Re: Xen PVUSB work

[Konrad Rzeszutek Wilk <konrad.wilk@oracle.com>]

On Mon, Aug 19, 2013 at 01:28:10PM +0300, Pasi Kärkkäinen wrote:
> On Mon, Aug 19, 2013 at 11:11:37AM +0100, George Dunlap wrote:
> > 
> >    There are two things that need work, actually:
> > 
> >    * Linux kernel side of the PVUSB.
> > 
> >    There is a PVUSB implimentation in SuSE's "classic Xen" kernel that some
> >    people have been able to use, but there are reports that it can be a bit
> >    flaky.  There is no PVUSB kernel support in mainline Linux.  There was an
> >    initial port some time ago (Konrad can point you to the tree), but it
> >    needs to be rebased, fixed, and upstreamed.  If you have the time and
> >    inclination, this is probably the most critical part to getting PVUSB
> >    working for 4.4, as it's something the rest of us definitely don't have
> >    time to do.
> >
> 
> Konrad can confirm, but I think it's this:
> devel/xen-usb.v1.1 in git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/konrad/xen.git

That is it. I owe a list of the issues I know that the driver has -
should post them tomorrow.
> 
>  
> >    * The toolstack side
> > 
> >    Near the end of 4.3 we were developing a general interface for adding host
> >    USB devices.  The interface was designed to be able to support either HVM
> >    or PV guests.  It didn't make it in on time, but it's close to being done,
> >    and I fully expect that I can get it in for 4.4.  The patch series I was
> >    working on would have implemented only HVM guests, it should be fairly
> >    easy to extend for PV guests.
> > 
> >    I probably won't have time to work on it for about a month or so; if the
> >    kernel side isn't your cup of tea, you'd be welcome to pick up that patch
> >    series and try to get it in shape for submission, then add the necessary
> >    PV bits.
> >
> 
> Just to add something.. PVUSB supported can be implemented for both pure PV domUs 
> and HVM guests (HVM guest with PV drivers).
> 
> So if you're running an HVM guest you can choose to do the "qemu USB emulation" passthru,
> or PVUSB passthru, assuming your HVM guest has the needed PVUSB frontend driver 
> (such as GPLPV for Windows, or the Linux PVUSB usbfront).
> 
> 
> -- Pasi
> 
> >    Patch series here:
> > 
> >    [1]http://lists.xen.org/archives/html/xen-devel/2013-04/msg02012.html
> > 
> >    Let me know if you do decide to go this route, and I can post the code
> >    which partially addresses those comments.
> > 
> >    Information on steps required to initiate the PV USB connection given a
> >    working PVUSB front-end and back-end here:
> > 
> >    [2]http://www.neobiker.de/wiki/index.php?title=XEN-PVUSB
> > 
> >     -George
> > 
> > References
> > 
> >    Visible links
> >    1. http://lists.xen.org/archives/html/xen-devel/2013-04/msg02012.html
> >    2. http://www.neobiker.de/wiki/index.php?title=XEN-PVUSB