Has anyone tried to launch SteamVR on Linux through a KVM Virtual Machine?

[[MM] WMan22]

What were your results? Any specific problems? How would you instruct others to do the same? Have you benchmarked results, and if so, what was the performance impact?

There are certain linux exclusive SteamVR applications or variants of applications I wanna try such as Simula[github.com], but while ideally I can make a complete switch to linux and not need to do this: Realistically I may run into certain problems only a windows VM installation or dual boot can manage.

Documentation on people trying this is scarce or extremely complicated for a newcomer to linux such as myself to figure out when it comes to setting up a virtual machine that can do this. I only know of one reddit post showing someone even attempting to try anything like this. Combine that with a niche of a niche installbase, it's difficult to figure out how to properly get the right eyes on this, so I figured I'd try here.

[frostwork]

I might misunderstand you, but you need a Linux host system to actually use KVM, or is my information outdated here? :)

I personally use exactly the other way around: My main system is an Arch Linux installation with a RX 6900 XT and a Valve Index.
I use KVM/libvirt to launch a Win10 VM using a GTX 1070 Katana (singel slot) for GPU passthough which has my old HTC Valve attached. This works very fine without any problems.
Generally this would work perfectly as well with a Linux VM until the VM has a gpu passthough gfx card where you can attach your hmd.

[[MM] WMan22]

Originally posted by frostwork:

I might misunderstand you, but you need a Linux host system to actually use KVM, or is my information outdated here? :)

I personally use exactly the other way around: My main system is an Arch Linux installation with a RX 6900 XT and a Valve Index.
I use KVM/libvirt to launch a Win10 VM using a GTX 1070 Katana (singel slot) for GPU passthough which has my old HTC Valve attached. This works very fine without any problems.
Generally this would work perfectly as well with a Linux VM until the VM has a gpu passthough gfx card where you can attach your hmd.

I don't have a spare passthrough card, I just have my one RTX 3090. The host system is likely going to be either Manjaro or EndeavourOS running KDE Plasma, I was asking if a virtualized Windows 10 VM through KVM would work with SteamVR without causing issues. I'm using KVM not virtualbox because I heard KVM has far less of an impact on video game framerates as it is kernel level.

My worry is that because SteamVR launches when you hit your controller on button, that my linux installation of SteamVR and KVM installation of SteamVR would come on at the same time and possibly brick my headset as both of the drivers have a metaphorical screaming match with one another and then pull out revolvers in a fight that ends in a duel, essentially.

tl;dr I don't know what "GPU Passthrough" entails, I'm new to this stuff and extremely new to linux in general, but I don't have a spare GPU in my system to dedicate an entire graphics card to a virtual machine, I just want my PC to boot into a linux distro first, and load up steamVR inside of a windows 10 virtual machine whenever I come across a problem with anything that proton and WINE cannot handle. But I want to do that without screwing with my Valve Index firmware because I'm worried that both the linux SteamVR and KVM Win10 installation of steamVR will try and launch at the same time and ♥♥♥♥ over my headset.

If you know of any step by step video guide on how to set SteamVR up this way, it'd be much appreciated. I know I could just dual boot and run windows bare metal, but I'm trying to make an effort to minimize windows usage and get used to a new desktop environment because I don't want to use Windows 11.

[optlink]

You need to dedicate a GPU to the VM to get anything other than software rendering. If you have only one GPU I have heard it is possible to have the host go headless when the VM takes over but it will not be a simple setup with a _lot_ of gotchas. Do not waste your time with software rendering for regular gaming, let alone VR.

[[MM] WMan22]

Originally posted by optlink:

You need to dedicate a GPU to the VM to get anything other than software rendering. If you have only one GPU I have heard it is possible to have the host go headless when the VM takes over but it will not be a simple setup with a _lot_ of gotchas. Do not waste your time with software rendering for regular gaming, let alone VR.

Sigh, dual booting it is then. Was kinda hoping to keep windows in its self contained VM and just access it for games Proton and WINE can't handle without having to restart my PC.