Semi-Dedicated system

[prognosis]

I'm considering Proxmox to be used as an alternative to dual booting because of the hardware support it offers. I'm curious if the arrangement I thought of is even possible or if there is better way to achieve what I'm attempting...
Components are standard 1 Monitor, 1 Computer (2 Video Cards), 1 Keyboard, 1 Mouse
Obviously the Computer would host the Proxmox hypervisor.
One video card would be dedicated to a Linux vm and the other to a Windows vm. (Graphically intense applications used in both)
The video card outputs will be switched to the monitor through an HDMI selector switch.
Proxmox would be controlled From both the Windows and Linux vm's through the standard interface installed on each.
What I'm not sure about is how to control/direct the mouse and keyboard activities to only one vm at a time in a configuration like this.

Anyone think this is feasible/possible?
Anyone got any ideas about an arrangement like this?
Anyone done anything like this?

Thanks

 

[m.ardito]

really, put the only machine to control the hypervisor INTO it as a vm?

weird.

I don't know about hdmi, never tried but I feel a much better setup would be instal pve on top of a standard debian, and create the windows vm or else inside pve.

Marco

 

[prognosis]

Marco,
I didn't think about the ramifications implied by your comment "put the only machine to control the hypervisor INTO it as a vm?". I have other computers on the network that could be used to control the hypervisor if needed. The documentation says that it can all be done through a modern web browser.


I'll read up on your idea of putting the pve on top of standard Debian. Honestly I didn't really consider that as an option because when I went to the installation instructions the first thing I read was "The installation of a supported Proxmox VE server should be done via Bare-metal_ISO_Installer.". I really think I may have quit reading at that point. My concern is the dedicated hardware through that setup, but I'll read through it more carefully and see what's there.

I've read more about my original setup and I think a regular kvm switch would work and I would dedicate USB ports to each machine too. I may have to just buy the hardware and try it

Jason

 

[m.ardito]

ok if you have other pc, it makes sense I just wished you to be sure.
Sometimes people wish to backup all hypervisor's vm on... a vm inside it. Which is even weirder.

to install over debian, see this https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Install_Proxmox_VE_on_Debian_Wheezy
"The installation of a supported Proxmox VE server should be done via Bare-metal_ISO_Installer. In some case it makes sense to install Proxmox VE on top of a running Debian Wheezy 64-bit"
Apart from a bit different setup, the main catch is that you have to run a pve kernel to have virt enabled. You can reboot and load a standard (newer) kernel but pve will not run with it.

About the devices, the hypervisor (pve) need a video adapter of its own. Since you have 2, you cannot dedicate 1 to linux vm and another to windows vm, i think.
You'll need 3.

Marco

 

[prognosis]

For closure I thought I'd post the results: bad
No specific errors until I tried to passthrough the PCI's. I'm afraid I might be over my head in this. Got nothing to work.
Realized in the middle of it I had to use experimental upgrades and stuff to even get where I did.
Couldn't justify buying a contract to get access to something that seems like it might not work anyway.
I'm familiar with vmWare and from what I've seen Proxmox looks very promising, although I never taxed it very hard.
Thanks for the advice.

 

[pixel]

I think your looking for xen, or general purpose linux desktop (with a modern kernel) and libvirt.