Re: Request for patch to fix boot loop issue in Xen 4.17.6
On Sat, May 03, 2025 at 02:02:32PM +, Ngamia Djabiri Julie wrote: > Dear Xen developers, > > I would like to ask if the following fix can also be included in Xen 4.17.6 > (and eventually in the Xen versions after 4.17.6 that don't have the fix) : Hello, 4.17.6 is planned for the end of the year (so more than 6 months from now). It would be faster if you request the backport to be added to the Alpine Xen 4.17 package. Andrew provided a link for the backport to 4.17 that we use in XenServer, it will most likely apply cleanly to the Alpine package. Regards, Roger.
Re: Request for patch to fix boot loop issue in Xen 4.17.6
On 18/05/2025 12:24 pm, Maximilian Engelhardt wrote: > On Montag, 12. Mai 2025 10:54:50 CEST Jan Beulich wrote: >> On 03.05.2025 16:02, Ngamia Djabiri Julie wrote: >>> Dear Xen developers, >>> >>> I would like to ask if the following fix can also be included in Xen >>> 4.17.6 (and eventually in the Xen versions after 4.17.6 that don't have >>> the fix) : >>> >>> https://xenbits.xen.org/gitweb/?p=xen.git;a=commitdiff;h=dd05d265b8abda4cc >>> 7206b29cd71b77fb46658bf >>> >>> This bug causes a boot loop in nested virtualization environments (for >>> instance nested environments that use VMware Workstation), making Xen >>> unable to start. It was introduced in version 4.17.3 and the fix has >>> already be included in 4.19(.2) and 4.20(.0) and woud be planned to be >>> included in Xen 4.18.6 in the coming weeks. >>> >>> Even though Xen 4.17 is in security-only support, this is an issue that >>> blocks testing and usage for users and projects such as Alpine Linux. >> I fear I don't view this severe enough an issue to break the security-only >> status of that branch. People concerned ought to simply update to a branch >> where the bug was fixed. Or the distro could include a backport. > The Debian Xen team now got a request to include this fix in Xen 4.17 in > Debian stable: > > https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1105222 > > We understand that Xen 4.17 is in upstream security-only support and thus > this > patch will not land there. > > Debian can take the patch if it's confirmed by upstream Xen to be fine for > Xen > 4.17 and low risk. We had problems in the past with incomplete backports of > patches that turned out to cause regressions, so we try to avoid backporting > patches without upstream Xen confirmation. Yes, it is safe. https://github.com/xenserver/xen.pg/blob/XS-8.4/patches/backport-dd05d265b8ab.patch is the backport I did for XenServer's Xen 4.17. I don't recall there being any conflicts or problems. ~Andrew
Re: Request for patch to fix boot loop issue in Xen 4.17.6
On Montag, 12. Mai 2025 10:54:50 CEST Jan Beulich wrote: > On 03.05.2025 16:02, Ngamia Djabiri Julie wrote: > > Dear Xen developers, > > > > I would like to ask if the following fix can also be included in Xen > > 4.17.6 (and eventually in the Xen versions after 4.17.6 that don't have > > the fix) : > > > > https://xenbits.xen.org/gitweb/?p=xen.git;a=commitdiff;h=dd05d265b8abda4cc > > 7206b29cd71b77fb46658bf > > > > This bug causes a boot loop in nested virtualization environments (for > > instance nested environments that use VMware Workstation), making Xen > > unable to start. It was introduced in version 4.17.3 and the fix has > > already be included in 4.19(.2) and 4.20(.0) and woud be planned to be > > included in Xen 4.18.6 in the coming weeks. > > > > Even though Xen 4.17 is in security-only support, this is an issue that > > blocks testing and usage for users and projects such as Alpine Linux. > I fear I don't view this severe enough an issue to break the security-only > status of that branch. People concerned ought to simply update to a branch > where the bug was fixed. Or the distro could include a backport. The Debian Xen team now got a request to include this fix in Xen 4.17 in Debian stable: https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1105222 We understand that Xen 4.17 is in upstream security-only support and thus this patch will not land there. Debian can take the patch if it's confirmed by upstream Xen to be fine for Xen 4.17 and low risk. We had problems in the past with incomplete backports of patches that turned out to cause regressions, so we try to avoid backporting patches without upstream Xen confirmation. Maxi signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part.
Re: Request for patch to fix boot loop issue in Xen 4.17.6
On 03.05.2025 16:02, Ngamia Djabiri Julie wrote: > Dear Xen developers, > > I would like to ask if the following fix can also be included in Xen 4.17.6 > (and eventually in the Xen versions after 4.17.6 that don't have the fix) : > > https://xenbits.xen.org/gitweb/?p=xen.git;a=commitdiff;h=dd05d265b8abda4cc7206b29cd71b77fb46658bf > > This bug causes a boot loop in nested virtualization environments (for > instance nested environments that use VMware Workstation), making Xen unable > to start. It was introduced in version 4.17.3 and the fix has already be > included in 4.19(.2) and 4.20(.0) and woud be planned to be included in Xen > 4.18.6 in the coming weeks. > > Even though Xen 4.17 is in security-only support, this is an issue that > blocks testing and usage for users and projects such as Alpine Linux. I fear I don't view this severe enough an issue to break the security-only status of that branch. People concerned ought to simply update to a branch where the bug was fixed. Or the distro could include a backport. The underlying consideration being that once we start making exceptions, more exceptions will be asked for, along the lines of ... > I am a student using Xen in a nested setup for Virtal Machine Introspection > (VMI), and including this fix in 4.17.6 would really help avoid these > problems for others in a similar case. ... what you say here. Jan
