Re: Is my Intel HD Graphics 4600 Xen VGA Passthrough to Windows 8 Enterprise HVM domU Considered Successful?

[Gordan Bobic <gordan@bobich.net>]

 On Fri, 19 Jul 2013 18:56:24 +0800, "Singapore Citizen Mr. Teo En Ming 
 (Zhang Enming)" <singapore.mr.teo.en.ming@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 19/07/2013 18:42, Gordan Bobic wrote:
>> On Fri, 19 Jul 2013 18:27:07 +0800, "Singapore Citizen Mr. Teo En 
>> Ming (Zhang Enming)" <singapore.mr.teo.en.ming@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> My Windows 8 Enterprise HVM domU configuration is as follows. I 
>>> have
>>> to *disable* gfx_passthru, that is, gfx_passthru=0. Please take 
>>> note.
>>
>> [...]
>>
>>> So is my Intel HD Graphics 4600 Xen VGA passthrough to Windows 8
>>> Enterprise HVM domU considered successful?
>>
>> If it works, it's successful.
>>
>>> I cannot enable gfx_passthru, that is, gfx_passthru=1. If I enable
>>> gfx_passthru, Windows 8 Enterprise HVM domU would start for a few
>>> seconds, then the LCD monitor would go into power save mode (blank
>>> screen) *forever*.
>>>
>>> Please advise me on how I can get VGA passthrough to work with
>>> gfx_passthru=1.
>>
>> Can you elaborate why exactly do you need to have that GPU passed
>> through as primary? Primary GPU passthrough has always been
>> problematic because domU has to re-post the card's BIOS which
>> has always been problematic.
>>
>> The only difference in the general case is that with gfx_passthru=1
>> you get to see the POST and boot information on the monitor
>> connected to the GPU. With gfx_passthry=0 you can only see this
>> in the VNC session connected to the virtual primary VGA card. In
>> the vast majority of cases seeing the POST and boot animation
>> isn't useful enough to be worth bothering with.
>>
>> I have a working setup with 2x Quadro cards, each passed through
>> as secondary (gfx_passthru=0) to different domUs, with separate
>> mice/keyboards passed through to each domU (multi-seat gaming
>> rig), and that works lovely (only limitation being 2GB of RAM
>> for each domU until I get around to upgrading to 4.3).
>>
>> Unless you have a very compelling reason to use gfx_passthru=1
>> I suggest you don't bother even trying.
>>
>> Gordan
>>
>
> Dear Gordan,
>
> I want to use the monitor connected to Intel HD Graphics 4600
> directly. I don't want to use a VNC session to connect to the Windows
> 8 Enterprise HVM domU.
>
> Thank you very much.

 You only need VNC for the POST. Once Windows boots up you should be
 be able to get all your display output on the physical screen.
 Disable the virtual VGA interface in device manager if you have
 to - I've found that is sometimes necessary to get the physical
 GPU working properly.

 Gordan