Difference between revisions of "Open-IOV:About"
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'''Open-IOV''' is an open-source virtualization layer for NVIDIA GPUs. It runs '''stock, unmodified NVIDIA drivers inside virtual machines''' — Linux and Windows — with GPU compute (CUDA), and eventually 3D graphics and video, on hardware you already own: without a proprietary vGPU license, without patching the guest driver, the host driver, the hypervisor or the GPU firmware. | '''Open-IOV''' is an open-source virtualization layer for NVIDIA GPUs. It runs '''stock, unmodified NVIDIA drivers inside virtual machines''' — Linux and Windows — with GPU compute (CUDA), and eventually 3D graphics and video, on hardware you already own: without a proprietary vGPU license, without patching the guest driver, the host driver, the hypervisor or the GPU firmware. | ||
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== Licensing == | == Licensing == | ||
'''All documentation on this site is licensed [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ CC-BY-4.0]''' — the statement carried at the top of every page. It may be reused with attribution, or used as inspiration for new documentation, including by GPU vendors for public commercial distribution as developer documentation. | |||
The project's | The project's source code is licensed separately: '''BSD 3-Clause''' for everything reusable (userspace libraries, tools, scripts, configuration) and '''GPL-2.0''' for the kernel modules that must legally link against GPL-only kernel exports (VFIO, mdev, IOMMU); per-file SPDX identifiers govern. NVIDIA's software and firmware are used unmodified and are not redistributed. See the repository's <code>LICENSE</code> and <code>docs/09-reference/legal-and-licensing.md</code> for the full statement. | ||
== Community == | == Community == | ||
Revision as of 04:29, 12 October 2026
An absence of critical technical documentation has historically slowed growth and adoption of developer ecosystems for GPU virtualization.
This CC-BY-4.0 licensed content can either be used with attribution, or used as inspiration for new documentation, created by GPU vendors for public commercial distribution as developer documentation.
Where possible, this documentation will clearly label dates and versions of observed-but-not-guaranteed behaviour vs. vendor-documented stable interfaces/behaviour with guarantees of forward or backward compatibility.
Open-IOV is an open-source virtualization layer for NVIDIA GPUs. It runs stock, unmodified NVIDIA drivers inside virtual machines — Linux and Windows — with GPU compute (CUDA), and eventually 3D graphics and video, on hardware you already own: without a proprietary vGPU license, without patching the guest driver, the host driver, the hypervisor or the GPU firmware.
Mission
Make NVIDIA GPUs fully virtualizable, by anyone, for any hypervisor, without modifying NVIDIA software, firmware or hardware.
How it works
The only component the project adds is a host kernel module (vgsp.ko). It implements the interface the guest driver expects to talk to — the GPU System Processor (GSP) and its resource-manager firmware — and arranges for the guest's work to execute on real GPU hardware. The guiding sentence is:
- Emulate the interface. Pass through the work. Never patch anyone.
See System Overview for the architecture and Project Status for the honest current state.
Principles
- No patches anywhere. Guest drivers, host drivers, firmware and hypervisors are all used unmodified; interoperability is the goal, not counterfeiting.
- Honest status. Claims carry dates and evidence; the project publishes what does not work as clearly as what does.
- Independent IP block. Open-IOV is self-contained so KVM, Xen, Argo/OpenXT, Qubes OS Air and others can carry it without forks.
- Durability by owning the interface. The protocol, not a snapshot of it, is reimplemented — so new driver versions, firmware and hardware can be carried forward.
Licensing
All documentation on this site is licensed CC-BY-4.0 — the statement carried at the top of every page. It may be reused with attribution, or used as inspiration for new documentation, including by GPU vendors for public commercial distribution as developer documentation.
The project's source code is licensed separately: BSD 3-Clause for everything reusable (userspace libraries, tools, scripts, configuration) and GPL-2.0 for the kernel modules that must legally link against GPL-only kernel exports (VFIO, mdev, IOMMU); per-file SPDX identifiers govern. NVIDIA's software and firmware are used unmodified and are not redistributed. See the repository's LICENSE and docs/09-reference/legal-and-licensing.md for the full statement.
Community
- Source and issues: git.vgpu.io/open-iov
- Chat: Open-IOV Discord
- See Community and HAAEEP and Collaboration.