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Ask Slashdot: Can Linux Run a GPU-Computing Application Written For Windows?

Posted by EditorDavid on from the asking-about-emulation dept.

dryriver writes: I have been told that Linux can run Windows software using Wine or perhaps a VM. What happens if that Windows software is a GPU-computing application -- accessing the GPU through HLSL/GLSL/CUDA/OpenCL or similar interfaces? Can Wine or other solutions run that software at a decent speed under Linux? Or is GPU-computing software written for the Windows platform unsuitable for use -- emulated or otherwise -- under Linux? This sounds like one of those cases where there's a theoretical answer and then your own real-world experiences. So leave your best answers in the comments. Can Linux run a GPU-computing application that's written for Windows?

3 of 117 comments (clear)

  1. yes by qume · · Score: 5, Informative

    PCI express passthrough is the term to search for.

    A good writeup:

    https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/2z0evz/gpu_passthrough_or_how_to_play_any_game_at_near/

  2. It worked for F@H by Ken_g6 · · Score: 5, Informative

    It used to be there was no Linux Folding@Home application. But there was a way to run the Windows CUDA application on Linux, and I did for a couple of years.

    Here's a guide for that: http://www.overclockers.com/de...

    --
    (T>t && O(n)--) == sqrt(666)
  3. If you don't need double precision... by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 4, Informative

    You are absolutely right that you can do this but you may need to patch the hypervisor if you use a standard, retail nVidia card. Nvidia's drivers for "gamer" GPUs check to see whether they are running in a virtual environment and then shutdown if they think they are. There is a patch for KVM which hides the virtual environment from the nVidia driver so that it will run.

    Alternatively if you need double precision or don't mind spending 5-10 times the cost of a gamer card you can purchase a Tesla GPU since the nVidia driver for these works fine in a VM without patching.