Re: [Qemu-devel] [PATCH 3/4] virtio-console: Add support for multiple ports for generic guest-host communication

[Gerd Hoffmann <kraxel@redhat.com>]

>> -device virtio-console
>>     Creates the portbus master.  No ports (yet).
>>
>> -device vmport-console,chardev=$dev
>>     Creates a port named 'org.qemu.console' and links it to $dev.
>
> OK; that's what I have now, slightly different:
>
> -device virtio-console-pci -device virtconport,port=0,chardev=$dev

Fine as well.  The exact names don't really matter, the naming for the 
port drivers should be consistent though (i.e. have the same prefix for 
all of them or something like that).  Optional port number looks 
reasonable too.  Should default to auto-allocation if not specified.

>> For backward-compatibility we'll allways have to create a vmport-console
>> at port 0, so there will never be a virtio-console without a port.  That
>> is a minor bit we can fixup once the above works fine.
>
> ie -virtioconsole<chardev>  ?

There are two kinds of backward compatibility ;)  One is the qemu 
command line.  The other is the ABI for old guest drivers.  The later 
requires a console at port 0 ...

> I'd suggest we just drop that in 0.12.

Dropping the command line switch is with me.  In case someone disagrees 
(libvirt folks?) it isn't hard to maintain compatibility though.

cheers,
   Gerd