Jump to content

Unraid VM and Win98SE - GPU passthrough.


ruthan

Recommended Posts

Hello,
i just wonder if someone tried Unraid - QEMU virtual machine with GPU Passthrought, is working well for WinXP 32bit gaming with old Geforce 8400GS with Z68 board and Core i5 2500S - it would work with everything with IOMMU support (Intel VT-d).

  Unraid is primary for big custom Raids, but has Virtual machines plugin which is based on KVM, so PCI-E and PCIE and USB devices passthrough is possible and few VMs can runs in parallel.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


I did some testing is possible to install Win98SE - with VNC display driver, i ended stuck at Keyboard and Mouse detection, after real GPU was used (i used integrated Intel HD2000, because i hadnt at the hand any Win98 compatible card and ATI Mach 64 VT wasnt working with Unraid) - so GPU passthrough working even for Win98.

   Keyboard / mouse problem probably can be solved with PS2 keyboard and mouse or 2 PS ports mainboard or more compatible USB devices - i dont have at home best set for compatbility i have some too modern and not good keyboard for compatibility (nothing like old Logitech, Chicony IBM keyboards). I tested all through some 1xPS2 to 2x USB convertor.

Edited by ruthan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can you please state the source and version of UnRaid you are using? (is it the Demo Donwload from the Homepage?)

I see that Q35 chipset is emulated - and we have drivers/inf for P35, so that *may* work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have using last version from website - 14 days trial, but it could be extended, because its tight only to unique email address.

 QEMU has also i thing 440BX chipset option, which is probably even more compatible.

 There is Unraid Win98 thread, not too much info, but atleast for someone its working, only with some startup sequence hassle..
https://forums.lime-technology.com/topic/43505-vm-help-windows-98se/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today i tested on my Z68 board PCI card options, but i had no luck with Creative Audigi and SB !Live and 3Com lan card, only PCI device which is detected is ATI Mach PCI video card, but when is added to machine is not booting, but i already have new Z97 board and wating for new CPU from Ebay, i will retest it. Im also looking for any other PCI videocard, some Nvidia or more modern ATI.

 Today i also ordered PCI-E Geforce 7950 so we will see..

 I wonder is there any Win 9x compatible USB Lan or USB Audio card because this could be solution too?
Regarding this site at least some USB Land exists:
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/networking/usbether.htm

Edited by ruthan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

rloew: Could recommend some piece on eBay?

I just can confirm that Unraid machine with my new arrived passivelly cooled Geforce 7950 PCI-E is booting in to normal mode! I now have not time, but i will continue with more testing.

Question:
Is there some Bios setting, which could do downgrade USB3 ports for USB2? To be fully supported by Win9x or this dead end? If this is somewhere working, it still could be MB dependent, i want to know if it is worth of try, i have Gigabyte Z68 chipset board and Z97 board is ready too, i only wanting on CPU which is on the way..

 Problem is still not USB, outside of VNC mod.. In VNC mod i can boot to safe-mode and i can see that no USB controller there, what is probably why keyboard and mouse not working at all.
I have tried New hardware detection in safe mode, but nothing was found, but i read about some trick to rename somae PnP Bios device to PCI-BUS and some new devices were detected - even some Network adapter and USB PCI controller - problem is that somewhere is process and lost - CD/DVD devices with Windows98 mount image, so i have not drivers for that to test it.

Edited by ruthan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I rarely shop online. The Adapters I mentioned are still available in stores such as Micro Center.

The USB LAN Adapter is the Tenda TEL9901G.
The USB Sound Adapter is the Kingwin USB-3DSA.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

rloew: Thanks.

I maked USB working, but only in normal mod, in safe mode is not working and when machine crash, is needed to control safe mode throught VNC client- its stupid, but its nothing too annoying.
I dont know, maybe its Win98 SE limitation that USB not working in same mode, problem is that as far i know, there is not QEMU PS2 device passthrough.

   So only Network and Audio is needed to make it fully working.

  I didnt test any benchmarks but its really fast with Core i5 2500S - 1 core and 256 MB RAM.

QEMU-Win98DeviceManager.jpg

Edited by ruthan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Safe Mode runs only the bare minimum of Drivers. USB is not one of them.

USB Keyboards can be used if the BIOS provides Legacy USB Keyboard support but this is mapped to the PS/2 Interface.
USB Drives may also be supported through Legacy Mode.

Edited by rloew
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/27/2017 at 9:24 AM, rloew said:

Safe Mode runs only the bare minimum of Drivers. USB is not one of them.

USB Keyboards can be used if the BIOS provides Legacy USB Keyboard support but this is mapped to the PS/2 Interface.
USB Drives may also be supported through Legacy Mode.

  But there is some QEMU trick how to make VNC keyboard and mouse working, maybe some similator workaround could be used for make USB working as PS2 device inside virtualization.

QEMU-Win98DeviceManager.jpg

Edited by ruthan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 26.3.2017 at 3:36 AM, rloew said:

USB LAN Adapter is the Tenda TEL9901G

Sorry, i don't seem to find an USB-Adapter of that name, just an 10/100/1000 PCI card. Do you have a link to that product?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

USB Audio is working - with this cheap adapter:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/182262415490?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
 

I had no luck with LAN - i bought this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281937228180?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
On cd - is some insllator, something is installed, but device is not recognized its still unknow USB device - device name should be RD9700, but i dont know device vendor name, or where INF files are.. i tried to search for Win98 driver for this device, but without success.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You will need to get the VID and PID for the Device from the Registry.

I have been doing some experimenting with a couple of different USB to LAN Adapters.
I have observed a possible bug in the system software for both 98SE and ME where crashes occur sporatically.
I have seen them on different Computers with different vendors USB-LAN Drivers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...