From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.0 (2014-02-07) on aws-us-west-2-korg-lkml-1.web.codeaurora.org Received: from lists.gnu.org (lists.gnu.org [209.51.188.17]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by smtp.lore.kernel.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 65D87D39410 for ; Thu, 2 Apr 2026 10:44:48 +0000 (UTC) Received: from localhost ([::1] helo=lists1p.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1w8FXP-0002xk-3L; Thu, 02 Apr 2026 06:44:35 -0400 Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:470:142:3::10]) by lists.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:256) (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1w8FXL-0002x6-M0 for qemu-devel@nongnu.org; Thu, 02 Apr 2026 06:44:31 -0400 Received: from us-smtp-delivery-124.mimecast.com ([170.10.129.124]) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:256) (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1w8FXJ-0007Eg-Gy for qemu-devel@nongnu.org; Thu, 02 Apr 2026 06:44:31 -0400 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=redhat.com; s=mimecast20190719; t=1775126668; h=from:from:reply-to:reply-to:subject:subject:date:date: message-id:message-id:to:to:cc:mime-version:mime-version: content-type:content-type: content-transfer-encoding:content-transfer-encoding: in-reply-to:in-reply-to:references:references; bh=i3XB0Rv4IKJ2gT/uRlL59t1/ptp/3MqrPjmYMiTVF/A=; b=KzzbrTeYRGuLkBSH1F4WlpG+b60hZyuJY/mrKIGG/4kCIa+LQNHo2QlX0dFuB9dc7tmDIX qEWFnvugdNKAxSh48B8MyQIqdBkQWpAlm3evf/JlbviNxpWnMvkbt+Bjx4Ig1XWTWOTxwP Fz+Uq8R1sO9h7iQixXQZ5XQPFwB5MPc= Received: from mx-prod-mc-05.mail-002.prod.us-west-2.aws.redhat.com (ec2-54-186-198-63.us-west-2.compute.amazonaws.com [54.186.198.63]) by relay.mimecast.com with ESMTP with STARTTLS (version=TLSv1.3, cipher=TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384) id us-mta-459-XGUCKl8FOUe4sxmDhGA6Yw-1; Thu, 02 Apr 2026 06:44:25 -0400 X-MC-Unique: XGUCKl8FOUe4sxmDhGA6Yw-1 X-Mimecast-MFC-AGG-ID: XGUCKl8FOUe4sxmDhGA6Yw_1775126664 Received: from mx-prod-int-03.mail-002.prod.us-west-2.aws.redhat.com (mx-prod-int-03.mail-002.prod.us-west-2.aws.redhat.com [10.30.177.12]) (using TLSv1.3 with cipher TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384 (256/256 bits) key-exchange X25519 server-signature RSA-PSS (2048 bits) server-digest SHA256) (No client certificate requested) by mx-prod-mc-05.mail-002.prod.us-west-2.aws.redhat.com (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 31114195609E; Thu, 2 Apr 2026 10:44:24 +0000 (UTC) Received: from redhat.com (headnet01.pony-001.prod.iad2.dc.redhat.com [10.2.32.101]) by mx-prod-int-03.mail-002.prod.us-west-2.aws.redhat.com (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 0F38A19560A6; Thu, 2 Apr 2026 10:44:21 +0000 (UTC) Date: Thu, 2 Apr 2026 11:44:19 +0100 From: Daniel =?utf-8?B?UC4gQmVycmFuZ8Op?= To: Thomas Huth , Paolo Bonzini , qemu-devel@nongnu.org, Pierrick Bouvier , "Michael S. Tsirkin" , Richard Henderson , Philippe =?utf-8?Q?Mathieu-Daud=C3=A9?= , Zhao Liu Subject: Re: [PATCH 10/10] docs/about/deprecated: Deprecate the qemu-system-i386 binary Message-ID: References: <20260402095132.29245-1-thuth@redhat.com> <20260402095132.29245-11-thuth@redhat.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/2.2.14 (2025-02-20) X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 3.0 on 10.30.177.12 Received-SPF: pass client-ip=170.10.129.124; envelope-from=berrange@redhat.com; helo=us-smtp-delivery-124.mimecast.com X-Spam_score_int: 27 X-Spam_score: 2.7 X-Spam_bar: ++ X-Spam_report: (2.7 / 5.0 requ) BAYES_00=-1.9, DKIMWL_WL_HIGH=-0.54, DKIM_SIGNED=0.1, DKIM_VALID=-0.1, DKIM_VALID_AU=-0.1, DKIM_VALID_EF=-0.1, RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE=-0.0001, RCVD_IN_MSPIKE_H4=-0.01, RCVD_IN_MSPIKE_WL=-0.01, RCVD_IN_SBL_CSS=3.335, RCVD_IN_VALIDITY_CERTIFIED_BLOCKED=1, RCVD_IN_VALIDITY_RPBL_BLOCKED=1, SPF_HELO_PASS=-0.001, SPF_PASS=-0.001 autolearn=no autolearn_force=no X-Spam_action: no action X-BeenThere: qemu-devel@nongnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.29 Precedence: list List-Id: qemu development List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Reply-To: Daniel =?utf-8?B?UC4gQmVycmFuZ8Op?= Errors-To: qemu-devel-bounces+qemu-devel=archiver.kernel.org@nongnu.org Sender: qemu-devel-bounces+qemu-devel=archiver.kernel.org@nongnu.org On Thu, Apr 02, 2026 at 11:41:02AM +0100, Daniel P. Berrangé wrote: > On Thu, Apr 02, 2026 at 12:11:37PM +0200, Thomas Huth wrote: > > On 02/04/2026 12.06, Daniel P. Berrangé wrote: > > > On Thu, Apr 02, 2026 at 11:51:32AM +0200, Thomas Huth wrote: > > > > From: Thomas Huth > > > > > > > > Aside from not supporting KVM on 32-bit hosts, the qemu-system-x86_64 > > > > binary is a proper superset of the qemu-system-i386 binary. And with > > > > the 32-bit x86 host support being removed now, it is possible to > > > > deprecate the qemu-system-i386 binary now, too. > > > > > > > > With regards to 32-bit KVM support in the x86 Linux kernel, > > > > the developers confirmed that they do not need a recent > > > > qemu-system-i386 binary here: > > > > > > > > https://lore.kernel.org/kvm/Y%2ffkTs5ajFy0hP1U@google.com/ > > > > > > > > Reviewed-by: Philippe Mathieu-Daudé > > > > Signed-off-by: Thomas Huth > > > > --- > > > > docs/about/deprecated.rst | 19 +++++++++++++++++++ > > > > 1 file changed, 19 insertions(+) > > > > > > > > diff --git a/docs/about/deprecated.rst b/docs/about/deprecated.rst > > > > index a6d6a713265..2de51337d75 100644 > > > > --- a/docs/about/deprecated.rst > > > > +++ b/docs/about/deprecated.rst > > > > @@ -301,6 +301,25 @@ machine must ensure that they're setting the ``spike`` machine in the > > > > command line (``-M spike``). > > > > +System emulator binaries > > > > +------------------------ > > > > + > > > > +``qemu-system-i386`` binary (since 11.1) > > > > +'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' > > > > + > > > > +The ``qemu-system-i386`` binary was mainly useful for running with KVM > > > > +on 32-bit x86 hosts, but most Linux distributions already removed their > > > > +support for 32-bit x86 kernels, so hardly anybody still needs this. The > > > > +``qemu-system-x86_64`` binary is a proper superset and can be used to > > > > +run 32-bit guests by selecting a 32-bit CPU model, including KVM support > > > > +on x86_64 hosts. Thus users are recommended to reconfigure their systems > > > > +to use the ``qemu-system-x86_64`` binary instead. If a 32-bit CPU guest > > > > +environment should be enforced, you can switch off the "long mode" CPU > > > > +flag with ``-cpu max,lm=off``, or rename/symlink ``qemu-system-x86_64`` > > > > +to ``qemu-system-i386`` -- QEMU will then run with the 64-bit extensions > > > > +disabled. > > > > > > Why don't we just have our install rules create the symlink from > > > qemu-system-x86_64 to qemu-system-i386. That gives us near zero > > > ongoing maint cost, without need to deprecate stuff / impact users > > > > I think we should do that once the deprecation period is over and we don't > > allow to build QEMU in this mode anymore. I would rather not jump directly > > to that state to provide people some time for experimenting whether this new > > approach works as expected in all scenarios that are in use. > > This feels a bit wierd as a deprecation though. We're telling people > not to use qemu-system-i386 and yet we intend to continue providing > it via a symlink and expect full back compatibility and people can > carry on with it forever. > > > I think this is probably something better handled via a build time > option & messages from > > * Step 1: full i686 binary by default but have --enable-i686-compat > to switch to symlink. Issue hint message that symlink will > become the default in future & asking for feedback if > --enable-i686-compat is not given > > * Step 2: symlink i686 binary by default but have --disable-i686-compat > to switch to full binary. Issue *WARNING* that full binary > will be soon removed if --disable-i686-compat is given > > * Step 3: remove full binary Having said that, I guess this should still be expressed in a deprecation note, if we rephase it to describe this plan. 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 :|