[Xen-users] VGA/PCI Passthrough of Secondary Graphics Adapter

[Alex Karaoui <code3studios@xxxxxxxxx>]

Aloha!

Concisely, I've been trying for several days to get VGA/PCI passthrough
working.  Regarding VGA vs PCI passthrough, I'm not entirely certain of the
difference?  Does Xen perform a different set of operations when passing
through a VGA card versus any PCIe card?  I've read the wiki and it seems
the answer is "yes;" however, when passing through a graphics adapter, how
would I instruct Xen/qemu-dm that said adapter is a graphics card and not a
normal PCIe card?

In essence, how does one pass-through a graphics card that is NOT the
primary adapter (my BIOS does not boot with it)?

My problem is somewhat complex.  I have two Radeon cards (one 5870 as
primary, and one 5570 as secondary).  The BIOS boots with the 5870 and I
cannot swap the cards due to space constraints within the case.  Linux then
boots using the 5870.  I've hidden the 5570 using pciback (compiled in the
kernel not as a module).  I can successfully get a Windows 7 32-bit domU to
see the card, and install the drivers.

However on boot, the system BSODs due to an Error 116 in atikmpag.sys!  I
can avoid this if I use an older driver (10.x series), without Catalyst
Control Center.  However, even using the older driver, or the Microsoft
driver, neither results in actual display from the graphics card.  I get
nothing.  The most I've gotten is a black screen, and then the system will
crash.

I've searched the mailing lists, and I've done every permutation of
configurations I can think of.  I'm stumped!  I'm left with the belief that
I cannot pass-through the secondary graphics adapter.  I need to, because I
don't have a second computer at the moment, and I need the primary adapter
to operate dom0.  I've thought of running Linux off the secondary adapter,
but it doesn't seem possible with the open-source radeon driver and fglrix
(closed-source) won't work with Xen apparently.  

Am I missing something, here?  Any help would be appreciated!



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