So my pve server just uses a consumer board (ASRock H570-M ITX). I use an i3-10300 with an iGPU that will be passthrough'ed to a VM and that makes me not able to access the console of the server physically. Are there known USB-c to HDMI adapters that work with Proxmox itself so I can regain console access if ever I need to? I've read that USB-c to video cables/adapters are better than USB-A's because they work with video natively but I haven't really tried this yet.
USB-c to HDMI cable/adapter that works with Proxmox
- Thread starter kevindd992002
- Start date
Your scheme won't work. The USB-C to HDMI adapters are not super-cheap GPU's. Usually they are either USB-C alt-mode to pass through the HDMI signals or they are DisplayLink adapters that redirect the display using software. Both of them need the GPU but it is no longer available to the host when passed through.
Maybe your iGPU supports vGPU sharing via VT-d? I don't know enough to say whether this will work for you. I think you need an Alder Lake CPU for it to even be supported. Here is a thread about that to get you started:
https://forum.proxmox.com/threads/alder-lake-gvt-d-integrated-graphics-passthrough.105983/
ETA: Another alternative would be to enable the serial console. There's lots of info on the web about setting that up with Debian, which is the base OS for PVE. You'd need another computer though, with a serial port or usb-to-serial adapter.
Maybe your iGPU supports vGPU sharing via VT-d? I don't know enough to say whether this will work for you. I think you need an Alder Lake CPU for it to even be supported. Here is a thread about that to get you started:
https://forum.proxmox.com/threads/alder-lake-gvt-d-integrated-graphics-passthrough.105983/
ETA: Another alternative would be to enable the serial console. There's lots of info on the web about setting that up with Debian, which is the base OS for PVE. You'd need another computer though, with a serial port or usb-to-serial adapter.
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I see. I'm fine with a serial console but how does that work for a board without an RS232 port? I have to read up on this but are you saying that a usb-to-serial adapter would solve this without needing another computer?
I do not know if you can use a usb-to-serial adapter as the console port. Never tried that. For sure you need two computers for this. Your PVE node and another computer with a serial port or usb adapter and terminal software (e.g. PuTTY)
Honestly, it almost sounds like your use-case would be better served by a desktop virtualization product like VirtualBox.
Honestly, it almost sounds like your use-case would be better served by a desktop virtualization product like VirtualBox.
I don't understand why I need another computer. How would that 2nd computer connect to the pve (1st computer) that has no serial port?
If PVE has no serial port then you are out of luck. But in general, a serial console is not a display. It just sends text out a serial port. So you would need a second computer to display it on.
Oh wait, you're talking about the Putty client on the 2nd computer, lol. I get what you mean now (and it was what I was expecting all along). I thought you were saying PVE -> 2nd computer -> computer with Putty client.
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Why is this so hard? You have never used a serial port and also lack Google? Serial port is not SSH. It sort of works like it in that it just transmits text, but it is a direct point-to-point connection rather than a network. It works even if the network is down. Which means it can be a replacement for the console when there is no screen or keyboard and the network is down.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RS-232
https://www.debuntu.org/how-to-set-up-a-serial-console-on-debian/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RS-232
https://www.debuntu.org/how-to-set-up-a-serial-console-on-debian/
It is not hard. I just misunderstood you yesterday and I meant "Putty client" when I said "SSH client" in my previous post. I edited the post already. I am familiar on how a serial port is used. I 100% understood you already. I was just thinking of something else. I know you need a 2nd computer acting as a client so you can connect to the console port on the pve (if it has one) using a usb-to-serial cable (which I have). Again, I was just thinking of something else earlier so nevermind.
The main takeaway here is that I don't have any way to have physical console access if I passthrough my pve's iGPU to a VM.
The main takeaway here is that I don't have any way to have physical console access if I passthrough my pve's iGPU to a VM.
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Correct.
Possible workaround: put a second GPU in it, as real hardware - possibly cheap, passively cooled, zero "3D-Acceleration" etc..., but giving a second and independent display output for the host while the Pass-Through of the other GPU stays active.
Disclaimer: never tried that by myself...
I can't. I use an ITX board and the singlr pcie slot is already taken by my HBA card.