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6dd1092ca3
I think "server" and different "implementations" of it makes it a lot clearer to readers that it's a swappable thing that can serve multiple clients without being too much jargon.
112 lines
4.3 KiB
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112 lines
4.3 KiB
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.. _requirements:
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Requirements and compatibility
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##############################
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.. _minimum:
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Required
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--------
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Linux host
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A Linux system capable of running KVM/QEMU and building the Looking Glass
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Client. The client requires an EGL-capable graphics driver. X11 and Wayland
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are supported. For a responsive passthrough setup, use at least six CPU
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cores with twelve hardware threads.
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Windows guest
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A Windows 10 version 1803 or newer, or Windows 11, virtual machine. The
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recommended IDD path can create its own virtual monitor and does not require
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a physical monitor or dummy plug.
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Shared memory
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An IVSHMEM device large enough for the maximum guest resolution. The KVMFR
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kernel module is recommended and is required for direct GPU imports.
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Matching components
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Use the current client, IDD and OBS plugin from the same Looking Glass
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release. A protocol version mismatch is not supported. Legacy Host users
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must use the complete matching B7 stack described below.
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The IDD can fall back to software processing if the Windows guest has no
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suitable render GPU. This is useful for compatibility, but hardware processing
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is strongly recommended for lower latency and higher frame rates. Software
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mode is SDR-only and does not provide the same performance as the GPU path.
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.. _recommended:
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Recommended
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-----------
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For a responsive high-resolution setup, use:
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* a host CPU with eight cores and sixteen threads or better, with full
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performance cores around 3 GHz or faster;
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* KVMFR rather than a plain shared-memory file;
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* a host GPU and driver that support direct DMA imports;
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* a hardware render adapter in the Windows guest; and
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* enough memory bandwidth for the chosen resolution and refresh rate.
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Do not assign every CPU core to the guest. Reserve at least two physical CPU
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cores, or four threads, for Linux. Looking Glass, QEMU, the Linux desktop and
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audio server all need host CPU time. High refresh rates also raise
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shared-memory and GPU bandwidth requirements.
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For a passed-through GPU, PCIe bandwidth can also limit performance. Use at
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least eight PCIe 3.0 lanes or four PCIe 4.0 lanes where practical.
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.. _connected_display:
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Physical display and dummy plugs
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--------------------------------
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The recommended IDD does not require a physical display or dummy plug. It
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creates a virtual Windows monitor, including on systems without a
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passed-through display output.
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A physical display, dummy plug or another virtual monitor is only required
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when using the :doc:`legacy Host Application <install_host>`, because that
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application captures an existing Windows display.
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.. _igpu_kvmfr_recommended:
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Host GPU notes
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--------------
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AMD and Intel host GPUs commonly support the DMA-BUF path used by KVMFR. This
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can reduce CPU work and avoid an extra system-memory copy. It is particularly
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important for integrated GPUs, which already share memory bandwidth with the
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CPU.
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NVIDIA host GPUs require a driver configuration that supports DMA-BUF import.
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If direct import is unavailable, the client falls back to a software copy.
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Looking Glass still works, but uses more CPU and memory bandwidth.
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Windows and HDR
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---------------
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Windows 10 remains supported. Current HDR and wide-color-gamut display features
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depend on newer IddCx interfaces that the driver checks at runtime, so they are
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normally available only on a compatible Windows 11 installation. The IDD
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continues to use its SDR-compatible path when those interfaces are unavailable.
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Native HDR presentation on Linux requires the EGL renderer, Wayland
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``color-management-v1`` support in the compositor, and an HDR-capable output.
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When native HDR is unavailable, the client can map HDR content to SDR.
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Legacy Host compatibility
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-------------------------
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The Windows Host Application is no longer the recommended server implementation.
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It is missing many of the features available in the Looking Glass IDD, such as:
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* Lack of video capture overhead;
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* Usage without a monitor or dummy plug connected;
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* Automatically resizing the guest to fit the client application viewport;
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* HDR support; or
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* Usage in virtual machines without GPU acceleration.
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B7 is the last recommended version of the legacy host application for users who
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require its non-capture mouse input workflow. Use the complete matching B7 stack
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for that workflow rather than mixing B7 and current components.
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