Re[2]: [Qemu-devel] Config file support

[Paul Sokolovsky]

Hello Paul,

Tuesday, October 24, 2006, 3:36:40 AM, you wrote:

> On Tuesday 24 October 2006 01:12, Paul Sokolovsky wrote:
>> Hello Paul,
>>
>> Monday, October 23, 2006, 11:29:52 PM, you wrote:
>> > On Monday 23 October 2006 21:01, Rob Landley wrote:
>> >> On Sunday 22 October 2006 2:27 pm, Paul Brook wrote:
>> >> > I've been considering a machine config file for a while, but haven't
>> >> > come up with a coherent way of representing everything yet.
>>
>>    I'm glad this discussion was brought up on the list. And I'd like
>> to also bring back another related issue - what about providing
>> "plugin" system for device (chip) implementation, in addition to
>> flexible-format machine config allowing to construct "virtual boards"
>> out of them?

> IMHO we already have a fairly good device model, and it's not hard to add new
> devices.

  Maybe. But where are new chips in qemu? Why there're still only 2
ARM boards? How do I "stick" wi-fi card in one of them? So the concern
is not just if it's easy to add new devices or not, but if there're means
to actually support appearance and growth of device library. Plugin system
would be a "decree" that there's a stable API to define devices and
welcome for 3rd-party developers to develop them.

  And well, patching source is not really that easy a way to "add new devices".

> If you mean putting individual devices in shared libraries and dlopen'ing them
> at runtime then I have no interest in that. AFAICS the only reason for
> wanting to do this is to use closed-source device models.

  This one I can really agree with - a plugin system would be not
a technical, but purely political and licensing issue. Someone will think
about close-source threat, and someone else - if a plugin system in qemu
will be taken by some company as a threat to their IP. I of course mean
Microsoft, who, I heard, patented all plugins.

> Paul


P.S. This is not a troll, but another qemu anecdote. I appreciate your
work and of course don't hold breath for plugins. Would be just good
to have a machine config along the lines of what you'd written in
another message.

-- 
Best regards,
 Paul                            mailto:address@hidden