1 The Definitive KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) API Documentation
2 ===================================================================
6 The kvm API is a set of ioctls that are issued to control various aspects
7 of a virtual machine. The ioctls belong to three classes
9 - System ioctls: These query and set global attributes which affect the
10 whole kvm subsystem. In addition a system ioctl is used to create
13 - VM ioctls: These query and set attributes that affect an entire virtual
14 machine, for example memory layout. In addition a VM ioctl is used to
15 create virtual cpus (vcpus).
17 Only run VM ioctls from the same process (address space) that was used
20 - vcpu ioctls: These query and set attributes that control the operation
21 of a single virtual cpu.
23 Only run vcpu ioctls from the same thread that was used to create the
28 The kvm API is centered around file descriptors. An initial
29 open("/dev/kvm") obtains a handle to the kvm subsystem; this handle
30 can be used to issue system ioctls. A KVM_CREATE_VM ioctl on this
31 handle will create a VM file descriptor which can be used to issue VM
32 ioctls. A KVM_CREATE_VCPU ioctl on a VM fd will create a virtual cpu
33 and return a file descriptor pointing to it. Finally, ioctls on a vcpu
34 fd can be used to control the vcpu, including the important task of
35 actually running guest code.
37 In general file descriptors can be migrated among processes by means
38 of fork() and the SCM_RIGHTS facility of unix domain socket. These
39 kinds of tricks are explicitly not supported by kvm. While they will
40 not cause harm to the host, their actual behavior is not guaranteed by
41 the API. The only supported use is one virtual machine per process,
42 and one vcpu per thread.
46 As of Linux 2.6.22, the KVM ABI has been stabilized: no backward
47 incompatible change are allowed. However, there is an extension
48 facility that allows backward-compatible extensions to the API to be
51 The extension mechanism is not based on on the Linux version number.
52 Instead, kvm defines extension identifiers and a facility to query
53 whether a particular extension identifier is available. If it is, a
54 set of ioctls is available for application use.
58 This section describes ioctls that can be used to control kvm guests.
59 For each ioctl, the following information is provided along with a
62 Capability: which KVM extension provides this ioctl. Can be 'basic',
63 which means that is will be provided by any kernel that supports
64 API version 12 (see section 4.1), or a KVM_CAP_xyz constant, which
65 means availability needs to be checked with KVM_CHECK_EXTENSION
68 Architectures: which instruction set architectures provide this ioctl.
69 x86 includes both i386 and x86_64.
71 Type: system, vm, or vcpu.
73 Parameters: what parameters are accepted by the ioctl.
75 Returns: the return value. General error numbers (EBADF, ENOMEM, EINVAL)
76 are not detailed, but errors with specific meanings are.
78 4.1 KVM_GET_API_VERSION
84 Returns: the constant KVM_API_VERSION (=12)
86 This identifies the API version as the stable kvm API. It is not
87 expected that this number will change. However, Linux 2.6.20 and
88 2.6.21 report earlier versions; these are not documented and not
89 supported. Applications should refuse to run if KVM_GET_API_VERSION
90 returns a value other than 12. If this check passes, all ioctls
91 described as 'basic' will be available.
99 Returns: a VM fd that can be used to control the new virtual machine.
101 The new VM has no virtual cpus and no memory. An mmap() of a VM fd
102 will access the virtual machine's physical address space; offset zero
103 corresponds to guest physical address zero. Use of mmap() on a VM fd
104 is discouraged if userspace memory allocation (KVM_CAP_USER_MEMORY) is
107 4.3 KVM_GET_MSR_INDEX_LIST
112 Parameters: struct kvm_msr_list (in/out)
113 Returns: 0 on success; -1 on error
115 E2BIG: the msr index list is to be to fit in the array specified by
118 struct kvm_msr_list {
119 __u32 nmsrs; /* number of msrs in entries */
123 This ioctl returns the guest msrs that are supported. The list varies
124 by kvm version and host processor, but does not change otherwise. The
125 user fills in the size of the indices array in nmsrs, and in return
126 kvm adjusts nmsrs to reflect the actual number of msrs and fills in
127 the indices array with their numbers.
129 Note: if kvm indicates supports MCE (KVM_CAP_MCE), then the MCE bank MSRs are
130 not returned in the MSR list, as different vcpus can have a different number
131 of banks, as set via the KVM_X86_SETUP_MCE ioctl.
133 4.4 KVM_CHECK_EXTENSION
138 Parameters: extension identifier (KVM_CAP_*)
139 Returns: 0 if unsupported; 1 (or some other positive integer) if supported
141 The API allows the application to query about extensions to the core
142 kvm API. Userspace passes an extension identifier (an integer) and
143 receives an integer that describes the extension availability.
144 Generally 0 means no and 1 means yes, but some extensions may report
145 additional information in the integer return value.
147 4.5 KVM_GET_VCPU_MMAP_SIZE
153 Returns: size of vcpu mmap area, in bytes
155 The KVM_RUN ioctl (cf.) communicates with userspace via a shared
156 memory region. This ioctl returns the size of that region. See the
157 KVM_RUN documentation for details.
159 4.6 KVM_SET_MEMORY_REGION
164 Parameters: struct kvm_memory_region (in)
165 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
167 This ioctl is obsolete and has been removed.
174 Parameters: vcpu id (apic id on x86)
175 Returns: vcpu fd on success, -1 on error
177 This API adds a vcpu to a virtual machine. The vcpu id is a small integer
178 in the range [0, max_vcpus).
180 The recommended max_vcpus value can be retrieved using the KVM_CAP_NR_VCPUS of
181 the KVM_CHECK_EXTENSION ioctl() at run-time.
182 The maximum possible value for max_vcpus can be retrieved using the
183 KVM_CAP_MAX_VCPUS of the KVM_CHECK_EXTENSION ioctl() at run-time.
185 If the KVM_CAP_NR_VCPUS does not exist, you should assume that max_vcpus is 4
187 If the KVM_CAP_MAX_VCPUS does not exist, you should assume that max_vcpus is
188 same as the value returned from KVM_CAP_NR_VCPUS.
190 On powerpc using book3s_hv mode, the vcpus are mapped onto virtual
191 threads in one or more virtual CPU cores. (This is because the
192 hardware requires all the hardware threads in a CPU core to be in the
193 same partition.) The KVM_CAP_PPC_SMT capability indicates the number
194 of vcpus per virtual core (vcore). The vcore id is obtained by
195 dividing the vcpu id by the number of vcpus per vcore. The vcpus in a
196 given vcore will always be in the same physical core as each other
197 (though that might be a different physical core from time to time).
198 Userspace can control the threading (SMT) mode of the guest by its
199 allocation of vcpu ids. For example, if userspace wants
200 single-threaded guest vcpus, it should make all vcpu ids be a multiple
201 of the number of vcpus per vcore.
203 On powerpc using book3s_hv mode, the vcpus are mapped onto virtual
204 threads in one or more virtual CPU cores. (This is because the
205 hardware requires all the hardware threads in a CPU core to be in the
206 same partition.) The KVM_CAP_PPC_SMT capability indicates the number
207 of vcpus per virtual core (vcore). The vcore id is obtained by
208 dividing the vcpu id by the number of vcpus per vcore. The vcpus in a
209 given vcore will always be in the same physical core as each other
210 (though that might be a different physical core from time to time).
211 Userspace can control the threading (SMT) mode of the guest by its
212 allocation of vcpu ids. For example, if userspace wants
213 single-threaded guest vcpus, it should make all vcpu ids be a multiple
214 of the number of vcpus per vcore.
216 4.8 KVM_GET_DIRTY_LOG (vm ioctl)
221 Parameters: struct kvm_dirty_log (in/out)
222 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
224 /* for KVM_GET_DIRTY_LOG */
225 struct kvm_dirty_log {
229 void __user *dirty_bitmap; /* one bit per page */
234 Given a memory slot, return a bitmap containing any pages dirtied
235 since the last call to this ioctl. Bit 0 is the first page in the
236 memory slot. Ensure the entire structure is cleared to avoid padding
239 4.9 KVM_SET_MEMORY_ALIAS
244 Parameters: struct kvm_memory_alias (in)
245 Returns: 0 (success), -1 (error)
247 This ioctl is obsolete and has been removed.
255 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
257 EINTR: an unmasked signal is pending
259 This ioctl is used to run a guest virtual cpu. While there are no
260 explicit parameters, there is an implicit parameter block that can be
261 obtained by mmap()ing the vcpu fd at offset 0, with the size given by
262 KVM_GET_VCPU_MMAP_SIZE. The parameter block is formatted as a 'struct
263 kvm_run' (see below).
270 Parameters: struct kvm_regs (out)
271 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
273 Reads the general purpose registers from the vcpu.
277 /* out (KVM_GET_REGS) / in (KVM_SET_REGS) */
278 __u64 rax, rbx, rcx, rdx;
279 __u64 rsi, rdi, rsp, rbp;
280 __u64 r8, r9, r10, r11;
281 __u64 r12, r13, r14, r15;
290 Parameters: struct kvm_regs (in)
291 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
293 Writes the general purpose registers into the vcpu.
295 See KVM_GET_REGS for the data structure.
300 Architectures: x86, ppc
302 Parameters: struct kvm_sregs (out)
303 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
305 Reads special registers from the vcpu.
309 struct kvm_segment cs, ds, es, fs, gs, ss;
310 struct kvm_segment tr, ldt;
311 struct kvm_dtable gdt, idt;
312 __u64 cr0, cr2, cr3, cr4, cr8;
315 __u64 interrupt_bitmap[(KVM_NR_INTERRUPTS + 63) / 64];
318 /* ppc -- see arch/powerpc/include/asm/kvm.h */
320 interrupt_bitmap is a bitmap of pending external interrupts. At most
321 one bit may be set. This interrupt has been acknowledged by the APIC
322 but not yet injected into the cpu core.
327 Architectures: x86, ppc
329 Parameters: struct kvm_sregs (in)
330 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
332 Writes special registers into the vcpu. See KVM_GET_SREGS for the
340 Parameters: struct kvm_translation (in/out)
341 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
343 Translates a virtual address according to the vcpu's current address
346 struct kvm_translation {
348 __u64 linear_address;
351 __u64 physical_address;
361 Architectures: x86, ppc
363 Parameters: struct kvm_interrupt (in)
364 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
366 Queues a hardware interrupt vector to be injected. This is only
367 useful if in-kernel local APIC or equivalent is not used.
369 /* for KVM_INTERRUPT */
370 struct kvm_interrupt {
377 Note 'irq' is an interrupt vector, not an interrupt pin or line.
381 Queues an external interrupt to be injected. This ioctl is overleaded
382 with 3 different irq values:
386 This injects an edge type external interrupt into the guest once it's ready
387 to receive interrupts. When injected, the interrupt is done.
389 b) KVM_INTERRUPT_UNSET
391 This unsets any pending interrupt.
393 Only available with KVM_CAP_PPC_UNSET_IRQ.
395 c) KVM_INTERRUPT_SET_LEVEL
397 This injects a level type external interrupt into the guest context. The
398 interrupt stays pending until a specific ioctl with KVM_INTERRUPT_UNSET
401 Only available with KVM_CAP_PPC_IRQ_LEVEL.
403 Note that any value for 'irq' other than the ones stated above is invalid
404 and incurs unexpected behavior.
414 Support for this has been removed. Use KVM_SET_GUEST_DEBUG instead.
421 Parameters: struct kvm_msrs (in/out)
422 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
424 Reads model-specific registers from the vcpu. Supported msr indices can
425 be obtained using KVM_GET_MSR_INDEX_LIST.
428 __u32 nmsrs; /* number of msrs in entries */
431 struct kvm_msr_entry entries[0];
434 struct kvm_msr_entry {
440 Application code should set the 'nmsrs' member (which indicates the
441 size of the entries array) and the 'index' member of each array entry.
442 kvm will fill in the 'data' member.
449 Parameters: struct kvm_msrs (in)
450 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
452 Writes model-specific registers to the vcpu. See KVM_GET_MSRS for the
455 Application code should set the 'nmsrs' member (which indicates the
456 size of the entries array), and the 'index' and 'data' members of each
464 Parameters: struct kvm_cpuid (in)
465 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
467 Defines the vcpu responses to the cpuid instruction. Applications
468 should use the KVM_SET_CPUID2 ioctl if available.
471 struct kvm_cpuid_entry {
480 /* for KVM_SET_CPUID */
484 struct kvm_cpuid_entry entries[0];
487 4.21 KVM_SET_SIGNAL_MASK
492 Parameters: struct kvm_signal_mask (in)
493 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
495 Defines which signals are blocked during execution of KVM_RUN. This
496 signal mask temporarily overrides the threads signal mask. Any
497 unblocked signal received (except SIGKILL and SIGSTOP, which retain
498 their traditional behaviour) will cause KVM_RUN to return with -EINTR.
500 Note the signal will only be delivered if not blocked by the original
503 /* for KVM_SET_SIGNAL_MASK */
504 struct kvm_signal_mask {
514 Parameters: struct kvm_fpu (out)
515 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
517 Reads the floating point state from the vcpu.
519 /* for KVM_GET_FPU and KVM_SET_FPU */
524 __u8 ftwx; /* in fxsave format */
539 Parameters: struct kvm_fpu (in)
540 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
542 Writes the floating point state to the vcpu.
544 /* for KVM_GET_FPU and KVM_SET_FPU */
549 __u8 ftwx; /* in fxsave format */
559 4.24 KVM_CREATE_IRQCHIP
561 Capability: KVM_CAP_IRQCHIP
562 Architectures: x86, ia64
565 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
567 Creates an interrupt controller model in the kernel. On x86, creates a virtual
568 ioapic, a virtual PIC (two PICs, nested), and sets up future vcpus to have a
569 local APIC. IRQ routing for GSIs 0-15 is set to both PIC and IOAPIC; GSI 16-23
570 only go to the IOAPIC. On ia64, a IOSAPIC is created.
574 Capability: KVM_CAP_IRQCHIP
575 Architectures: x86, ia64
577 Parameters: struct kvm_irq_level
578 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
580 Sets the level of a GSI input to the interrupt controller model in the kernel.
581 Requires that an interrupt controller model has been previously created with
582 KVM_CREATE_IRQCHIP. Note that edge-triggered interrupts require the level
583 to be set to 1 and then back to 0.
585 struct kvm_irq_level {
588 __s32 status; /* not used for KVM_IRQ_LEVEL */
590 __u32 level; /* 0 or 1 */
595 Capability: KVM_CAP_IRQCHIP
596 Architectures: x86, ia64
598 Parameters: struct kvm_irqchip (in/out)
599 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
601 Reads the state of a kernel interrupt controller created with
602 KVM_CREATE_IRQCHIP into a buffer provided by the caller.
605 __u32 chip_id; /* 0 = PIC1, 1 = PIC2, 2 = IOAPIC */
608 char dummy[512]; /* reserving space */
609 struct kvm_pic_state pic;
610 struct kvm_ioapic_state ioapic;
616 Capability: KVM_CAP_IRQCHIP
617 Architectures: x86, ia64
619 Parameters: struct kvm_irqchip (in)
620 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
622 Sets the state of a kernel interrupt controller created with
623 KVM_CREATE_IRQCHIP from a buffer provided by the caller.
626 __u32 chip_id; /* 0 = PIC1, 1 = PIC2, 2 = IOAPIC */
629 char dummy[512]; /* reserving space */
630 struct kvm_pic_state pic;
631 struct kvm_ioapic_state ioapic;
635 4.28 KVM_XEN_HVM_CONFIG
637 Capability: KVM_CAP_XEN_HVM
640 Parameters: struct kvm_xen_hvm_config (in)
641 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
643 Sets the MSR that the Xen HVM guest uses to initialize its hypercall
644 page, and provides the starting address and size of the hypercall
645 blobs in userspace. When the guest writes the MSR, kvm copies one
646 page of a blob (32- or 64-bit, depending on the vcpu mode) to guest
649 struct kvm_xen_hvm_config {
661 Capability: KVM_CAP_ADJUST_CLOCK
664 Parameters: struct kvm_clock_data (out)
665 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
667 Gets the current timestamp of kvmclock as seen by the current guest. In
668 conjunction with KVM_SET_CLOCK, it is used to ensure monotonicity on scenarios
671 struct kvm_clock_data {
672 __u64 clock; /* kvmclock current value */
679 Capability: KVM_CAP_ADJUST_CLOCK
682 Parameters: struct kvm_clock_data (in)
683 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
685 Sets the current timestamp of kvmclock to the value specified in its parameter.
686 In conjunction with KVM_GET_CLOCK, it is used to ensure monotonicity on scenarios
689 struct kvm_clock_data {
690 __u64 clock; /* kvmclock current value */
695 4.31 KVM_GET_VCPU_EVENTS
697 Capability: KVM_CAP_VCPU_EVENTS
698 Extended by: KVM_CAP_INTR_SHADOW
701 Parameters: struct kvm_vcpu_event (out)
702 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
704 Gets currently pending exceptions, interrupts, and NMIs as well as related
707 struct kvm_vcpu_events {
731 KVM_VCPUEVENT_VALID_SHADOW may be set in the flags field to signal that
732 interrupt.shadow contains a valid state. Otherwise, this field is undefined.
734 4.32 KVM_SET_VCPU_EVENTS
736 Capability: KVM_CAP_VCPU_EVENTS
737 Extended by: KVM_CAP_INTR_SHADOW
740 Parameters: struct kvm_vcpu_event (in)
741 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
743 Set pending exceptions, interrupts, and NMIs as well as related states of the
746 See KVM_GET_VCPU_EVENTS for the data structure.
748 Fields that may be modified asynchronously by running VCPUs can be excluded
749 from the update. These fields are nmi.pending and sipi_vector. Keep the
750 corresponding bits in the flags field cleared to suppress overwriting the
751 current in-kernel state. The bits are:
753 KVM_VCPUEVENT_VALID_NMI_PENDING - transfer nmi.pending to the kernel
754 KVM_VCPUEVENT_VALID_SIPI_VECTOR - transfer sipi_vector
756 If KVM_CAP_INTR_SHADOW is available, KVM_VCPUEVENT_VALID_SHADOW can be set in
757 the flags field to signal that interrupt.shadow contains a valid state and
758 shall be written into the VCPU.
760 4.33 KVM_GET_DEBUGREGS
762 Capability: KVM_CAP_DEBUGREGS
765 Parameters: struct kvm_debugregs (out)
766 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
768 Reads debug registers from the vcpu.
770 struct kvm_debugregs {
778 4.34 KVM_SET_DEBUGREGS
780 Capability: KVM_CAP_DEBUGREGS
783 Parameters: struct kvm_debugregs (in)
784 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
786 Writes debug registers into the vcpu.
788 See KVM_GET_DEBUGREGS for the data structure. The flags field is unused
789 yet and must be cleared on entry.
791 4.35 KVM_SET_USER_MEMORY_REGION
793 Capability: KVM_CAP_USER_MEM
796 Parameters: struct kvm_userspace_memory_region (in)
797 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
799 struct kvm_userspace_memory_region {
802 __u64 guest_phys_addr;
803 __u64 memory_size; /* bytes */
804 __u64 userspace_addr; /* start of the userspace allocated memory */
807 /* for kvm_memory_region::flags */
808 #define KVM_MEM_LOG_DIRTY_PAGES 1UL
810 This ioctl allows the user to create or modify a guest physical memory
811 slot. When changing an existing slot, it may be moved in the guest
812 physical memory space, or its flags may be modified. It may not be
813 resized. Slots may not overlap in guest physical address space.
815 Memory for the region is taken starting at the address denoted by the
816 field userspace_addr, which must point at user addressable memory for
817 the entire memory slot size. Any object may back this memory, including
818 anonymous memory, ordinary files, and hugetlbfs.
820 It is recommended that the lower 21 bits of guest_phys_addr and userspace_addr
821 be identical. This allows large pages in the guest to be backed by large
824 The flags field supports just one flag, KVM_MEM_LOG_DIRTY_PAGES, which
825 instructs kvm to keep track of writes to memory within the slot. See
826 the KVM_GET_DIRTY_LOG ioctl.
828 When the KVM_CAP_SYNC_MMU capability, changes in the backing of the memory
829 region are automatically reflected into the guest. For example, an mmap()
830 that affects the region will be made visible immediately. Another example
831 is madvise(MADV_DROP).
833 It is recommended to use this API instead of the KVM_SET_MEMORY_REGION ioctl.
834 The KVM_SET_MEMORY_REGION does not allow fine grained control over memory
835 allocation and is deprecated.
837 4.36 KVM_SET_TSS_ADDR
839 Capability: KVM_CAP_SET_TSS_ADDR
842 Parameters: unsigned long tss_address (in)
843 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
845 This ioctl defines the physical address of a three-page region in the guest
846 physical address space. The region must be within the first 4GB of the
847 guest physical address space and must not conflict with any memory slot
848 or any mmio address. The guest may malfunction if it accesses this memory
851 This ioctl is required on Intel-based hosts. This is needed on Intel hardware
852 because of a quirk in the virtualization implementation (see the internals
853 documentation when it pops into existence).
857 Capability: KVM_CAP_ENABLE_CAP
860 Parameters: struct kvm_enable_cap (in)
861 Returns: 0 on success; -1 on error
863 +Not all extensions are enabled by default. Using this ioctl the application
864 can enable an extension, making it available to the guest.
866 On systems that do not support this ioctl, it always fails. On systems that
867 do support it, it only works for extensions that are supported for enablement.
869 To check if a capability can be enabled, the KVM_CHECK_EXTENSION ioctl should
872 struct kvm_enable_cap {
876 The capability that is supposed to get enabled.
880 A bitfield indicating future enhancements. Has to be 0 for now.
884 Arguments for enabling a feature. If a feature needs initial values to
885 function properly, this is the place to put them.
890 4.38 KVM_GET_MP_STATE
892 Capability: KVM_CAP_MP_STATE
893 Architectures: x86, ia64
895 Parameters: struct kvm_mp_state (out)
896 Returns: 0 on success; -1 on error
898 struct kvm_mp_state {
902 Returns the vcpu's current "multiprocessing state" (though also valid on
903 uniprocessor guests).
907 - KVM_MP_STATE_RUNNABLE: the vcpu is currently running
908 - KVM_MP_STATE_UNINITIALIZED: the vcpu is an application processor (AP)
909 which has not yet received an INIT signal
910 - KVM_MP_STATE_INIT_RECEIVED: the vcpu has received an INIT signal, and is
912 - KVM_MP_STATE_HALTED: the vcpu has executed a HLT instruction and
913 is waiting for an interrupt
914 - KVM_MP_STATE_SIPI_RECEIVED: the vcpu has just received a SIPI (vector
915 accessible via KVM_GET_VCPU_EVENTS)
917 This ioctl is only useful after KVM_CREATE_IRQCHIP. Without an in-kernel
918 irqchip, the multiprocessing state must be maintained by userspace.
920 4.39 KVM_SET_MP_STATE
922 Capability: KVM_CAP_MP_STATE
923 Architectures: x86, ia64
925 Parameters: struct kvm_mp_state (in)
926 Returns: 0 on success; -1 on error
928 Sets the vcpu's current "multiprocessing state"; see KVM_GET_MP_STATE for
931 This ioctl is only useful after KVM_CREATE_IRQCHIP. Without an in-kernel
932 irqchip, the multiprocessing state must be maintained by userspace.
934 4.40 KVM_SET_IDENTITY_MAP_ADDR
936 Capability: KVM_CAP_SET_IDENTITY_MAP_ADDR
939 Parameters: unsigned long identity (in)
940 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
942 This ioctl defines the physical address of a one-page region in the guest
943 physical address space. The region must be within the first 4GB of the
944 guest physical address space and must not conflict with any memory slot
945 or any mmio address. The guest may malfunction if it accesses this memory
948 This ioctl is required on Intel-based hosts. This is needed on Intel hardware
949 because of a quirk in the virtualization implementation (see the internals
950 documentation when it pops into existence).
952 4.41 KVM_SET_BOOT_CPU_ID
954 Capability: KVM_CAP_SET_BOOT_CPU_ID
955 Architectures: x86, ia64
957 Parameters: unsigned long vcpu_id
958 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
960 Define which vcpu is the Bootstrap Processor (BSP). Values are the same
961 as the vcpu id in KVM_CREATE_VCPU. If this ioctl is not called, the default
966 Capability: KVM_CAP_XSAVE
969 Parameters: struct kvm_xsave (out)
970 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
976 This ioctl would copy current vcpu's xsave struct to the userspace.
980 Capability: KVM_CAP_XSAVE
983 Parameters: struct kvm_xsave (in)
984 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
990 This ioctl would copy userspace's xsave struct to the kernel.
994 Capability: KVM_CAP_XCRS
997 Parameters: struct kvm_xcrs (out)
998 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
1009 struct kvm_xcr xcrs[KVM_MAX_XCRS];
1013 This ioctl would copy current vcpu's xcrs to the userspace.
1017 Capability: KVM_CAP_XCRS
1020 Parameters: struct kvm_xcrs (in)
1021 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
1032 struct kvm_xcr xcrs[KVM_MAX_XCRS];
1036 This ioctl would set vcpu's xcr to the value userspace specified.
1038 4.46 KVM_GET_SUPPORTED_CPUID
1040 Capability: KVM_CAP_EXT_CPUID
1043 Parameters: struct kvm_cpuid2 (in/out)
1044 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
1049 struct kvm_cpuid_entry2 entries[0];
1052 #define KVM_CPUID_FLAG_SIGNIFCANT_INDEX 1
1053 #define KVM_CPUID_FLAG_STATEFUL_FUNC 2
1054 #define KVM_CPUID_FLAG_STATE_READ_NEXT 4
1056 struct kvm_cpuid_entry2 {
1067 This ioctl returns x86 cpuid features which are supported by both the hardware
1068 and kvm. Userspace can use the information returned by this ioctl to
1069 construct cpuid information (for KVM_SET_CPUID2) that is consistent with
1070 hardware, kernel, and userspace capabilities, and with user requirements (for
1071 example, the user may wish to constrain cpuid to emulate older hardware,
1072 or for feature consistency across a cluster).
1074 Userspace invokes KVM_GET_SUPPORTED_CPUID by passing a kvm_cpuid2 structure
1075 with the 'nent' field indicating the number of entries in the variable-size
1076 array 'entries'. If the number of entries is too low to describe the cpu
1077 capabilities, an error (E2BIG) is returned. If the number is too high,
1078 the 'nent' field is adjusted and an error (ENOMEM) is returned. If the
1079 number is just right, the 'nent' field is adjusted to the number of valid
1080 entries in the 'entries' array, which is then filled.
1082 The entries returned are the host cpuid as returned by the cpuid instruction,
1083 with unknown or unsupported features masked out. Some features (for example,
1084 x2apic), may not be present in the host cpu, but are exposed by kvm if it can
1085 emulate them efficiently. The fields in each entry are defined as follows:
1087 function: the eax value used to obtain the entry
1088 index: the ecx value used to obtain the entry (for entries that are
1090 flags: an OR of zero or more of the following:
1091 KVM_CPUID_FLAG_SIGNIFCANT_INDEX:
1092 if the index field is valid
1093 KVM_CPUID_FLAG_STATEFUL_FUNC:
1094 if cpuid for this function returns different values for successive
1095 invocations; there will be several entries with the same function,
1096 all with this flag set
1097 KVM_CPUID_FLAG_STATE_READ_NEXT:
1098 for KVM_CPUID_FLAG_STATEFUL_FUNC entries, set if this entry is
1099 the first entry to be read by a cpu
1100 eax, ebx, ecx, edx: the values returned by the cpuid instruction for
1101 this function/index combination
1103 4.47 KVM_PPC_GET_PVINFO
1105 Capability: KVM_CAP_PPC_GET_PVINFO
1108 Parameters: struct kvm_ppc_pvinfo (out)
1109 Returns: 0 on success, !0 on error
1111 struct kvm_ppc_pvinfo {
1117 This ioctl fetches PV specific information that need to be passed to the guest
1118 using the device tree or other means from vm context.
1120 For now the only implemented piece of information distributed here is an array
1121 of 4 instructions that make up a hypercall.
1123 If any additional field gets added to this structure later on, a bit for that
1124 additional piece of information will be set in the flags bitmap.
1126 4.48 KVM_ASSIGN_PCI_DEVICE
1128 Capability: KVM_CAP_DEVICE_ASSIGNMENT
1129 Architectures: x86 ia64
1131 Parameters: struct kvm_assigned_pci_dev (in)
1132 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
1134 Assigns a host PCI device to the VM.
1136 struct kvm_assigned_pci_dev {
1137 __u32 assigned_dev_id;
1147 The PCI device is specified by the triple segnr, busnr, and devfn.
1148 Identification in succeeding service requests is done via assigned_dev_id. The
1149 following flags are specified:
1151 /* Depends on KVM_CAP_IOMMU */
1152 #define KVM_DEV_ASSIGN_ENABLE_IOMMU (1 << 0)
1154 The KVM_DEV_ASSIGN_ENABLE_IOMMU flag is a mandatory option to ensure
1155 isolation of the device. Usages not specifying this flag are deprecated.
1157 Only PCI header type 0 devices with PCI BAR resources are supported by
1158 device assignment. The user requesting this ioctl must have read/write
1159 access to the PCI sysfs resource files associated with the device.
1161 4.49 KVM_DEASSIGN_PCI_DEVICE
1163 Capability: KVM_CAP_DEVICE_DEASSIGNMENT
1164 Architectures: x86 ia64
1166 Parameters: struct kvm_assigned_pci_dev (in)
1167 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
1169 Ends PCI device assignment, releasing all associated resources.
1171 See KVM_CAP_DEVICE_ASSIGNMENT for the data structure. Only assigned_dev_id is
1172 used in kvm_assigned_pci_dev to identify the device.
1174 4.50 KVM_ASSIGN_DEV_IRQ
1176 Capability: KVM_CAP_ASSIGN_DEV_IRQ
1177 Architectures: x86 ia64
1179 Parameters: struct kvm_assigned_irq (in)
1180 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
1182 Assigns an IRQ to a passed-through device.
1184 struct kvm_assigned_irq {
1185 __u32 assigned_dev_id;
1186 __u32 host_irq; /* ignored (legacy field) */
1194 The following flags are defined:
1196 #define KVM_DEV_IRQ_HOST_INTX (1 << 0)
1197 #define KVM_DEV_IRQ_HOST_MSI (1 << 1)
1198 #define KVM_DEV_IRQ_HOST_MSIX (1 << 2)
1200 #define KVM_DEV_IRQ_GUEST_INTX (1 << 8)
1201 #define KVM_DEV_IRQ_GUEST_MSI (1 << 9)
1202 #define KVM_DEV_IRQ_GUEST_MSIX (1 << 10)
1204 It is not valid to specify multiple types per host or guest IRQ. However, the
1205 IRQ type of host and guest can differ or can even be null.
1207 4.51 KVM_DEASSIGN_DEV_IRQ
1209 Capability: KVM_CAP_ASSIGN_DEV_IRQ
1210 Architectures: x86 ia64
1212 Parameters: struct kvm_assigned_irq (in)
1213 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
1215 Ends an IRQ assignment to a passed-through device.
1217 See KVM_ASSIGN_DEV_IRQ for the data structure. The target device is specified
1218 by assigned_dev_id, flags must correspond to the IRQ type specified on
1219 KVM_ASSIGN_DEV_IRQ. Partial deassignment of host or guest IRQ is allowed.
1221 4.52 KVM_SET_GSI_ROUTING
1223 Capability: KVM_CAP_IRQ_ROUTING
1224 Architectures: x86 ia64
1226 Parameters: struct kvm_irq_routing (in)
1227 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
1229 Sets the GSI routing table entries, overwriting any previously set entries.
1231 struct kvm_irq_routing {
1234 struct kvm_irq_routing_entry entries[0];
1237 No flags are specified so far, the corresponding field must be set to zero.
1239 struct kvm_irq_routing_entry {
1245 struct kvm_irq_routing_irqchip irqchip;
1246 struct kvm_irq_routing_msi msi;
1251 /* gsi routing entry types */
1252 #define KVM_IRQ_ROUTING_IRQCHIP 1
1253 #define KVM_IRQ_ROUTING_MSI 2
1255 No flags are specified so far, the corresponding field must be set to zero.
1257 struct kvm_irq_routing_irqchip {
1262 struct kvm_irq_routing_msi {
1269 4.53 KVM_ASSIGN_SET_MSIX_NR
1271 Capability: KVM_CAP_DEVICE_MSIX
1272 Architectures: x86 ia64
1274 Parameters: struct kvm_assigned_msix_nr (in)
1275 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
1277 Set the number of MSI-X interrupts for an assigned device. The number is
1278 reset again by terminating the MSI-X assignment of the device via
1279 KVM_DEASSIGN_DEV_IRQ. Calling this service more than once at any earlier
1282 struct kvm_assigned_msix_nr {
1283 __u32 assigned_dev_id;
1288 #define KVM_MAX_MSIX_PER_DEV 256
1290 4.54 KVM_ASSIGN_SET_MSIX_ENTRY
1292 Capability: KVM_CAP_DEVICE_MSIX
1293 Architectures: x86 ia64
1295 Parameters: struct kvm_assigned_msix_entry (in)
1296 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
1298 Specifies the routing of an MSI-X assigned device interrupt to a GSI. Setting
1299 the GSI vector to zero means disabling the interrupt.
1301 struct kvm_assigned_msix_entry {
1302 __u32 assigned_dev_id;
1304 __u16 entry; /* The index of entry in the MSI-X table */
1308 4.54 KVM_SET_TSC_KHZ
1310 Capability: KVM_CAP_TSC_CONTROL
1313 Parameters: virtual tsc_khz
1314 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
1316 Specifies the tsc frequency for the virtual machine. The unit of the
1319 4.55 KVM_GET_TSC_KHZ
1321 Capability: KVM_CAP_GET_TSC_KHZ
1325 Returns: virtual tsc-khz on success, negative value on error
1327 Returns the tsc frequency of the guest. The unit of the return value is
1328 KHz. If the host has unstable tsc this ioctl returns -EIO instead as an
1333 Capability: KVM_CAP_IRQCHIP
1336 Parameters: struct kvm_lapic_state (out)
1337 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
1339 #define KVM_APIC_REG_SIZE 0x400
1340 struct kvm_lapic_state {
1341 char regs[KVM_APIC_REG_SIZE];
1344 Reads the Local APIC registers and copies them into the input argument. The
1345 data format and layout are the same as documented in the architecture manual.
1349 Capability: KVM_CAP_IRQCHIP
1352 Parameters: struct kvm_lapic_state (in)
1353 Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
1355 #define KVM_APIC_REG_SIZE 0x400
1356 struct kvm_lapic_state {
1357 char regs[KVM_APIC_REG_SIZE];
1360 Copies the input argument into the the Local APIC registers. The data format
1361 and layout are the same as documented in the architecture manual.
1365 Capability: KVM_CAP_IOEVENTFD
1368 Parameters: struct kvm_ioeventfd (in)
1369 Returns: 0 on success, !0 on error
1371 This ioctl attaches or detaches an ioeventfd to a legal pio/mmio address
1372 within the guest. A guest write in the registered address will signal the
1373 provided event instead of triggering an exit.
1375 struct kvm_ioeventfd {
1377 __u64 addr; /* legal pio/mmio address */
1378 __u32 len; /* 1, 2, 4, or 8 bytes */
1384 The following flags are defined:
1386 #define KVM_IOEVENTFD_FLAG_DATAMATCH (1 << kvm_ioeventfd_flag_nr_datamatch)
1387 #define KVM_IOEVENTFD_FLAG_PIO (1 << kvm_ioeventfd_flag_nr_pio)
1388 #define KVM_IOEVENTFD_FLAG_DEASSIGN (1 << kvm_ioeventfd_flag_nr_deassign)
1390 If datamatch flag is set, the event will be signaled only if the written value
1391 to the registered address is equal to datamatch in struct kvm_ioeventfd.
1393 4.62 KVM_CREATE_SPAPR_TCE
1395 Capability: KVM_CAP_SPAPR_TCE
1396 Architectures: powerpc
1398 Parameters: struct kvm_create_spapr_tce (in)
1399 Returns: file descriptor for manipulating the created TCE table
1401 This creates a virtual TCE (translation control entry) table, which
1402 is an IOMMU for PAPR-style virtual I/O. It is used to translate
1403 logical addresses used in virtual I/O into guest physical addresses,
1404 and provides a scatter/gather capability for PAPR virtual I/O.
1406 /* for KVM_CAP_SPAPR_TCE */
1407 struct kvm_create_spapr_tce {
1412 The liobn field gives the logical IO bus number for which to create a
1413 TCE table. The window_size field specifies the size of the DMA window
1414 which this TCE table will translate - the table will contain one 64
1415 bit TCE entry for every 4kiB of the DMA window.
1417 When the guest issues an H_PUT_TCE hcall on a liobn for which a TCE
1418 table has been created using this ioctl(), the kernel will handle it
1419 in real mode, updating the TCE table. H_PUT_TCE calls for other
1420 liobns will cause a vm exit and must be handled by userspace.
1422 The return value is a file descriptor which can be passed to mmap(2)
1423 to map the created TCE table into userspace. This lets userspace read
1424 the entries written by kernel-handled H_PUT_TCE calls, and also lets
1425 userspace update the TCE table directly which is useful in some
1428 4.63 KVM_ALLOCATE_RMA
1430 Capability: KVM_CAP_PPC_RMA
1431 Architectures: powerpc
1433 Parameters: struct kvm_allocate_rma (out)
1434 Returns: file descriptor for mapping the allocated RMA
1436 This allocates a Real Mode Area (RMA) from the pool allocated at boot
1437 time by the kernel. An RMA is a physically-contiguous, aligned region
1438 of memory used on older POWER processors to provide the memory which
1439 will be accessed by real-mode (MMU off) accesses in a KVM guest.
1440 POWER processors support a set of sizes for the RMA that usually
1441 includes 64MB, 128MB, 256MB and some larger powers of two.
1443 /* for KVM_ALLOCATE_RMA */
1444 struct kvm_allocate_rma {
1448 The return value is a file descriptor which can be passed to mmap(2)
1449 to map the allocated RMA into userspace. The mapped area can then be
1450 passed to the KVM_SET_USER_MEMORY_REGION ioctl to establish it as the
1451 RMA for a virtual machine. The size of the RMA in bytes (which is
1452 fixed at host kernel boot time) is returned in the rma_size field of
1453 the argument structure.
1455 The KVM_CAP_PPC_RMA capability is 1 or 2 if the KVM_ALLOCATE_RMA ioctl
1456 is supported; 2 if the processor requires all virtual machines to have
1457 an RMA, or 1 if the processor can use an RMA but doesn't require it,
1458 because it supports the Virtual RMA (VRMA) facility.
1460 5. The kvm_run structure
1462 Application code obtains a pointer to the kvm_run structure by
1463 mmap()ing a vcpu fd. From that point, application code can control
1464 execution by changing fields in kvm_run prior to calling the KVM_RUN
1465 ioctl, and obtain information about the reason KVM_RUN returned by
1466 looking up structure members.
1470 __u8 request_interrupt_window;
1472 Request that KVM_RUN return when it becomes possible to inject external
1473 interrupts into the guest. Useful in conjunction with KVM_INTERRUPT.
1480 When KVM_RUN has returned successfully (return value 0), this informs
1481 application code why KVM_RUN has returned. Allowable values for this
1482 field are detailed below.
1484 __u8 ready_for_interrupt_injection;
1486 If request_interrupt_window has been specified, this field indicates
1487 an interrupt can be injected now with KVM_INTERRUPT.
1491 The value of the current interrupt flag. Only valid if in-kernel
1492 local APIC is not used.
1496 /* in (pre_kvm_run), out (post_kvm_run) */
1499 The value of the cr8 register. Only valid if in-kernel local APIC is
1500 not used. Both input and output.
1504 The value of the APIC BASE msr. Only valid if in-kernel local
1505 APIC is not used. Both input and output.
1508 /* KVM_EXIT_UNKNOWN */
1510 __u64 hardware_exit_reason;
1513 If exit_reason is KVM_EXIT_UNKNOWN, the vcpu has exited due to unknown
1514 reasons. Further architecture-specific information is available in
1515 hardware_exit_reason.
1517 /* KVM_EXIT_FAIL_ENTRY */
1519 __u64 hardware_entry_failure_reason;
1522 If exit_reason is KVM_EXIT_FAIL_ENTRY, the vcpu could not be run due
1523 to unknown reasons. Further architecture-specific information is
1524 available in hardware_entry_failure_reason.
1526 /* KVM_EXIT_EXCEPTION */
1536 #define KVM_EXIT_IO_IN 0
1537 #define KVM_EXIT_IO_OUT 1
1539 __u8 size; /* bytes */
1542 __u64 data_offset; /* relative to kvm_run start */
1545 If exit_reason is KVM_EXIT_IO, then the vcpu has
1546 executed a port I/O instruction which could not be satisfied by kvm.
1547 data_offset describes where the data is located (KVM_EXIT_IO_OUT) or
1548 where kvm expects application code to place the data for the next
1549 KVM_RUN invocation (KVM_EXIT_IO_IN). Data format is a packed array.
1552 struct kvm_debug_exit_arch arch;
1565 If exit_reason is KVM_EXIT_MMIO, then the vcpu has
1566 executed a memory-mapped I/O instruction which could not be satisfied
1567 by kvm. The 'data' member contains the written data if 'is_write' is
1568 true, and should be filled by application code otherwise.
1570 NOTE: For KVM_EXIT_IO, KVM_EXIT_MMIO and KVM_EXIT_OSI, the corresponding
1571 operations are complete (and guest state is consistent) only after userspace
1572 has re-entered the kernel with KVM_RUN. The kernel side will first finish
1573 incomplete operations and then check for pending signals. Userspace
1574 can re-enter the guest with an unmasked signal pending to complete
1577 /* KVM_EXIT_HYPERCALL */
1586 Unused. This was once used for 'hypercall to userspace'. To implement
1587 such functionality, use KVM_EXIT_IO (x86) or KVM_EXIT_MMIO (all except s390).
1588 Note KVM_EXIT_IO is significantly faster than KVM_EXIT_MMIO.
1590 /* KVM_EXIT_TPR_ACCESS */
1597 To be documented (KVM_TPR_ACCESS_REPORTING).
1599 /* KVM_EXIT_S390_SIEIC */
1602 __u64 mask; /* psw upper half */
1603 __u64 addr; /* psw lower half */
1610 /* KVM_EXIT_S390_RESET */
1611 #define KVM_S390_RESET_POR 1
1612 #define KVM_S390_RESET_CLEAR 2
1613 #define KVM_S390_RESET_SUBSYSTEM 4
1614 #define KVM_S390_RESET_CPU_INIT 8
1615 #define KVM_S390_RESET_IPL 16
1616 __u64 s390_reset_flags;
1634 MOL uses a special hypercall interface it calls 'OSI'. To enable it, we catch
1635 hypercalls and exit with this exit struct that contains all the guest gprs.
1637 If exit_reason is KVM_EXIT_OSI, then the vcpu has triggered such a hypercall.
1638 Userspace can now handle the hypercall and when it's done modify the gprs as
1639 necessary. Upon guest entry all guest GPRs will then be replaced by the values
1642 /* KVM_EXIT_PAPR_HCALL */
1649 This is used on 64-bit PowerPC when emulating a pSeries partition,
1650 e.g. with the 'pseries' machine type in qemu. It occurs when the
1651 guest does a hypercall using the 'sc 1' instruction. The 'nr' field
1652 contains the hypercall number (from the guest R3), and 'args' contains
1653 the arguments (from the guest R4 - R12). Userspace should put the
1654 return code in 'ret' and any extra returned values in args[].
1655 The possible hypercalls are defined in the Power Architecture Platform
1656 Requirements (PAPR) document available from www.power.org (free
1657 developer registration required to access it).
1659 /* Fix the size of the union. */
1664 6. Capabilities that can be enabled
1666 There are certain capabilities that change the behavior of the virtual CPU when
1667 enabled. To enable them, please see section 4.37. Below you can find a list of
1668 capabilities and what their effect on the vCPU is when enabling them.
1670 The following information is provided along with the description:
1672 Architectures: which instruction set architectures provide this ioctl.
1673 x86 includes both i386 and x86_64.
1675 Parameters: what parameters are accepted by the capability.
1677 Returns: the return value. General error numbers (EBADF, ENOMEM, EINVAL)
1678 are not detailed, but errors with specific meanings are.
1684 Returns: 0 on success; -1 on error
1686 This capability enables interception of OSI hypercalls that otherwise would
1687 be treated as normal system calls to be injected into the guest. OSI hypercalls
1688 were invented by Mac-on-Linux to have a standardized communication mechanism
1689 between the guest and the host.
1691 When this capability is enabled, KVM_EXIT_OSI can occur.
1693 6.2 KVM_CAP_PPC_PAPR
1697 Returns: 0 on success; -1 on error
1699 This capability enables interception of PAPR hypercalls. PAPR hypercalls are
1700 done using the hypercall instruction "sc 1".
1702 It also sets the guest privilege level to "supervisor" mode. Usually the guest
1703 runs in "hypervisor" privilege mode with a few missing features.
1705 In addition to the above, it changes the semantics of SDR1. In this mode, the
1706 HTAB address part of SDR1 contains an HVA instead of a GPA, as PAPR keeps the
1707 HTAB invisible to the guest.
1709 When this capability is enabled, KVM_EXIT_PAPR_HCALL can occur.