Package: wnpp Severity: wishlist Owner: Yunseong Kim <[email protected]> X-Debbugs-Cc: [email protected], [email protected]
* Package name : kvmtool Version : 0.20250918-1 Upstream Contact: Will Deacon <[email protected]> * URL : https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/will/kvmtool.git/ * License : GPL2 Programming Lang: C Description : Native Linux KVM TOOL kvmtool is a lightweight tool for hosting KVM guests. As a pure virtualization tool, it only supports guests using the same architecture, though it supports running 32-bit guests on those 64-bit architectures that allow this. [Reason for Re-introduction] This package was previously removed from Debian in 2022 (RoQA) due to lack of maintenance. I intend to re-introduce it because it remains a highly valuable tool for kernel development and low-level architecture research. [Why is this package useful?] I am currently using kvmtool to develop and verify features for current hardware architectures. It is particularly useful for Research & Development purposes where a lightweight, minimal environment is preferred over a full-featured emulator. Compared to QEMU, kvmtool is significantly smaller and simpler, making it faster to set up for specific Linux-on-Linux virtualization tasks (e.g., direct kernel booting, filesystem passthrough). While it is not as "major" or general-purpose as QEMU, there is a distinct group of developers and researchers who rely on it. Bringing it back to Debian will facilitate easier access for these users and help improve the tool's stability through the Debian bug reporting system. [Maintenance Plan] I plan to maintain this package by tracking the latest upstream git repository and fixing the build issues (likely GCC/toolchain related) that caused its removal. I will initially maintain it myself but will be looking for a sponsor to upload the package. I am also open to joining the Debian Virtualization Team or Kernel Team to maintain it collaboratively in the long term.
