Re: [PATCH 2/2] vfio/platform: Mark for removal

[Alex Williamson <alex.williamson@redhat.com>]

On Fri, 15 Aug 2025 16:59:37 +0000
Mostafa Saleh <smostafa@google.com> wrote:

> Hi Alex,
> 
> On Wed, Aug 06, 2025 at 11:03:12AM -0600, Alex Williamson wrote:
> > vfio-platform hasn't had a meaningful contribution in years.  In-tree
> > hardware support is predominantly only for devices which are long since
> > e-waste.  QEMU support for platform devices is slated for removal in
> > QEMU-10.2.  Eric Auger presented on the future of the vfio-platform
> > driver and difficulties supporting new devices at KVM Forum 2024,
> > gaining some support for removal, some disagreement, but garnering no
> > new hardware support, leaving the driver in a state where it cannot
> > be tested.
> > 
> > Mark as obsolete and subject to removal.  
> 
> Recently(this year) in Android, we enabled VFIO-platform for protected KVM,
> and it’s supported in our VMM (CrosVM) [1].
> CrosVM support is different from Qemu, as it doesn't require any device
> specific logic in the VMM, however, it relies on loading a device tree
> template in runtime (with “compatiable” string...) and it will just
> override regs, irqs.. So it doesn’t need device knowledge (at least for now)
> Similarly, the kernel doesn’t need reset drivers as the hypervisor handles that.

I think what we attempt to achieve in vfio is repeatability and data
integrity independent of the hypervisor.  IOW, if we 'kill -9' the
hypervisor process, the kernel can bring the device back to a default
state where the device isn't wedged or leaking information through the
device to the next use case.  If the hypervisor wants to support
enhanced resets on top of that, that's great, but I think it becomes
difficult to argue that vfio-platform itself holds up its end of the
bargain if we're really trusting the hypervisor to handle these aspects.

> Unfortunately, there is no upstream support at the moment, we are making
> some -slow- progress on that [2][3]
> 
> If it helps, I have access to HW that can run that and I can review/test
> changes, until upstream support lands; if you are open to keeping VFIO-platform.
> Or I can look into adding support for existing upstream HW(with platforms I am
> familiar with as Pixel-6)

Ultimately I'll lean on Eric to make the call.  I know he's concerned
about testing, but he raised that and various other concerns whether
platform device really have a future with vfio nearly a year ago and
nothing has changed.  Currently it requires a module option opt-in to
enable devices that the kernel doesn't know how to reset.  Is that
sufficient or should use of such a device taint the kernel?  If any
device beyond the few e-waste devices that we know how to reset taint
the kernel, should this support really even be in the kernel?  Thanks,

Alex