Please, return passthrough feature to VirtualBox.

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boxer84
Posts: 1
Joined: 20. Sep 2022, 12:36

Please, return passthrough feature to VirtualBox.

Post by boxer84 »

Many users want to use NVIDIA CUDA technology in virtual machine in order to run unknown (potentially dangerous code) in safe place. Also it can be usefull for for fast recovery when system failure is occured. NVIDIA offers enough expensive solution for top videocards (vGPU), but old versions of VirtualBox allowed to make cheap solution.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Please, return passthrough feature to VirtualBox.

Post by scottgus1 »

Virtualbox doesn't provide a virtual Nvidia video card to its VMs, so Nvidia drivers won't work in the VM.

If you're suggesting that Virtualbox provide a virtual Nvidia video card, you'll have to check if Nvidia would allow that, since they are a for-profit company, and Virtualbox is free and open-source.

Once you develop a profitable business use case for such an arrangement, supported by Nvidia, and you can then sell it to Oracle so the Oracle customers can buy it, then it might be available in free Virtualbox, or at least in the PUEL Extension Pack.
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: Please, return passthrough feature to VirtualBox.

Post by mpack »

He's talking about PCI passthrough, not realizing that it never worked for PCIe, never worked for anything except Linux hosts, and never allowed you to share a PCI device - the device had to be owned by the VM.

A general air of unfortunate expectations is IMO the main reason the feature had to be scrapped: it couldn't do what people assumed it did, and nobody needs it for what it actually did.

If you want direct hardware access, don't use a VM. Use dual boot.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Please, return passthrough feature to VirtualBox.

Post by scottgus1 »

mpack wrote:He's talking about PCI passthrough
Ah, of course. I didn't read the topic title.... :lol:
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