Passing through PCI soundcard to docker?

[xthursdayx]

Hi all, I'm having an issue that I'm hoping someone might be able to help me with.

 

Here is the situation. I am using an ASRock C2750D4II motherboard with an Intel Avoton (Atom) C2750 CPU (http://www.asrockrack.com/general/productdetail.asp?Model=C2750D4II), and recently installed an ASUS Xonar DX PCIe soundcard. I am also running Roon (https://roonlabs.com/) in a modified Ubuntu docker to manage and play my music, but my goal is to be able to play music directly from my server through the Xonar soundcard. However as it stands now Roon doesn't recognize the soundcard as an available audio device.

 

Does anyone know how I can install the drivers for this soundcard in Unraid, and then make my Roon docker recognize the soundcard and pass the audio through? Or alternatively how I can install the drivers inside of the docker container itself (if this is even a possibility).

 

I'm a total noob to this kind of thing, so any advice or suggestions would be very much appreciated. thanks!

 

 

[BRiT]

For docker, the host os must have the required drivers installed for a device to be used inside a docker. That means unraid needs the drivers. It would be easier for you to run a VM with the card passed through than to get the audio drivees installed on unraid.

[saarg]

For docker, the host os must have the required drivers installed for a device to be used inside a docker. That means unraid needs the drivers. It would be easier for you to run a VM with the card passed through than to get the audio drivees installed on unraid.

Not when his CPU doesn't support vt-d.

[BRiT]

For docker, the host os must have the required drivers installed for a device to be used inside a docker. That means unraid needs the drivers. It would be easier for you to run a VM with the card passed through than to get the audio drivees installed on unraid.

Not when his CPU doesn't support vt-d.

 

In that case, many will find its still easier for him to replace the cpu and go VM than have to compile custom kernel and find all thats needed for audio drivers, and likely will need additional software installed too on unraid host os.

[saarg]

For docker, the host os must have the required drivers installed for a device to be used inside a docker. That means unraid needs the drivers. It would be easier for you to run a VM with the card passed through than to get the audio drivees installed on unraid.

Not when his CPU doesn't support vt-d.

 

In that case, many will find its still easier for him to replace the cpu and go VM than have to compile custom kernel and find all thats needed for audio drivers, and likely will need additional software installed too on unraid host os.

The CPU is integrated in the motherboard. I agree that it's easier to change parts than messing with the kernel, but that  costs money and then again, not everyone have that extra money.

[xthursdayx]

The CPU is integrated in the motherboard. I agree that it's easier to change parts than messing with the kernel, but that  costs money and then again, not everyone have that extra money.

 

Yeah this is exactly the issue. I set up a Windows VM and installed Roon on it, but then found out that my CPU can't do VT-d and so can't pass through the sound. I've looked into replacing the motherboard and CPU with one that can handle VT-d, but in order to do that it looks like I'll need to spend around $700 (CAD) that I don't have at the moment. This is partially because my server case can only accommodate mini-ITX boards - (I was thinking of this combo http://ark.intel.com/products/75052/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E3-1220-v3-8M-Cache-3_10-GHz + http://www.asrockrack.com/general/productdetail.asp?Model=E3C226D2I#Specifications).

 

Do you guys have any advice for integrating the audio drivers into the unraid kernel..? Again, this isn't something that I really know anything about.

[BRiT]

My advice is to find a different way to play your music.

[xthursdayx]

My advice is to find a different way to play your music.

 

Unfortunately that kind of the defeats the whole point... thanks though.

[BRiT]

My advice is to find a different way to play your music.

 

Unfortunately that kind of the defeats the whole point... thanks though.

 

Yes, but you wanted something easier that a nonexpert could achieve. You can have 1 or the other but not both.

 

Even as a very experienced linux developer, I myself wouldnt even attempt to get audio working in an unraid setup. I would instead install unraid on top of a full slackware 64bit current install. I did that before and had 64bit unraid running years before official 64bit release. But updating unraid software gets to be a chore. I have gone to running the base unraid 6 version. Far easier to do, even for linux experts.

 

[xthursdayx]

Man that's disappointing to hear.... Anyway, thanks for the advice. I guess I'll try to figure something else out until I can afford to upgrade my motherboard and CPU.

[rutherford]

I was poking around for a straight up Roon docker, and I couldn't find one. Looks like you ran a whole ubuntu VM to run Rune? Maybe I should just go that route, perhaps with a Windows VM? Any other places to look for a Roon docker? I know the software is $500 which is nuts - but from what I've seen, people actually pay it, try it out, and pay. So it must be awesome. Like I'm hesitant to start smoking, I'm hesitant to try Roon! hahaha