X220 motherboard VT-d support? PCI Passthrough possible?

Hello everyone,

I'm on the verge of ordering a x220 (especially now that they don't require the Windows tax, for linux geeks: Lenovo - ThinkPad laptops with DOS) and was wondering if any of you have experimented with PCI passthrough.

I know that there are a couple virtualization products out there that support PCI passthrough but they require the VT-d or IOMMU support from the motherboard (motherboard NOT CPU).

I was wondering if any of you could confirm/Deny PCI passthrough functionality? For more info:

Linux virtualization and PCI passthrough

I know that USB passthrough has seen dramatic improvements but I think PCI passthrough is lagging. Any help, comments or feedback welcome!

If anyone is able to test this for me I would be very grateful! According to all the spec sheets this should work... but because this is a little bit niche... I know it might not match up with the paperwork (BIOS issues, etc.)

TIA!

 

Mod could you move this to the linux section... Wondering if it might be better suited to that forum.

 

VT-d has an option to enable/disable in the BIOS if that sways you.

Testing it to 100% confirm would be a fair bit of hassle unless someone has a ready to go ESXi + guests live image or something like that.

I'm curious what you need to pass through? Unless you have a pci-e converter to add cards theres not much built into the laptop, usually people only care on a real server with multiple high end nics or drive controllers.

I suppose you could assign the nic or the wifi to a guest but you need at least one for the host to get online and normal VMs handle network bridging already.

 

I'm getting into network security and am hoping to be able to pass a express card wireless nic to a vm. I'm not sure it would work but I do know virtualized networks don't work with tools like aircrack. USB tools are an option but guess I'm just wanting to be difficult.

Currently thinking of the ubiquity srx card.

 

I have that card, its really nice for swapping back and forth from omni to directional.

Why don't you just run the tools from the linux host? Going through the trouble to set up the whole system under esxi or another hypervisor just for that seems like overkill.

 

you dont have to use ESXi, VirtualBox has experimental support for pci pass-though, haven't tried it though.

 

Was actually thinking KVM. But I could although I'd like to use VM's to keep things separated.

Aluminum, If you don't mind...

1. Were there any compatibility issues with your distro?
2. Do you also have a built in wifi card and if so any issues getting them to play nice together?

 

i looked up the CPU in the x220 and according to intel's fact sheet it does not have VT-d which is needed for PCI pass through but it does have VT-x which is needed for KVM so its not all bad.

Intel® Core? i3-2310M Processor (3M Cache, 2.10 GHz)

And yes i know you said it is supported by the Mobo but it has to also be supported by CPU, the mobo supports it so if they wanted to stick in an i7 it could support it as the i7m support VT-d but i3m is a no go sorry.

 

That's why I got an i7 CPU

If you chose that cpu because of the advertised model on the landing page you should know that those computers are 100% customisable. The Windows plagued ones don't have as many choices in their hardware as these do. Check it out. You can get a model that's not even possible for a windows box .

 

well there you go did not know that guess i should look further then the cover page shouldn't i

But damn a i7 in a 12" screen, that where the saying "Big things come in small Packages" comes from.

 

It works with ath9k just fine, and the built 6205 with iwlagn. I've only really heard of problems when people have 2 very different cards of the same driver family.

I believe the first cpu option with everything enabled is the 2520 and that was the cheapest when I was buying.