Enabling GPU for VMWare Workstation running Ubuntu 20.04 LTS

[thiirane]

Good Day!

Can someone please point me to the process for enabling my NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Super on VMWare Workstation 15.5 running Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.  I have seen a variety of posts.  It is very confusing.   I am grateful for your time and assistance.

[scott28tt]

@thiirane 

Moderator: Please try and create a thread in the area for the product used - moved to Workstation Pro Discussions (though you may be using Workstation Player)

[ender_]

VMWare Workstation doesn't let you pass your physical GPU to the VM - the VMs can only use an emulated GPU.

[thiirane]

ok sorry about that.

[thiirane]

Can you please point me to documentation on "Emulated GPU.  If you have a physical GPU, would it be used to run normally GPU intensive applications like AI?

[scott28tt]

@thiirane 

This thread may help you understand how Workstation utilities a GPU: https://communities.vmware.com/t5/VMware-Workstation-Pro/GPU-not-recognized-utilized-in-Workstation-...

[thiirane]

Hi scott28tt,

Ok well this link suggests all you have to do is to disable Hyper V and you should be able to leverage the virtual GPU through the Physical CPU/GPU right?  I wish there was more documentation on this specifically with some sort of test to demonstrate functionally of the virtual GPU.

Thanks for the link

[scott28tt]

@thiirane 

It was the comments in that thread rather than the “fix” - there is no hard vGPU > pGPU linkage in Workstation.

[wila]

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@thiirane wrote:

Can you please point me to documentation on "Emulated GPU.  If you have a physical GPU, would it be used to run normally GPU intensive applications like AI?

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Sadly you can't run any code directly on the virtual GPU from within your VM.
This means that a workload such as AI isn't going to work in a VMware Workstation VM.

You'll have to do that at the host, or use a virtualisation solution that can pass-through the GPU ( vSphere or KVM come to mind )

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Wil