People of the forums I call on your knowledge to point me in the right direction! Quite happy to do the leg work with regards to research, but I'm coming up a bit short... possibly due to my lack of knowledge. I'm interested in Virtualization but short on knowledge. My big question that I need answering so I can direct my research in the correct direction is what can I actually do with my current hardware?

 

What I would like to achieve - Is to have a server that I can remote desktop to / web manage that is running an OS with a user friendly interface, Linux or Windows. I want to be able to use this to download content, manage files, run Plex and anything else I can think of. Nothing too resource intensive. Of course on the same box I want unRAID!

 

My current hardware is an MSI 760g chipset microATX board with an Athlon x4 610e. Now from what I can gather, checking BIOS and reading online the board and processor both support AMD-V (SVM on motherboard menu). Am I right in saying that this doesn't allow hardware passthrough? If I am right, does this matter?

 

I am willing to change my board, very reluctantly, but due to housing them in a Fractal Define mini I can only do microATX... from what I can gather I need an ATX AM3 board to get more advanced features... So basically would have to get a new processor / mobo combo or a larger define case. Neither of these options appeal to the wallet so would really like to leverage what I already have.

Poprin, virtualization does not rely on pass-through support.  Therefore, if your plan is to visualize for the purpose of breaking out application duty into separate VMs, then that is all you need.  However, if you plan to run windows in a VM that functions as your daily rig or a pfsense firewall, then pass-through is required.

 

But looking at what you want to achieve, virtualize away, then only stipulation being that you need unraid 6 as your host.

Thanks for the reply Smakovitz, this sounds encouraging. So would I be correct in saying that in order to use virtualization without passthrough I would need unRAID to function as the host? Because from my rudimentary understanding it would strike me that using something like windows 8.1 or a debian based Linux distro as host would make more sense? Then I could dedicate minimal resources to unRAID. Would unRAID however not be able to see my SATA controller without passthrough? This is the bit that confuses me...

Thanks for the reply Smakovitz, this sounds encouraging. So would I be correct in saying that in order to use virtualization without passthrough I would need unRAID to function as the host? Because from my rudimentary understanding it would strike me that using something like windows 8.1 or a debian based Linux distro as host would make more sense? Then I could dedicate minimal resources to unRAID. Would unRAID however not be able to see my SATA controller without passthrough? This is the bit that confuses me...

 

That is correct.  Without passthrough, unraid cannot function as your Domu

 

I have not played with unraid 6, but it has had xen, moved to kvm and is now introducing docker as well.  For this reason I cannot speak directly, but because you want a windows vm, I believe you will need kvm/xen as opposed to docker, but I could be wrong on that one.

Thanks Smakovits, I'm not dead set on Windows, I'm happy to use Linux so long as it's a warm and fuzzy with a GUI. I'm getting better with my Linux skills since venturing into unRAID but I am still a 100% beginner.

 

Could you advise the most user friendly way of getting another OS running as a virtual machine in unRAID? Is KVM the only option?

First, can you tell us what, exactly, you want to run in your Virtual Machine?

 

I ask because your first post says " I want to be able to use this to download content, manage files, run Plex and anything else I can think of" and all of that can be done using dockers, which requires no special hardware, is very isolated from unRAID (can't crash unRAID), and is very easy to get up and running.  It also avoids you having to have a windows license, or learn a linux GUI.

 

Some things can't be done with docker though, so it depends on your needs/wants if that's the right way forward for you.

 

I suggest you take a look at these 2 posts for more information on what's currently available in docker (there's MUCH more out there also), and how easy it is to get it running...

 

Dockerization of some popular applications.

 

[PLUGIN] Extended Docker configuration page

 

The first is the list of apps written specifically for unRAID, the second is a plugin meant to make installing and configuring them SUPER easy, and includes templates to get you started.

 

This requires you to be running unRAID beta6, but it's been very stable for me, and i've been running it on my production/only server since the day it was released.

First, can you tell us what, exactly, you want to run in your Virtual Machine?

 

I ask because your first post says " I want to be able to use this to download content, manage files, run Plex and anything else I can think of" and all of that can be done using dockers, which requires no special hardware, is very isolated from unRAID (can't crash unRAID), and is very easy to get up and running.  It also avoids you having to have a windows license, or learn a linux GUI.

 

Some things can't be done with docker though, so it depends on your needs/wants if that's the right way forward for you.

 

I suggest you take a look at these 2 posts for more information on what's currently available in docker (there's MUCH more out there also), and how easy it is to get it running...

 

Dockerization of some popular applications.

 

[PLUGIN] Extended Docker configuration page

 

The first is the list of apps written specifically for unRAID, the second is a plugin meant to make installing and configuring them SUPER easy, and includes templates to get you started.

 

This requires you to be running unRAID beta6, but it's been very stable for me, and i've been running it on my production/only server since the day it was released.

 

Poprin, I just re-read your first post and see that it seem you mentioned GUI and RDP as a way to manage the apps.  In that case, you do not need Linux or Windows.  All the apps that manage these duties have web front ends, so docker on top of unRAID would suffice.

 

 

I've done a bit of looking into docker. It does appear to be a good option, but there is something I just don't like about it. I'd really like access to some kind of desktop environment so I can tinker about with it. Because I'm still trying to figure out all the uses my new sever can have for me, a desktop environment I feel would let me do that.

 

For example, with docker... If I wanted to run a VPN client and also a download program could I do that? If they where running in separate dockers would that work? Could I run a separate media manager program? In a desktop environment I could basically replicate what I do with my desktop with my server and access it from my low power laptop via RDP. Then my main machine can be dedicated to the important stuff like gaming and the odd handbrake encodes to take advantage of i7 horsepower.

I can't say for sure about a VPN, I don't use one personally, so I'm not sure if that can/will work okay in a docker, but a download program (SABnzbd, for example) works great in a docker.  I have SABnzbd, NzbDrone, sickrage, and others all running in their own dockers, and it all works great.  no problems for me with this setup.

 

In addition, if you just want to run a desktop, to replicate another computer, that's also no problem.  it can run alongside the dockers and unRAID if you want.  For that, you would want a VM.  I think KVM might be the 'better' choice for that right now, unless you want Graphics passthru for that VM, in which case, it's not so easy to do.  Other users have done it, but I had not success with this personally.

 

The next beta release promises to have more patches, and a more fully-formed system in place, so you might find it easier to wait a bit to start on the VM path until we see what's available in the next beta.

 

Personally, I suggest that you start by installing the docker plugin, add one of the templates (if there is one for a program you want to try), and get started with that path.  Then add other dockers/programs that you want to try, then see what's left that can't be done in dockers.  if anything, then move the the VM route, or if you just want a linux OS with desktop GUI, just add that when the next beta is out.

 

People are very helpful around here, so just ask questions if you get stuck, and have fun