Virtualization system for Linux MCE

Question

linux

Hello, Habrausers!

I thought about setting up a home server that would host my modest projects while serving as a home theater interface and the backbone of a home automation system. According to the descriptions, I liked the Linux MCE variant as an interface, but the stable release is very ancient (KUbuntu 8.10), even the unstable one is outdated before the release (KUbuntu 10.04). In general, this system is not suitable for hosting projects on it and using it as a server.

Then the idea of ​​​​virtualization appeared - to install a server distribution kit (Debian or Gentoo, not yet decided), and organize the interface with a periodically turned on virtual machine. But of the features - the need to give the virtual machine a video card (NVidia), the ability to read from a real hard drive and access to a local network.

Can you advise which virtualization is better to use? I immediately came to the choice between Xen and KVM (although maybe there are more suitable options), but I can’t make a conscious choice.

Answer 1

Xen and device forwarding are CPU and motherboard dependent, just like other virtualization systems.
What processor and motherboard do you have?
I would do it on Ubuntu (because I know it better and have more circles to ask) + Xen virtualization, since resources are strictly divided here and there is no influence of virtual machines on each other.

Answer 2

Both systems can do all of the above. So here choose what is closer or what you know better. For the home, it doesn't really matter.

Answer 3

I use just for these purposes proxmox. Based on Debian, it allows you to use OpenVZ for hosting sites and projects, while the percentage does not support VT-d and other things.
By the way, the system unit is assembled in a shoebox, a mother with a built-in intel D2500 processor and two screws for 2.5. It has been working for half a year without a break. Three sites are running on it, a repository for 1C configurations, a git server, now I'm doing my owncloud. In OpenVZ and KVM, device forwarding is very conveniently organized, for example, you can forward a specific flash drive or usb key. In Xen, you can only forward the entire pci controller, which is not very convenient. I use Xen at work. For Linux, OpenVZ is still preferable in terms of memory. Because 4 GB of RAM is more than enough for me, on Xen, of course, this would not be enough.