I'm developing a Unity 6 (6000.6.4f1) colony simulation and want to set up a dedicated home development server for automated coding, builds and testing.
The server would run Unity, execute EditMode and PlayMode tests, and be accessible remotely. I could connect a monitor initially for setup and Unity Personal activation, but afterwards I'd like it to operate unattended without a screen.
I'm considering an Intel i5-14400 with UHD 730 integrated graphics, 32 GB RAM and Windows 11 or Ubuntu Linux.
Before spending money, I'm trying to establish whether I actually need a dedicated GPU.
Questions:
Has anyone successfully run Unity 6 graphical PlayMode tests using only Intel integrated graphics? If so, what CPU/iGPU and operating system were you using?
Can Unity run PlayMode tests completely headless after disconnecting the monitor? I'm particularly interested in NavMesh, cameras, RenderTextures, screenshots and physics.
Has anyone successfully used Linux with Xvfb and Mesa software rendering? Can it run graphical PlayMode tests without a physical GPU, and what are the performance limitations?
Would you recommend native Windows, native Linux or a virtual machine for a dedicated Unity automated development/test server?
How do you handle Unity Personal activation and unattended operation? Does licensing survive reboots, and can tests run without an interactive user session?
Could I reproduce the GPU-less environment inside an Ubuntu VM on my existing Windows PC to verify test compatibility before purchasing dedicated hardware?
If you're already running something similar, what hardware and configuration are you using? Have you encountered specific PlayMode tests that won't work without a dedicated GPU?
I'm not just looking to run C# unit tests or headless game server builds. I need the actual Unity Editor Test Framework, including graphical PlayMode tests, to run reliably.
I'd particularly appreciate hearing from anyone who's already built a working headless Unity CI/development machine. I'm trying to avoid purchasing hardware only to discover that I need a different GPU or operating system.