Unleashing the Power of Proxmox

Introduction:

In the realm of open-source solutions, Proxmox stands out as a versatile platform that empowers users to experiment and harness the full potentail of virtual machines. In this article I am going to provide an overview of the build I am using for a minecraft server, home assistant installation, openvpn server, and specifically the steps required to pass a GPU through to a specific VM.

Passing a GPU to a specific VM allows that individual VM to take advantage of the hardware for video transcoding and similar.

Building My Proxmox Host:

Hardware Components:

The following components were used in my build, please note that the links provided are affiliate links and I would receive a kick-back if you buy anything through the Amazon links.

Rather than going into the specifics of setting up VMs for each of the solutions I am using, I am going to document perhaps the most important implementation, pass-through GPU configuration.

Passing Through GPU on Proxmox UI to an Ubuntu VM:

Before proceeding with configuring pass-through, you must make sure IOMMU is supported and configured within the bios of your system.

Enabling IOMMU in BIOS/UEFI

1. Accessing BIOS/UEFI:

   • Restart your computer and access the BIOS/UEFI settings. Press a key during the boot process (common keys include Del, F2, F10, or Esc, depending on your motherboard).

2. Locate Virtualization or IOMMU Settings:

   • Navigate to find options related to virtualization or IOMMU. Look for terms like "IOMMU," "VT-d," or "AMD-Vi" (for AMD processors). These settings may be in different sections based on your motherboard.

3. Enable IOMMU:

   • Set the option for IOMMU to "Enabled." This allows the system to efficiently manage memory addresses for devices.

4. Save and Exit:

   • Save changes and exit the BIOS/UEFI. Select the appropriate option, often labeled as "Save & Exit" or similar.

5. Verify IOMMU Status:

   • After rebooting, verify IOMMU status by checking system logs or using tools like dmesg | grep -e IOMMU in a terminal. Ensure the output indicates active IOMMU support.

Enabling IOMMU is crucial for GPU pass-through to virtual machines, improving performance and enabling features like gaming or graphics-intensive applications. Refer to your motherboard's manual for specific instructions. If you can't achieve this step, you can't pass-through the GPU with your setup.

Assuming that you are good to go, let's continue with configuring the Host OS and Host VM appropriately.

Identifying GPU using lspci:

The first thing you are going to wan to do is identify the GPU hardware information, I personally followed the guide on Prommos's own wiki, but it took some trial and error to finally get it all set up.

1. Identifying GPU using lspci on Proxmox Host:

   • Log in to the Proxmox host machine.

   • Open a terminal.

   • Run the following command:

     lspci

   • Look for the line corresponding to your GPU. Note down the PCI address (e.g., 01:00.0).

After identifying the GPU on the host, proceed with assigning it to the VM within the Proxmox web interface.

2. Assigning the GPU to the and Ubuntu VM:

   • It is assumed you have an Ubuntu Server VM configured at this point.

   • Navigate to the VM and select the "Hardware" option.

   • Click on the "Add" button and choose "PCI Device."

   • Enter the PCI address of the GPU you noted down e.g., 0000:01:00.0.

   • Save the changes.

3. Grub Edits for Ubuntu VM:

   • SSH into your Ubuntu VM you are configuring GPU passthrough for.

   • Edit the Grub configuration file:

     sudo nano /etc/default/grub

   • Add the following lines to the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX section:

     GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="iommu=pt intel_iommu=on"

   • Save the file and update Grub:

     sudo update-grub

   • Reboot the VM.

Conclusion:

Proxmox, coupled with high-quality components, unlocks a world of possibilities for virtualization enthusiasts. This guide provides a foundation for building a basic Proxmox system, and hopefully the specifics regarding GPU pass-through help some others on their journey. I found the hardware noted in this article more than acceptable on achieving my goals (hosting a Minecraft server, home assistant OS, an Ubuntu server with various video trans-coding requirements),but you may want to understand the requirements of what you are trying to achieve before placing any orders, as they say, YMMV.

Note: Prices listed are from Newegg as of late 2019 and may have changed.