Re: [PATCH v2 1/2] KVM: arm64: Add handler for MOPS exceptions

[Marc Zyngier]

Hi Kristina,

On Fri, 22 Sep 2023 12:25:07 +0100,
Kristina Martsenko <kristina.martsenko@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> An Armv8.8 FEAT_MOPS main or epilogue instruction will take an exception
> if executed on a CPU with a different MOPS implementation option (A or
> B) than the CPU where the preceding prologue instruction ran. In this
> case the OS exception handler is expected to reset the registers and
> restart execution from the prologue instruction.
> 
> A KVM guest may use the instructions at EL1 at times when the guest is
> not able to handle the exception, expecting that the instructions will
> only run on one CPU (e.g. when running UEFI boot services in the guest).
> As KVM may reschedule the guest between different types of CPUs at any
> time (on an asymmetric system), it needs to also handle the resulting
> exception itself in case the guest is not able to. A similar situation
> will also occur in the future when live migrating a guest from one type
> of CPU to another.
>
> Add handling for the MOPS exception to KVM. The handling can be shared
> with the EL0 exception handler, as the logic and register layouts are
> the same. The exception can be handled right after exiting a guest,
> which avoids the cost of returning to the host exit handler.
> 
> Similarly to the EL0 exception handler, in case the main or epilogue
> instruction is being single stepped, it makes sense to finish the step
> before executing the prologue instruction, so advance the single step
> state machine.

What is the rationale for advancing the state machine? Shouldn't we
instead return to the guest and immediately get the SS exception,
which in turn gets reported to userspace? Is it because we rollback
the PC to a previous instruction?

In the latter case, won't userspace see multiple SS exceptions for the
middle instruction if trapping from the epilogue? This would be a bit
surprising, to say the least.

Thanks,

	M.

-- 
Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.