[vbox-dev] Kernel API changes for kernel 4.10

[Frank Mehnert]

On Mittwoch, 18. Januar 2017 11:08:48 CET Larry Finger wrote:
> On 01/15/2017 11:49 AM, Larry Finger wrote:
> > On 01/06/2017 11:06 AM, Larry Finger wrote:
> >> On 01/06/2017 08:06 AM, Frank Mehnert wrote:
> >>> Hi Larry,
> >>>
> >>> On Dienstag, 3. Januar 2017 21:48:06 CET Larry Finger wrote:
> >>>> On 12/27/2016 11:16 AM, Larry Finger wrote:
> >>>>> On 12/27/2016 10:56 AM, Larry Finger wrote:
> >>>>>> In kernel 4.10-rc1, the kernel routines register_cpu_notifier() and
> >>>>>> unregister_cpu_notifier() have been removed and their function replaced by
> >>>>>> callbacks from the hotplug state machine. After looking at the changes
> >>>>>> required
> >>>>>> in some other drivers, I have seen that the required changes will not be
> >>>>>> trivial. Before I start doing the work, I want to know if the changes have
> >>>>>> been
> >>>>>> started and/or done by Oracle.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> One thing I failed to mention. Commit 7fd8329ba502 in 4.10-rc1 also messes up
> >>>>> the ability to define true/false in an out-of-kernel driver. I have
> >>>>> submitted a
> >>>>> kernel patch to fix this
> >>>>> (http://lkml.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1612.3/00086.html), but it has not
> >>>>> yet been merged or received any comments.
> >>>>
> >>>> My patch was merged today. It has not yet hit mainline, but I expect it to be
> >>>> there as of 4.10-rc3. I still have no fix for the missing
> >>>> register_cpu_notifier(), etc.
> >>>
> >>> thanks for the information. I assume we will do it like the Linux kernel and use
> >>> cpuhp_setup_state_nocalls() to register CPU hotplug callbacks. But before we can
> >>> provide a fix we need to do a few tests.
> >>
> >> I think that is the correct approach, but I have not had time to actually do it
> >> yet. Unlike most API changes, this one is a bit more intrusive. Once you get a
> >> patch, I would be pleased to help test it. Having to boot an old kernel to run a
> >> VM is getting old. In addition, the openSUSE kernel HEAD project is running
> >> 4.10-rcX kernels, and the VB build fails every time they trigger a new build.
> >
> 
> Version 5.1.14 has a proper fix, which is better than the hack I posted. In 
> addition, the fix for the true/false problem was merged into kernel mainline 
> yesterday. It will definitely be in kernel 4.10-rc5.

Right Larry, I forgot to mention this. Thanks for your efforts in this regards!

Frank
-- 
Dr.-Ing. Frank Mehnert | Software Development Director, VirtualBox
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