Ubuntu within Windows 10 via WSL2 - is it possible to do PCIe passthrough?

Dax Traj

I have a dedicated PC running Ubuntu with a PCIe DVB-S2 tuner card (TBS 6902)

I'd like to retire it and run Ubuntu within Windows 10

I was hoping the introduction of WSL2 might facilitate PCIe passthrough, so that Ubuntu will recognise my TBS6902 card

Can anyone confirm if this is possible? (I realize ethernet based tuners like SiliconDust will work, but this is not what I'm after here)

Aside from above, I've successfully tested VMWare Esxi 6.5 with PCIe passthrough to Ubuntu, but ideally, I'd like to use my Windows 10 PC for this and not use Esxi

ADDED: I've just found a post discussing something called 'DOCKER'. Would this allow me to run TVHeadEnd within my Windows 10 PC?

Saen Acro

Your question is more to go to this location

https://github.com/Microsoft/WSL/issues

Whay not Enable Hyper-V Virtualization in Windows 10
then situation will be same as in ESXi (more like VMWARE WWorkstation ) but on Windows

Dax Traj

>Whay not Enable Hyper-V Virtualization in Windows 10 then situation will be same as in ESXi (more like VMWARE WWorkstation ) but on Windows

Because I don't think Hyper-V in Windows 10 permits pcie passthrough - unlike its Windows Server Hyper V counterparts

Saen Acro

Dax Traj wrote:
> >Whay not Enable Hyper-V Virtualization in Windows 10 then situation will be same as in ESXi (more like VMWARE WWorkstation ) but on Windows
>
> Because I don't think Hyper-V in Windows 10 permits pcie passthrough - unlike its Windows Server Hyper V counterparts

https://techgenix.com/enabling-physical-gpus-hyper/

https://linustechtips.com/topic/1123637-pcie-passthrough-for-hyper-v-on-windows-10/

Hyper-V in Windows 10 Anniversary Update and in Windows Server 2016 has the ability to do Discrete Device Assignment, where a device like a GPU can be directly mapped into the address space of a guest VM. This is supported for Windows guests and for Linux guests. Using: Dismount-VMHostAssignableDevice -LocationPath gpu-device-location -force Add-VMAssignableDevice -LocationPath gpu-device-location -VMName

Or take real cheap pc put tuner there and strema from it
I use Dual-core Celeron "GA-C847N" with quad tuner without problems

Dax Traj

> The Microsoft official blog Discrete Device Assignment — Machines and devices says : First, we're not supporting Discrete Device Assignment in Hyper-V in Windows 10. Only Server versions of Windows support this. This isn't some wanton play for more of your hard-earned cash but rather just a side effect of being comfortable supporting server-class machines. They tend to work and be quite stable. And the Microsoft official article Deploy graphics devices using Discrete Device Assignment says: Discrete Device Assignment applies to Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2016 and Windows Server 2016

So Discrete Device Assignment is not supported in Hyper-V in Windows 10.

Dax Traj

>Or take real cheap pc put tuner there and strema from it. I use Dual-core Celeron GA-C847N with quad tuner without problems

Yeah, I guess so. I've already got a media/cctv server in addition to my win10 PC. I installed Esxi 6.5 on it and split it into 2 VM's...

1) Ubuntu 18.04 with PCIE passthrough working perfectly, 1 CPU, 1024 MB, 20GB and it runs TVHeadEnd without going over 5% CPU utilisation

2) Win7 for my Plex and other stuff

Runs fine. I suppose I can stick with that.

Dax Traj

the other option is to swap my TBS 6902 PCIE based dual tuner for a 'standalone' USB model with its own power supply (such as the TBS 5930) and plug that into a spare Raspberry PI running TVHeadEnd

Saen Acro

Dax Traj wrote:

> the other option is to swap my TBS 6902 PCIE based dual tuner for a 'standalone' USB model with its own power supply (such as the TBS 5930) and plug that into a spare Raspberry PI running TVHeadEnd

better take SAT>IP STB

Dax Traj

>better take SAT>IP STB

My preference is a 'hard wired tuner' ie. pcie, especially for low latency / fast response. Really quick changing channels.

I suppose a SAT > IP box needs to do an extra 'hop' on the network to retrieve the data?

Care to recommend a SAT > IP box you like? For example I tried Silicon Dust HD Homerun and found the quality appalling, albeit, I only tested it with their own player app. I need DVB-S/S2 so HD Homerun no good for me anyway. I was looking at a Digibit by Telestar, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Telestar-5310476-DIGIBIT-Twin/dp/B016XL584C

Saen Acro

Its same time, no extra hops, you still use tvh to watch channels.

Dax Traj

>Its same time, no extra hops, you still use tvh to watch channels.

Wouldn't tvh retrieve tv program / streamed data from a local pcie tuner faster than it would from a networked tuner?

Saen Acro

Driver's also have lag to tune get mux and send it to TVH
Do not expect few seconds chanels change just becouse is used network tuner.
TVH is ON-DEMAND streamer not static one, so all channel change have lag,
except case when some one watch channel.

Sven B

or use DVBviewer Media Server like i do.
https://tvheadend.org/d/7140-tvheadend-vm-tuners-from-dvbviewer-media-server?r=46184#message-46184