This is a note to let you know that I've just added the patch titled Documentation: KVM: add API issues section to the 5.15-stable tree which can be found at: http://www.kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/stable/stable-queue.git;a=summary The filename of the patch is: documentation-kvm-add-api-issues-section.patch and it can be found in the queue-5.15 subdirectory. If you, or anyone else, feels it should not be added to the stable tree, please let <stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> know about it. commit dad1005b3501947da0a8e85e31656b6824932e35 Author: Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@xxxxxxxxxx> Date: Tue Mar 22 12:07:12 2022 +0100 Documentation: KVM: add API issues section [ Upstream commit cde363ab7ca7aea7a853851cd6a6745a9e1aaf5e ] Add a section to document all the different ways in which the KVM API sucks. I am sure there are way more, give people a place to vent so that userspace authors are aware. Signed-off-by: Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@xxxxxxxxxx> Message-Id: <20220322110712.222449-4-pbonzini@xxxxxxxxxx> Signed-off-by: Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@xxxxxxxxxx> Signed-off-by: Sasha Levin <sashal@xxxxxxxxxx> diff --git a/Documentation/virt/kvm/api.rst b/Documentation/virt/kvm/api.rst index a6729c8cf063..8826f8023f06 100644 --- a/Documentation/virt/kvm/api.rst +++ b/Documentation/virt/kvm/api.rst @@ -7265,3 +7265,49 @@ The argument to KVM_ENABLE_CAP is also a bitmask, and must be a subset of the result of KVM_CHECK_EXTENSION. KVM will forward to userspace the hypercalls whose corresponding bit is in the argument, and return ENOSYS for the others. + +9. Known KVM API problems +========================= + +In some cases, KVM's API has some inconsistencies or common pitfalls +that userspace need to be aware of. This section details some of +these issues. + +Most of them are architecture specific, so the section is split by +architecture. + +9.1. x86 +-------- + +``KVM_GET_SUPPORTED_CPUID`` issues +^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ + +In general, ``KVM_GET_SUPPORTED_CPUID`` is designed so that it is possible +to take its result and pass it directly to ``KVM_SET_CPUID2``. This section +documents some cases in which that requires some care. + +Local APIC features +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +CPU[EAX=1]:ECX[21] (X2APIC) is reported by ``KVM_GET_SUPPORTED_CPUID``, +but it can only be enabled if ``KVM_CREATE_IRQCHIP`` or +``KVM_ENABLE_CAP(KVM_CAP_IRQCHIP_SPLIT)`` are used to enable in-kernel emulation of +the local APIC. + +The same is true for the ``KVM_FEATURE_PV_UNHALT`` paravirtualized feature. + +CPU[EAX=1]:ECX[24] (TSC_DEADLINE) is not reported by ``KVM_GET_SUPPORTED_CPUID``. +It can be enabled if ``KVM_CAP_TSC_DEADLINE_TIMER`` is present and the kernel +has enabled in-kernel emulation of the local APIC. + +Obsolete ioctls and capabilities +^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ + +KVM_CAP_DISABLE_QUIRKS does not let userspace know which quirks are actually +available. Use ``KVM_CHECK_EXTENSION(KVM_CAP_DISABLE_QUIRKS2)`` instead if +available. + +Ordering of KVM_GET_*/KVM_SET_* ioctls +^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ + +TBD