KVM CPU host-passthrough

[tanodzh]

Armbianmonitor:

https://paste.next.armbian.com/pojasuhizo

I have Linux 6.1.99-vendor-rk35xx #1 SMP Wed Mar 19 11:16:36 UTC 2025 aarch64 aarch64 aarch64 GNU/Linux on my Orange Pi 5 Plus. Trying to setup VM with CPU host-passthrough but can only use cortex-a76 custom with TCG. If I try to use virt type KVM and host-passthrough on virt-manager I get:
 

Error starting domain: internal error: process exited while connecting to monitor: 2025-03-26T08:55:56.040008Z qemu-system-aarch64: Failed to put registers after init: Invalid argument

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/share/virt-manager/virtManager/asyncjob.py", line 72, in cb_wrapper
    callback(asyncjob, *args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/share/virt-manager/virtManager/asyncjob.py", line 108, in tmpcb
    callback(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/share/virt-manager/virtManager/object/libvirtobject.py", line 57, in newfn
    ret = fn(self, *args, **kwargs)
          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/share/virt-manager/virtManager/object/domain.py", line 1402, in startup
    self._backend.create()
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/libvirt.py", line 1379, in create
    raise libvirtError('virDomainCreate() failed')
libvirt.libvirtError: internal error: process exited while connecting to monitor: 2025-03-26T08:55:56.040008Z qemu-system-aarch64: Failed to put registers after init: Invalid argument

 

[cemzafer]

Hi, 

I'm using RK1 compute module and I get this error message "qemu-system-aarch64: Failed to put registers after init: Invalid argument" while creating a vm on incus. Can I upgrade a newer kernel 6.10 or later on this compute module? 

Regards.

 

[eselarm]

Maybe have a look at

 

[cemzafer]

Thanks for the reply @eselarm, I did not catch up the posted link, that means you upgraded your kernel. As in the posted email you have mentioned following message.

So in my case on a NanoPi-R6C, that I just did upgrade, so got kernels:

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 33792512 Dec  5 18:28 vmlinuz-6.12.2-current-rockchip-rk3588
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 39705088 Dec  1 18:38 vmlinuz-6.1.84-vendor-rk35xx

Where can I find those kernel deb packages? Can you share the link/links?

Regards.

[eselarm]

10 hours ago, cemzafer said:

RK1 compute module

This is not a Orange Pi 5 Plus where this topic is about.

Also you need to provide more info, which Armbian version, etc. Your error might have a different reason.

 

In general you can use armbian-config to switch kernels.  I never did it like that so cannot really say what you should do. 

 

KVM / virtualization you need to read about and understand good enough in order to fix things like this. It is not armbian specific.  

[cemzafer]

Thanks for the reply.

My Armbian version is as follows,

PRETTY_NAME="Armbian 25.8.0-trunk.463 bookworm"
NAME="Debian GNU/Linux"
VERSION_ID="12"
VERSION="12 (bookworm)"
VERSION_CODENAME=bookworm
ID=debian
HOME_URL="https://www.armbian.com"
SUPPORT_URL="https://forum.armbian.com"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://www.armbian.com/bugs"
ARMBIAN_PRETTY_NAME="Armbian 25.8.0-trunk.463 bookworm"

 

armbian@turing-rk1:~$ uname -a
Linux turing-rk1 6.1.115-vendor-rk35xx #1 SMP Tue Jul 29 08:14:49 UTC 2025 aarch64 GNU/Linux

 

So in this kernel, everything works as expected except vm problem. And one of a forum stated that this problem occurs because of kernel, so I upgraded the kernel with using armbian-config. My kernel changed to 6.12.41, now qemu vm works as normal without a hitch. But when I upgrade the kernel now I lost the NPU device, the new kernel does not recognize the NPU processor. 

Briefly with old kernel everything works not qemu vm, with new kernel qemu vm works but not NPU support.

Any idea how to compile RK3588 NPU driver?  Or alternative idea?

Regards.

 

Edited August 4 by cemzafer

[eselarm]

OK so it is Armbian. 

You can use KVM with the 6.1.115-vendor kernel, but you must set fixed allocation in the VM which CPU cores to use. You can chose 0 to 7, 0-3 are Cortex-A55, 4-7 are Cortex-A76.

 

Read the post(s) I linked to earlier, I and others explain it there (even 2 methods).  Use virt-manager GUI ane enable .xml editing. then change that line with the cpus, I my case I use 2 cores. You van also do it with virsh CLI tool, but you need to read through the options then.

Edited August 4 by eselarm

[cemzafer]

Thanks, I will try that.

Regards.