have a look at Virtualbox. It's in the port tree
and worked fairly well on FreeBSD the last time I used it. Note that
you can NOT run Virtualbox and Bhyve at the same time. Loading bhyve
kernel modules and Virtualbax kernel modules at the same time crashed
my machine last I tried it.

Subject	Author
hardware passthrough?	David Chmelik
Re: hardware passthrough?	Andreas Kempe