Re: [PATCH] x86: Add a Kconfig shortcut for a kvm-bootable kernel

[Borislav Petkov]

On Wed, Apr 17, 2013 at 08:25:07PM -0300, Marcelo Tosatti wrote:
> On Tue, Apr 16, 2013 at 06:18:52PM +0200, Borislav Petkov wrote:
> > On Sun, Apr 14, 2013 at 01:03:20PM +0200, Borislav Petkov wrote:
> > > On Sun, Apr 14, 2013 at 12:31:12PM +0300, Pekka Enberg wrote:
> > > > I obviously support having something like this in mainline. I wonder
> > > > though if we could just call this "default standalone KVM guest
> > > > config" instead of emphasizing testing angle.
> > > 
> > > /me nods agreeingly...
> > > 
> > > And it should be unter HYPERVISOR_GUEST where the rest of this stuff
> > > resides. Good point.
> > 
> > Sanity check question:
> > 
> > Why not add the select stuff, i.e. this:
> > 
> > 	select NET
> > 	select NETDEVICES
> > 	select PCI
> > 	select BLOCK
> > 	select BLK_DEV
> > 	select NETWORK_FILESYSTEMS
> > 	select INET
> > 	select EXPERIMENTAL
> > 	select TTY
> > 	select SERIAL_8250
> > 	select SERIAL_8250_CONSOLE
> > 	select IP_PNP
> > 	select IP_PNP_DHCP
> > 	select BINFMT_ELF
> > 	select PCI_MSI
> > 	select HAVE_ARCH_KGDB
> > 	select DEBUG_KERNEL
> > 	select KGDB
> > 	select KGDB_SERIAL_CONSOLE
> > 	select VIRTUALIZATION
> > 	select VIRTIO
> > 	select VIRTIO_RING
> > 	select VIRTIO_PCI
> > 	select VIRTIO_BLK
> > 	select VIRTIO_CONSOLE
> > 	select VIRTIO_NET
> > 	select 9P_FS
> > 	select NET_9P
> > 	select NET_9P_VIRTIO
> > 
> > to the option below which we already have. It is in the same sense a KVM
> > guest support deal.
> > 
> > Hmm.
> > 
> > KVM people, any objections?
> 
> None, but please don't mix it with 'KVM_GUEST' flag below. 
> 
> Actually, what about adding kvm variants of the two files at
> arch/x86/configs/ ?

two files?

> 
> > config KVM_GUEST
> >         bool "KVM Guest support (including kvmclock)"
> >         depends on PARAVIRT
> >         select PARAVIRT_CLOCK
> >         default y
> >         ---help---
> >           This option enables various optimizations for running under the KVM
> >           hypervisor. It includes a paravirtualized clock, so that instead
> >           of relying on a PIT (or probably other) emulation by the
> >           underlying device model, the host provides the guest with
> >           timing infrastructure such as time of day, and system time

Hmm,

ok, maybe I wasn't clear enough. My proposal was to actually add all (or
maybe not *all* of them, but most) those selects above to the KVM_GUEST
config option. Because, you very probably want to select all that stuff
above anyway if you want to build a kvm guest kernel, no?

IOW, something which says "Enable KVM guest support" should enable all
the stuff needed for that.

Or do you want to keep the current CONFIG_KVM_GUEST separate for special
stuff?

And yes, Sasha's suggestion to have an additional
CONFIG_KVM_GUEST_KERNEL_TESTING or so option which enables debug
stuff for people who write patches for the kernel and want to quickly
smoke-test it in kvm.

Basically, I'm looking from the perspective of a kernel dev who would
like to make an optimal use of kvm for testing kernels.

Does that make more sense?

Thanks.

-- 
Regards/Gruss,
    Boris.

Sent from a fat crate under my desk. Formatting is fine.
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