[PATCH] vfio/mdev: make VFIO_MDEV user-visible in Kconfig

[PATCH] vfio/mdev: make VFIO_MDEV user-visible in Kconfig

[JP Kobryn (Meta)]

From: JP Kobryn <jp.kobryn@linux.dev>

VFIO_MDEV is currently hidden and only enabled via select by in-tree
consumers. Out-of-tree drivers such as the NVIDIA vGPU rely on the mdev
framework but have no way to trigger its selection.

Add a description and help text to make VFIO_MDEV visible and directly
selectable.

Suggested-by: Matthew Almond <malmond@meta.com>
Signed-off-by: JP Kobryn <jp.kobryn@linux.dev>
---
 drivers/vfio/mdev/Kconfig | 6 +++++-
 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/drivers/vfio/mdev/Kconfig b/drivers/vfio/mdev/Kconfig
index e5fb84e07965..642d46b7aa4b 100644
--- a/drivers/vfio/mdev/Kconfig
+++ b/drivers/vfio/mdev/Kconfig
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only
 
 config VFIO_MDEV
-	tristate
+	tristate "Mediated device driver framework"
+	help
+	  Provides the mediated device (mdev) framework, which allows
+	  physical devices to create virtual instances for use with
+	  VFIO-based passthrough.
-- 
2.47.3

Re: [PATCH] vfio/mdev: make VFIO_MDEV user-visible in Kconfig

[Christoph Hellwig]

On Thu, Mar 05, 2026 at 03:35:26PM -0800, JP Kobryn (Meta) wrote:
> From: JP Kobryn <jp.kobryn@linux.dev>
> 
> VFIO_MDEV is currently hidden and only enabled via select by in-tree
> consumers. Out-of-tree drivers such as the NVIDIA vGPU rely on the mdev
> framework but have no way to trigger its selection.
> 
> Add a description and help text to make VFIO_MDEV visible and directly
> selectable.

Just as last time:  no.  out of tree drivers don't matter to the kernel,
and add totally pointless user visible options for them is of course
a no-go.