Re: Xen 4.4 development update: RC0 imminent

[Fabio Fantoni <fabio.fantoni@m2r.biz>]

Il 05/12/2013 17:29, George Dunlap ha scritto:
> On Thu, Dec 5, 2013 at 4:09 PM, George Dunlap
> <George.Dunlap@eu.citrix.com> wrote:
>> This information will be mirrored on the Xen 4.4 Roadmap wiki page:
>>   http://wiki.xen.org/wiki/Xen_Roadmap/4.4
>>
>> We're nearly to the completion of the code freeze, scheduled for
>> tomorrow.  After the code freeze, only bug fixes and features marked
>> as "blockers" will be considered.  At the moment, the only feature
>> considered a blocker is experimental PVH dom0 support.
>>
>> In early RCs, most bug fixes will be accepted; but in later RCs, even
>> bug fixes may be rejected if they risk breaking more important
>> functionality than they fix.
>>
>> I don't think at this point every bug fix needs a blessing from me;
>> committers, if there are fixes which are obviously low-risk, just go
>> ahead and check them in.
>>
>> I was thinking that for some of our new features, it would be good to
>> have a blog post describing the feature and how to test it.  This
>> would both raise awareness of the feature, and hopefully get it more
>> testing before the release.  We could choose a couple to focus on for
>> each test day.
> Features which might be worth highlighting for testing in blogs:
>
> * Non-udev scripts for driver domains (non-Linux driver domains)
>   - Roger Pau Monne
>
> * PHV domU (experimental only)
>
> * Improved Spice support on libxl
>   - Fabio Fantoni

libxl: Spice vdagent support for upstream qemu (on upstream git)

Usage:
- spicevdagent=1|0 (default=0)
Enables spice vdagent. The Spice vdagent is an optional component for
enhancing user experience and performing guest-oriented management
tasks. Its features includes: client mouse mode (no need to grab mouse
by client, no mouse lag), automatic adjustment of screen resolution,
copy and paste (text and image) between client and domU. It also
requires vdagent service installed on domU o.s. to work.

- spice_clipboard_sharing=1|0 (default=0)
Enables Spice clipboard sharing (copy/paste). It requires spicevdagent
enabled.

I used it since 2 year on windows domUs without problem.
About linux hvm domUs there is a problem with virtio-serial port create 
under /dev, to have it working pci=nomsi must be added on kernel boot line.
Latest post about it below:
http://lists.xen.org/archives/html/xen-devel/2013-12/msg01059.html

---

  libxl: spice usbredirection support for upstream qemu

Awaiting upstream approval latest version here is available here:
https://github.com/Fantu/Xen/commits/rebase/m2r-next
Require also usbversion patch.

Usage: spiceusbredirection=NUMBER (default=0)

Enables spice usbredirection. Creates NUMBER usbredirection channels
for redirection of up to 4 usb devices from spice client to domU's qemu.
It requires an usb controller and if not defined will automatically adds
an usb2 controller.

I used it since 2 year on hvm domUs (windows and linux) without problem, 
used mainly with usb2 controller.
In the latest tests made with  xen 4.4 and qemu 1.6 it is working with 
both usb 1,2,3 controllers.
It is also working even with new usb passthrough (from dom0) hotplug by 
George Dunlap patches.


>
> * Event channel scalability
>   - David Vrabel
>
> * pvgrub2 checked into grub upstream (external)
>   - Vladmir Servinenko
>
> * Guest EFI booting (tianocore)
>   - Wei Liu
>
> * kexec -- is this worth testing?
>   - David Vrabel
>
> * Disk: indirect descriptors (in 3.11)
>   - ?
>
> Are people willing to step up and write a brief description of what
> the feature is, as well as a quick guide for how to test it?
>
>   -George
>
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