Any Linux Desktop for X86 run on Talos/Raptor?

[cchinicz]

Hi All,

I need to run an X86 application and have not succeeded installing any Linux distro (I've given up on Windows). I've tried Linux Mint, Ubuntu 20.04 Desktop and Fedora 32 Desktop and all failed to install. I've tried with VM Manager and also QEMU command line.

Anyone succeeded? If yes, I would appreciate very much if you can share details on how to install it.

Anyway, up to now my experience with QEMU emulating X86 has been that it is VERY slow and, no matter what I configure, it uses only one vCPU.

Thanks in advance.

[MauryG5]

Guys, I would avoid trying to emulate or run X86 software on Power in general. I think it doesn't make much sense, if you choose Power you're doing it to go against the trend and completely on the right side of the X86 world, so I don't think it's the best thing to do. Then in general emulators have never been a lightning bolt in my opinion, they are emulators but they will never give you the performance they can give you in their environment... Then they are my considerations attention, but in my opinion I repeat, if you marry the Power philosophy you do it just to go the opposite way to X86 and to have the performance and advantages offered by Power...

[bw42]

What kind of application are you trying to run?

What settings are you using when running it?
I usually use Qemu for my VMs.

I setup a Qemu VM that I'm installing Slackware64 in right now.
Its running, though a  little slower than it would with KVM acceleration.

[cchinicz]

Hi,

I need to install warsaw security module to access my bank account. This module works with most browsers but is a binary that runs only on X86.

Other than that, I'm fine with Fedora 32 on ppc.

Any input is much appreciated.

Regards

[bw42]

Outside of running a full VM you could try Qemu user mode emulation.
Here's a couple links that discuss how it works.
It'd allow x86 code to run on power without full VM emulation.

https://www.qemu.org/docs/master/user/main.html

https://ownyourbits.com/2018/06/13/transparently-running-binaries-from-any-architecture-in-linux-with-qemu-and-binfmt_misc/

[cchinicz]

Hi, this QEMU user space seems really interesting. I mean, using the host kernel is a smart way to improve (degrade less) the performance.

I read the articles and I'm not sure how it would work. This security module usually runs as a service which the browser uses to secure the connection.

If I understood it correctly, I would have to install the module every time I create the QEMU "session", install say Firefox and open it. Did I get it? I would have to create a script for this and once the "session" ends both the security module and the Firefox would disappear, just like in a sandbox.

Did I get correctly?

Thanks

[bw42]

I don't think you'd have to install it each time.

Qemu would just translate from x86 to power. So you should be able to install the software and then use Qemu to run it when you need it.

[cchinicz]

I've tried using the QEMU user space but could not resolve dependencies.

I've succeeded installing Ubuntu desktop 20.04 but it is so slow that it is not practical.

One thing I noted is that no matter how many vCPUs I define it uses just one.

Any ideas on how to make QEMU use more than one vCPU?

Regards

[bw42]

The -smp flag is usually how its done.
-smp 4

Like that would tell it to use 4 vCPU.

[cchinicz]

Thanks! Would you know what is the QEMU user command I would type to run TeamViewer I downloaded for Fedora on X86?

Again, thanks in advance.

[bw42]

If its 32-bit I would think you would use the qemu-i386 command.
You can specify which 32-bit x86 cpu to emulate by using the -cpu flag.
Running qemu-i386 -cpu help will show you all the cpu options.

[ClassicHasClass]

If it's for Fedora, you could try running it with the linux-user subsystem in QEMU, but you would also need the relevant x86 shared objects it links to. See https://www.talospace.com/2018/11/sometimes-its-necessary-running-x8664.html for an example (ignore the HQEMU parts and treat HQEMU as equivalent with QEMU for your purposes).

[cchinicz]

Hi bw42 and Classic, thank you for your inputs.

It seems that it is beyond my knowledge to use QEMU user mode.

For now, I'll have to use my phone or another computer to access my bank and find an alternative to TeamViewer, something web based.

Regards