Trying to create a headless VM that passes through an Nvidia GPU. I use the GPU for compute and not for display. Is there a way to create a VM where the VNC video interface is primary, and pass-through GPU a secondary video interface? When I try to do this the VM won't start.

Personally:

• For Windows, I use RDP.
• For Ubuntu, I use screen sharing functionality (which is in itself just a VNC server).
• For MacOS, I use NoMachine

All free and is superior to Unraid VNC in functionalities.

 

 

 

Maybe this is a stupid question, but how do I set up a headless VM w/ GPU passthrough? Do I start with VNC to set it up, then change the GPU to the Nvidia card?

9 minutes ago, ensnare said:

Maybe this is a stupid question, but how do I set up a headless VM w/ GPU passthrough? Do I start with VNC to set it up, then change the GPU to the Nvidia card?

Yep, use VNC to install OS + enable whatever remote access software you need.

Then change the graphics card to the Nvidia card and access the VM through that remote access software you set up.

 

Note though that some graphics cards won't initialise properly without a monitor plugged in so if that's the case, you will need to buy a dummy HDMI plug.

I'm running a Windows VM with GPU passthrough without monitor connected.

RDP runs fine for most purposes.

But there are situations where RDP does not work - i.e. some bigger Windows Updates require multiple reboots, the only way I got them runnig was using VNC.

Now I have following problem: Activting VNC and GPU passthrough results in an Error in Windows Hardware-Manager (Code 12 - not enough resources...).

So my passthrough-GPU does not run, when VNC is activated.

How can I run both??