Re: [PATCH v6] KVM: x86: Add x2APIC "features" to control EOI broadcast suppression
From: Huang, Kai
Date: Wed Jan 28 2026 - 01:41:35 EST
> > >
> > > > Ah, so userspace which checks all the kernel's capabilities *first*
> > > > will not see KVM_X2APIC_ENABLE_SUPPRESS_EOI_BROADCAST advertised,
> > > > because it needs to enable KVM_CAP_SPLIT_IRQCHIP first?
> > > > > > I guess that's tolerable¹ but the documentation could make it clearer,
> > > > perhaps? I can see VMMs silently failing to detect the feature because
> > > > they just don't set split-irqchip before checking for it? > > > > > > ¹ although I still kind of hate it and would have preferred to have the
> > > > I/O APIC patch; userspace still has to intentionally *enable* that
> > > > combination. But OK, I've reluctantly conceded that.
> > > > To make it even more robust, perhaps we can grab kvm->lock mutex in
> > > kvm_vm_ioctl_enable_cap() for KVM_CAP_X2APIC_API, so that it won't race with
> > > KVM_CREATE_IRQCHIP (which already grabs kvm->lock) and
> > > KVM_CAP_SPLIT_IRQCHIP?
> > > > Even more, we can add additional check in KVM_CREATE_IRQCHIP to return -
> > > EINVAL when it sees kvm->arch.suppress_eoi_broadcast_mode is
> > > KVM_X2APIC_ENABLE_SUPPRESS_EOI_BROADCAST?
> >
> > If we do that, then the query for KVM_CAP_X2APIC_API could advertise
> > the KVM_X2APIC_ENABLE_SUPPRESS_EOI_BROADCAST for a freshly created KVM,
> > even before userspace has enabled *either* KVM_CREATE_IRQCHIP nor
> > KVM_CAP_SPLIT_IRQCHIP?
> >
> > That would be slightly better than the existing proposed awfulness
> > where the kernel doesn't *admit* to having the _ENABLE_ capability
> > until userspace first enables the KVM_CAP_SPLIT_IRQCHIP.
>
>
> How about we make an explicit _ENABLE_ bit for split IRQCHIP?
> When/if in-kernel IRQCHIP starts supporting I/O APIC 0x20, we
> can add a separate bit for that in the CAP.
>
> This way:
> - The flag name (KVM_X2APIC_SPLIT_ENABLE_SEOIB) is self-documenting.
> - We always advertise it in KVM_CHECK_EXTENSION.
> - Enabling requires split IRQCHIP to be configured first.
> - Mutex protects against races with KVM_CAP_SPLIT_IRQCHIP.
>
> Diff below (compile tested):
>
(Somehow I only saw this reply after I replied to David.)
Looks better to me, so Ack.