Re: [PATCH] arm64: Clear VTCR_EL2 in __init_el2_stage2()

[Anshuman Khandual]

On 13/03/26 12:55 PM, Marc Zyngier wrote:
> On Fri, 13 Mar 2026 05:38:57 +0000,
> Anshuman Khandual <anshuman.khandual@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>> Clear VTCR_EL2 along with VTTBR_EL2 register in __init_el2_stage2(), which
>> ensures that MMU stage-2 translation remain disabled. Although clearing out
>> VTTBR_EL2 probably should have been sufficient but adding VTCR_EL2 improves
>> overall safety.
> 
> This serves no purpose whatsoever. Even the write to VTTBR_EL2 is
> pointless, and writing 0 is no better than writing *any* other value.
> > The only thing that matters at this stage is HCR_EL2.VM, which
> actually controls stage-2 translation (contrary to your above
> assertion). This of course is not captured by this macro.
> 
> So what are you *really* trying to achieve?

To keep VTTBR_EL2 and VTCR_EL2 cleared (and prepared) if and when
HCR_EL2_VM gets enabled. But it can be argued that these registers
need not have to be cleared now and can just be initialised before
setting up HCR_EL2_VM itself. In which case should we drop
__init_el2_stage2() entirely ?