[PATCH v2 2/2] KVM: selftests: Test the PV_UNHALT feature, not just its CPUID bit

From: Hemanth Selam

Date: Wed Aug 26 2026 - 08:01:57 EST


test_pv_unhalt() only checks that KVM clears KVM_FEATURE_PV_UNHALT from
guest CPUID when HLT-exiting is disabled. The feature itself has never
been exercised, hence the FIXME.

Add a two vCPU test for it. The first vCPU halts with interrupts
disabled, so nothing except the KVM_HC_KICK_CPU issued by the second can
resume it: KVM delivers the kick as APIC_DM_REMRD, which sets pv_unhalted
and makes the vCPU runnable without injecting an interrupt. Reaching the
instruction after HLT is therefore proof that the kick arrived.

Give the halting vCPU a non-zero APIC ID, so that a kick aimed at the
wrong vCPU fails the test instead of hitting the halter by chance, and
enable its APIC as a guest using PV spinlocks would, since KVM only routes
the kick once the vCPU's APIC is in the map.

Wait for the halter's halt_exits to tick before kicking so that the kick
lands on a vCPU that has actually halted, and bound the wait so a vCPU
that never halts fails the test instead of hanging it.

The kicking vCPU runs with KVM_CAP_ENFORCE_PV_FEATURE_CPUID enabled and
PV_UNHALT advertised, so that KVM services the hypercall because the
feature is exposed rather than because enforcement is off.

Assisted-by: Cursor:claude-opus-5
Signed-off-by: Hemanth Selam <hemanth.selam@xxxxxxxxx>
---
tools/testing/selftests/kvm/x86/kvm_pv_test.c | 97 ++++++++++++++++++-
1 file changed, 96 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/x86/kvm_pv_test.c b/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/x86/kvm_pv_test.c
index 8ed5fa635021..120d08ac25ce 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/x86/kvm_pv_test.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/x86/kvm_pv_test.c
@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@
*/
#include <asm/kvm_para.h>
#include <linux/kvm_para.h>
+#include <pthread.h>
#include <stdint.h>

+#include "apic.h"
#include "test_util.h"
#include "kvm_util.h"
#include "processor.h"
@@ -193,7 +195,99 @@ static void test_pv_unhalt(void)
TEST_ASSERT(!vcpu_cpuid_has(vcpu, X86_FEATURE_KVM_PV_UNHALT),
"PV_UNHALT set in guest CPUID when HLT-exiting is disabled");

- /* FIXME: actually test KVM_FEATURE_PV_UNHALT feature */
+ kvm_vm_free(vm);
+}
+
+static void pv_unhalt_halter_guest_code(void)
+{
+ /*
+ * Enable the local APIC, as a guest that uses PV spinlocks would. KVM
+ * only routes the kick to this vCPU once its APIC is in the map.
+ */
+ xapic_enable();
+
+ /*
+ * Interrupts are disabled, so nothing except the KVM_HC_KICK_CPU from
+ * the other vCPU can end the halt, i.e. reaching GUEST_DONE() proves
+ * the kick was delivered.
+ */
+ asm volatile("cli; hlt");
+
+ GUEST_DONE();
+}
+
+static void pv_unhalt_kicker_guest_code(u32 halter_apic_id)
+{
+ /* KVM takes flags in a0 and the APIC ID to kick in a1. */
+ GUEST_ASSERT_EQ(kvm_hypercall(KVM_HC_KICK_CPU, 0, halter_apic_id, 0, 0), 0);
+ GUEST_DONE();
+}
+
+static void run_guest_to_done(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
+{
+ struct ucall uc;
+ u64 cmd;
+
+ vcpu_run(vcpu);
+ TEST_ASSERT_KVM_EXIT_REASON(vcpu, KVM_EXIT_IO);
+
+ cmd = get_ucall(vcpu, &uc);
+ if (cmd == UCALL_ABORT)
+ REPORT_GUEST_ASSERT(uc);
+ TEST_ASSERT_EQ(cmd, UCALL_DONE);
+}
+
+static void *pv_unhalt_halter_thread(void *vcpu)
+{
+ run_guest_to_done(vcpu);
+ return NULL;
+}
+
+static void test_pv_unhalt_kick(void)
+{
+ struct kvm_vcpu *halter, *kicker;
+ struct timespec start;
+ struct kvm_vm *vm;
+ pthread_t thread;
+ int r;
+
+ pr_info("testing KVM_HC_KICK_CPU\n");
+
+ /*
+ * Give the halter a non-zero APIC ID, so that a kick sent to the wrong
+ * vCPU fails the test instead of hitting the halter by chance.
+ */
+ vm = vm_create_with_one_vcpu(&kicker, pv_unhalt_kicker_guest_code);
+ halter = vm_vcpu_add(vm, 1, pv_unhalt_halter_guest_code);
+ virt_pg_map(vm, APIC_DEFAULT_GPA, APIC_DEFAULT_GPA);
+
+ /*
+ * Enforce the PV CPUID so that KVM services the hypercall because
+ * PV_UNHALT is advertised to the kicker, and not because enforcement
+ * is off. KVM advertises PV_UNHALT by default while HLT-exiting is
+ * enabled; set it explicitly so that the test keeps testing the
+ * feature if that ever changes.
+ */
+ vcpu_enable_cap(kicker, KVM_CAP_ENFORCE_PV_FEATURE_CPUID, 1);
+ vcpu_set_cpuid_feature(kicker, X86_FEATURE_KVM_PV_UNHALT);
+ vcpu_args_set(kicker, 1, vcpu_get_apic_id(halter));
+
+ r = pthread_create(&thread, NULL, pv_unhalt_halter_thread, halter);
+ TEST_ASSERT(!r, "pthread_create halter failed, error=%d", r);
+
+ /* Kick only once the halter has taken its HLT exit. */
+ clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &start);
+ while (!vcpu_get_stat(halter, halt_exits)) {
+ TEST_ASSERT(timespec_elapsed(start).tv_sec < 10,
+ "vCPU never halted");
+ usleep(100);
+ }
+
+ run_guest_to_done(kicker);
+
+ /* Nothing except the kick can get the halter to GUEST_DONE(). */
+ r = pthread_join(thread, NULL);
+ TEST_ASSERT(!r, "pthread_join halter failed, error=%d", r);

kvm_vm_free(vm);
}
@@ -215,4 +309,5 @@ int main(void)
kvm_vm_free(vm);

test_pv_unhalt();
+ test_pv_unhalt_kick();
}
--
2.43.7