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authorPaolo Bonzini <pbonzini@redhat.com>2022-03-22 14:07:12 +0300
committerGreg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@linuxfoundation.org>2023-01-18 13:45:00 +0300
commit0027164b24f252d54d6d5b8e718b7d782859713a (patch)
tree937e7d1ac2ee24f2cf622ae34c5172dcd3e2cb31 /Documentation
parentcaaea2ab6b6d48f1261ead8c8737502bcf47c297 (diff)
downloadlinux-0027164b24f252d54d6d5b8e718b7d782859713a.tar.xz
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@redhat.com> Message-Id: <20220322110712.222449-4-pbonzini@redhat.com> Signed-off-by: Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@redhat.com> Signed-off-by: Sasha Levin <sashal@kernel.org>
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation')
-rw-r--r--Documentation/virt/kvm/api.rst46
1 files changed, 46 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/virt/kvm/api.rst b/Documentation/virt/kvm/api.rst
index cd8a58556804..d807994360d4 100644
--- a/Documentation/virt/kvm/api.rst
+++ b/Documentation/virt/kvm/api.rst
@@ -6398,3 +6398,49 @@ When enabled, KVM will disable paravirtual features provided to the
guest according to the bits in the KVM_CPUID_FEATURES CPUID leaf
(0x40000001). Otherwise, a guest may use the paravirtual features
regardless of what has actually been exposed through the CPUID leaf.
+
+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