[v1] CHANGELOG.md: Finalize changes in 4.19 release cycle

[PATCH for 4.19] CHANGELOG.md: Finalize changes in 4.19 release cycle

Posted by Oleksii Kurochko 3 months, 3 weeks ago

Signed-off-by: Oleksii Kurochko <oleksii.kurochko@gmail.com>
---
Changes in V2:
 - Make CI items started with uppercase letters.
---
 CHANGELOG.md | 24 ++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 24 insertions(+)

diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f8fbe82df6..a8b56b9632 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -15,6 +15,17 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/)
    - Reduce IOMMU setup time for hardware domain.
    - Allow HVM/PVH domains to map foreign pages.
    - Declare PVH dom0 supported with caveats.
+ - On Arm:
+   - Reworking the logic so all the MMU-off code is now self-contained for
+     secondary boot CPUs on arm64.
+   - Code symbol annotations and MISRA compliance improvements.
+   - Addressing issues of the static shared memory feature.
+ - On PPC:
+   - Minor fixes and improvements:
+     - Add .text.exceptions section for exception vectors.
+     - Replace debug printing code with printk.
+     - Address violations of MISRA C:2012 Rule 11.8.
+     - Ensure ELF sections' physical load addresses start at 0x0.
  - xl/libxl configures vkb=[] for HVM domains with priority over vkb_device.
  - Increase the maximum number of CPUs Xen can be built for from 4095 to
    16383.
@@ -23,6 +34,11 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/)
    using a standalone library implementation.
  - xenalyze no longer requires `--svm-mode` when analyzing traces
    generated on AMD CPUs
+ - CI updates:
+   - Minimum fixes to rebuild the containers, following the HEREDOC problems.
+   - Rebuild containers to have testing with up-to-date LTS distros.
+   - Few build system checks, and strip the obsolete contents of
+     the build containers.
 
 ### Added
  - On x86:
@@ -31,6 +47,14 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/)
  - Add a new 9pfs backend running as a daemon in dom0. First user is
    Xenstore-stubdom now being able to support full Xenstore trace capability.
  - libxl support for backendtype=tap with tapback.
+ - On Arm:
+   - FF-A notification support.
+   - Introduction of dynamic node programming using overlay dtbo.
+ - On PPC:
+   - Basic exception handler implementation.
+ - On RISCV:
+   - Identity mapping implementation.
+   - Introduction of architecture-specific headers.
 
 ### Removed
  - caml-stubdom.  It hasn't built since 2014, was pinned to Ocaml 4.02, and has
-- 
2.45.2

Re: [PATCH for 4.19] CHANGELOG.md: Finalize changes in 4.19 release cycle

Posted by Jan Beulich 3 months, 3 weeks ago

On 29.07.2024 09:31, Oleksii Kurochko wrote:
> Signed-off-by: Oleksii Kurochko <oleksii.kurochko@gmail.com>

Since no-one else cared to reply so far, I will (I tried to avoid doing so,
because - I'm sorry for that - feedback is mostly negative, in part following
what I said for some 4.18 entries last time already, iirc):

> --- a/CHANGELOG.md
> +++ b/CHANGELOG.md
> @@ -15,6 +15,17 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/)
>     - Reduce IOMMU setup time for hardware domain.
>     - Allow HVM/PVH domains to map foreign pages.
>     - Declare PVH dom0 supported with caveats.
> + - On Arm:
> +   - Reworking the logic so all the MMU-off code is now self-contained for
> +     secondary boot CPUs on arm64.

This is an implementation detail aiui nothing people using Xen would actually
stumble across or notice. Imo such doesn't belong here. Same goes for the
entire PPC part of this hunk further down.

> +   - Code symbol annotations and MISRA compliance improvements.

This isn't Arm-specific, is it?

> +   - Addressing issues of the static shared memory feature.

Along the lines of the above, I don't think individual features' bug fixes
want/need mentioning here.

> @@ -23,6 +34,11 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/)
>     using a standalone library implementation.
>   - xenalyze no longer requires `--svm-mode` when analyzing traces
>     generated on AMD CPUs
> + - CI updates:
> +   - Minimum fixes to rebuild the containers, following the HEREDOC problems.
> +   - Rebuild containers to have testing with up-to-date LTS distros.
> +   - Few build system checks, and strip the obsolete contents of
> +     the build containers.

This again doesn't concern people using Xen, does it?

> @@ -31,6 +47,14 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/)
>   - Add a new 9pfs backend running as a daemon in dom0. First user is
>     Xenstore-stubdom now being able to support full Xenstore trace capability.
>   - libxl support for backendtype=tap with tapback.
> + - On Arm:
> +   - FF-A notification support.
> +   - Introduction of dynamic node programming using overlay dtbo.

This is fine to have. I wonder though if the per-arch sections wouldn't
better sit next to each other (all at the top or all at the bottom).

> + - On PPC:
> +   - Basic exception handler implementation.
> + - On RISCV:
> +   - Identity mapping implementation.
> +   - Introduction of architecture-specific headers.

These again don't concern people using Xen, do they?

Jan

Re: [PATCH for 4.19] CHANGELOG.md: Finalize changes in 4.19 release cycle

Posted by oleksii.kurochko@gmail.com 3 months, 3 weeks ago

On Mon, 2024-07-29 at 10:11 +0200, Jan Beulich wrote:
> On 29.07.2024 09:31, Oleksii Kurochko wrote:
> > Signed-off-by: Oleksii Kurochko <oleksii.kurochko@gmail.com>
> 
> Since no-one else cared to reply so far, I will (I tried to avoid
> doing so,
> because - I'm sorry for that - feedback is mostly negative, in part
> following
> what I said for some 4.18 entries last time already, iirc):
Any feedback is good!

> 
> > --- a/CHANGELOG.md
> > +++ b/CHANGELOG.md
> > @@ -15,6 +15,17 @@ The format is based on [Keep a
> > Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/)
> >     - Reduce IOMMU setup time for hardware domain.
> >     - Allow HVM/PVH domains to map foreign pages.
> >     - Declare PVH dom0 supported with caveats.
> > + - On Arm:
> > +   - Reworking the logic so all the MMU-off code is now self-
> > contained for
> > +     secondary boot CPUs on arm64.
> 
> This is an implementation detail aiui nothing people using Xen would
> actually
> stumble across or notice. Imo such doesn't belong here. Same goes for
> the
> entire PPC part of this hunk further down.
> 
> > +   - Code symbol annotations and MISRA compliance improvements.
> 
> This isn't Arm-specific, is it?
Agree, this is not Arm-specific, so I will move it to "Changed".

> 
> > +   - Addressing issues of the static shared memory feature.
> 
> Along the lines of the above, I don't think individual features' bug
> fixes
> want/need mentioning here.
> 
> > @@ -23,6 +34,11 @@ The format is based on [Keep a
> > Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/)
> >     using a standalone library implementation.
> >   - xenalyze no longer requires `--svm-mode` when analyzing traces
> >     generated on AMD CPUs
> > + - CI updates:
> > +   - Minimum fixes to rebuild the containers, following the
> > HEREDOC problems.
> > +   - Rebuild containers to have testing with up-to-date LTS
> > distros.
> > +   - Few build system checks, and strip the obsolete contents of
> > +     the build containers.
> 
> This again doesn't concern people using Xen, does it?
What about people who are building Xen themselves? This part of the
changelog informs them that we have verified Xen builds with the latest
up-to-date LTS.

> 
> > @@ -31,6 +47,14 @@ The format is based on [Keep a
> > Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/)
> >   - Add a new 9pfs backend running as a daemon in dom0. First user
> > is
> >     Xenstore-stubdom now being able to support full Xenstore trace
> > capability.
> >   - libxl support for backendtype=tap with tapback.
> > + - On Arm:
> > +   - FF-A notification support.
> > +   - Introduction of dynamic node programming using overlay dtbo.
> 
> This is fine to have. I wonder though if the per-arch sections
> wouldn't
> better sit next to each other (all at the top or all at the bottom).
I didn't get you here. Everything in "### Added" is sorted per-arch.

> 
> > + - On PPC:
> > +   - Basic exception handler implementation.
> > + - On RISCV:
> > +   - Identity mapping implementation.
> > +   - Introduction of architecture-specific headers.
> 
> These again don't concern people using Xen, do they?
Well, I agree that PPC/RISCV is far away from being used but still it
shows that progress is going on.

Do we have the document which tell what should be in CHANGELOG and what
shouldn't?

~ Oleksii

Re: [PATCH for 4.19] CHANGELOG.md: Finalize changes in 4.19 release cycle

Posted by Jan Beulich 3 months, 3 weeks ago

On 29.07.2024 12:20, oleksii.kurochko@gmail.com wrote:
> On Mon, 2024-07-29 at 10:11 +0200, Jan Beulich wrote:
>> On 29.07.2024 09:31, Oleksii Kurochko wrote:
>>> @@ -31,6 +47,14 @@ The format is based on [Keep a
>>> Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/)
>>>   - Add a new 9pfs backend running as a daemon in dom0. First user
>>> is
>>>     Xenstore-stubdom now being able to support full Xenstore trace
>>> capability.
>>>   - libxl support for backendtype=tap with tapback.
>>> + - On Arm:
>>> +   - FF-A notification support.
>>> +   - Introduction of dynamic node programming using overlay dtbo.
>>
>> This is fine to have. I wonder though if the per-arch sections
>> wouldn't
>> better sit next to each other (all at the top or all at the bottom).
> I didn't get you here. Everything in "### Added" is sorted per-arch.

But x86 is at the start of the section, whereas you add to the bottom.

>>> + - On PPC:
>>> +   - Basic exception handler implementation.
>>> + - On RISCV:
>>> +   - Identity mapping implementation.
>>> +   - Introduction of architecture-specific headers.
>>
>> These again don't concern people using Xen, do they?
> Well, I agree that PPC/RISCV is far away from being used but still it
> shows that progress is going on.
> 
> Do we have the document which tell what should be in CHANGELOG and what
> shouldn't?

I'm not aware of any. And as mentioned, there has been disagreement before.

Jan

Re: [PATCH for 4.19] CHANGELOG.md: Finalize changes in 4.19 release cycle

Posted by Roger Pau Monné 3 months, 3 weeks ago

On Mon, Jul 29, 2024 at 10:11:23AM +0200, Jan Beulich wrote:
> On 29.07.2024 09:31, Oleksii Kurochko wrote:
> > @@ -23,6 +34,11 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/)
> >     using a standalone library implementation.
> >   - xenalyze no longer requires `--svm-mode` when analyzing traces
> >     generated on AMD CPUs
> > + - CI updates:
> > +   - Minimum fixes to rebuild the containers, following the HEREDOC problems.
> > +   - Rebuild containers to have testing with up-to-date LTS distros.
> > +   - Few build system checks, and strip the obsolete contents of
> > +     the build containers.
> 
> This again doesn't concern people using Xen, does it?

I think the CHANGELOG was for both users consuming Xen, but also for
developers (or more technical consumers) to know what changed between
releases.

The PR notes should indeed be more user-focused, but in that case I
still think mentioning something about increased efforts to improve
Gitlab CI is worth having in the release notes, so people know
improvements are being done wrt testing.

Thanks, Roger.