Re: [PATCH] vhost-user: add dedicated mailing list

["Michael S. Tsirkin" <mst@redhat.com>]

On Fri, Oct 23, 2026 at 07:50:34PM +0200, Stefano Garzarella wrote:
> On Fri, Oct 23, 2026 at 01:26:45PM -0400, Michael S. Tsirkin wrote:
> > On Fri, Oct 23, 2026 at 05:58:35PM +0100, Daniel P. Berrangé wrote:
> > > On Fri, Oct 23, 2026 at 06:24:40PM +0200, Stefano Garzarella wrote:
> > > > From: Stefano Garzarella <sgarzare@redhat.com>
> > > >
> > > > During the "Virtio and Vhost-User Ecosystem for Production and
> > > > Automotive Systems" BoF at LPC 2026 [1] we discussed and agreed on
> > > > creating a new vhost-user mailing list, mainly for changes to the
> > > > specification and discussions around the protocol.
> > > 
> > > You say the list is for discussions around the spec / protocol, but...
> > > 
> > > > The main reason is that the vhost-user specification is also used
> > > > by other VMMs and implemented by several back-ends outside the QEMU
> > > > repository, whose developers often do not follow qemu-devel.
> > > >
> > > > Add a paragraph in the specification about the new mailing list and
> > > > a dedicated MAINTAINERS entry for the vhost-user protocol, covering
> > > > the specification, the QEMU front-end and libvhost-user (back-end
> > > > library).
> > > 
> > > ...this MAINTAINERS addition means the mailing list will be CC'd
> > > on all code patches sent to QEMU for those file patterns. Are you
> > > sure that's content that members of the list want to be sent
> > > unconditionally ?
> 
> I added them mainly because QEMU is kind of a reference implementation,
> indeed during the discussion we agreed on keeping the spec file in QEMU
> source git, because we saw a value on asking for both spec and code changes.
> And also because other implementers can be interested on issues/fixes of
> QEMU front-end and back-end code.
> 
> But yeah, I see your point, I can leave just spec files if we think it's
> just noise.
> 
> > > 
> > > 
> > 
> > Good point. Let's make it a separate section?
> 
> Do you mean a `vhost-user specification` section with just the spec (and the
> new mailing list), and another `vhost-user implementation` section with the
> code (without the mailing list)?

Right.

> Not sure about that, the code is already covered by `vhost`.
> 
> Thanks,
> Stefano
> 
> > 
> > > >
> > > > [1] https://lpc.events/event/20/contributions/2365/
> > > >
> > > > Signed-off-by: Stefano Garzarella <sgarzare@redhat.com>
> > > > ---
> > > >  MAINTAINERS                 | 12 ++++++++++--
> > > >  docs/interop/vhost-user.rst |  6 ++++++
> > > >  2 files changed, 16 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
> > > >
> > > > diff --git a/MAINTAINERS b/MAINTAINERS
> > > > index d9209f043f..dcdb65d8cb 100644
> > > > --- a/MAINTAINERS
> > > > +++ b/MAINTAINERS
> > > > @@ -2532,19 +2532,27 @@ M: Michael S. Tsirkin <mst@redhat.com>
> > > >  R: Stefano Garzarella <sgarzare@redhat.com>
> > > >  S: Supported
> > > >  F: hw/*/*vhost*
> > > > -F: docs/interop/vhost-user*
> > > >  F: docs/system/devices/virtio/vhost-user*
> > > >  F: contrib/vhost-user-*/
> > > >  F: backends/*vhost*
> > > >  F: include/system/vhost-user-backend.h
> > > >  F: include/hw/virtio/vhost*
> > > >  F: include/*/vhost*
> > > > -F: subprojects/libvhost-user/
> > > >  F: block/export/vhost-user*
> > > >  F: util/vhost-user-server.c
> > > >  F: net/vhost*
> > > >  F: tests/functional/x86_64/test_vhost_user_bridge.py
> > > >
> > > > +vhost-user protocol
> > > > +M: Michael S. Tsirkin <mst@redhat.com>
> > > > +R: Stefano Garzarella <sgarzare@redhat.com>
> > > > +L: vhost-user@lists.linux.dev
> > > > +S: Supported
> > > > +F: docs/interop/vhost-user*
> > > > +F: hw/virtio/vhost-user.c
> > > > +F: include/hw/virtio/vhost-user.h
> > > > +F: subprojects/libvhost-user/
> > > > +
> > > >  vhost-shadow-virtqueue
> > > >  R: Eugenio Pérez <eperezma@redhat.com>
> > > >  F: hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.*
> > > > diff --git a/docs/interop/vhost-user.rst b/docs/interop/vhost-user.rst
> > > > index c1e02ff7e9..198ad30f5c 100644
> > > > --- a/docs/interop/vhost-user.rst
> > > > +++ b/docs/interop/vhost-user.rst
> > > > @@ -38,6 +38,12 @@ conventions <backend_conventions>`.
> > > >  The *front-end* and *back-end* can be either a client (i.e. connecting) or
> > > >  server (listening) in the socket communication.
> > > >
> > > > +The protocol is developed and discussed on the `vhost-user mailing list
> > > > +<mailto:vhost-user@lists.linux.dev>`_, archived at
> > > > +https://lore.kernel.org/vhost-user/. Until October 2026, when this list
> > > > +was created, discussions took place on the qemu-devel mailing list,
> > > > +archived at https://lore.kernel.org/qemu-devel/.
> > > > +
> > > >  Support for platforms other than Linux
> > > >  --------------------------------------
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > 2.56.0
> > > >
> > > >
> > > 
> > > With regards,
> > > Daniel
> > > --
> > > |: https://berrange.com       ~~        https://hachyderm.io/@berrange :|
> > > |: https://libvirt.org          ~~          https://entangle-photo.org :|
> > > |: https://pixelfed.art/berrange   ~~    https://fstop138.berrange.com :|
> >