Bug#805189: libvirt: error: unsupported configuration: IDE controllers are unsupported for this QEMU binary or machine type

Aurelien Jarno

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Nov 15, 2015, 2:10:03 PM11/15/15

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Package: libvirt-daemon
Version: 1.2.21-1
Severity: important

Following the upgrade from jessie to sid, I am unable to start a mips
(malta machine), powerpc (g3beige machine) or sparc (sun4u machine) VM.
I get the following error message:

error: unsupported configuration: IDE controllers are unsupported for this QEMU binary or machine type

These machines do have an IDE controller that was supported in previous
libvirt versions. And for some of them it is necessary to use it as the
bootloader doesn't support scsi or virtio.

-- System Information:
Debian Release: stretch/sid
APT prefers unstable
APT policy: (500, 'unstable'), (500, 'testing')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
Foreign Architectures: i386

Kernel: Linux 4.2.0-1-amd64 (SMP w/8 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=fr_FR.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=fr_FR.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)

Versions of packages libvirt-daemon depends on:
ii libapparmor1 2.10-2+b1
ii libaudit1 1:2.4.4-4
ii libavahi-client3 0.6.32~rc+dfsg-1
ii libavahi-common3 0.6.32~rc+dfsg-1
ii libblkid1 2.27.1-1
ii libc6 2.19-22
ii libcap-ng0 0.7.7-1
ii libdbus-1-3 1.10.2-1
ii libdevmapper1.02.1 2:1.02.110-1
ii libfuse2 2.9.4-1
ii libgnutls-deb0-28 3.3.18-1
ii libnetcf1 1:0.2.8-1
ii libnl-3-200 3.2.26-1
ii libnl-route-3-200 3.2.26-1
ii libnuma1 2.0.10-1
ii libparted2 3.2-10
ii libpcap0.8 1.7.4-1
ii libpciaccess0 0.13.4-1
ii librados2 0.80.10-2
ii librbd1 0.80.10-2
ii libsasl2-2 2.1.26.dfsg1-14+b1
ii libselinux1 2.3-2+b1
ii libssh2-1 1.5.0-2+b1
ii libsystemd0 227-3
ii libudev1 227-3
ii libvirt0 1.2.21-1
ii libxen-4.4 4.4.1-9+deb8u1
ii libxenstore3.0 4.6.0-1
ii libxml2 2.9.2+zdfsg1-4
ii libyajl2 2.1.0-2

Versions of packages libvirt-daemon recommends:
ii libxml2-utils 2.9.2+zdfsg1-4
ii netcat-openbsd 1.105-7
pn qemu-kvm | qemu <none>

Versions of packages libvirt-daemon suggests:
ii libvirt-daemon-system 1.2.21-1

-- no debconf information

Guido Günther

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Nov 15, 2015, 4:30:02 PM11/15/15

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On Sun, Nov 15, 2015 at 07:56:52PM +0100, Aurelien Jarno wrote:
> Package: libvirt-daemon
> Version: 1.2.21-1
> Severity: important
>
> Following the upgrade from jessie to sid, I am unable to start a mips
> (malta machine), powerpc (g3beige machine) or sparc (sun4u machine) VM.
> I get the following error message:
>
> error: unsupported configuration: IDE controllers are unsupported for this QEMU binary or machine type
>
> These machines do have an IDE controller that was supported in previous
> libvirt versions. And for some of them it is necessary to use it as the
> bootloader doesn't support scsi or virtio.

Please attach domain XML for the affected machines to the bug as well as
libvirtd's output in debug mode when trying to start the VM.
Cheers,
-- Guido

Guido Günther

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Nov 18, 2015, 1:40:03 PM11/18/15

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Hi,

On Tue, Nov 17, 2015 at 10:59:13PM +0100, Aurelien Jarno wrote:

> Here is the debug output for the powerpc machine. Others are similar.
>
> $ virsh -d 0 start powerpc
> start: domain(optdata): powerpc
> start: found option <domain>: powerpc
> start: <domain> trying as domain NAME
> error: Failed to start domain powerpc

> error: unsupported configuration: IDE controllers are unsupported for this QEMU binary or machine type

This is not libvirtd's debug log unfortunately. You get that one by
enabling debug level output in /etc/libvirt/libvirtd.conf and looking
into syslog/the journal. But...

> You'll find the corresponding domain XML file attached.

...although this uses a qemu in /usr/local/bin it still happens with the
one in /usr/bin as well so I can reproduce this here so no further info
required atm.

I'll try to have a look soonish...

Thanks,
-- Guido

Guido Günther

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Nov 20, 2015, 10:10:03 AM11/20/15

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Hi,
On Tue, Nov 17, 2015 at 10:59:13PM +0100, Aurelien Jarno wrote:
> On 2015-11-15 22:19, Guido Günther wrote:

> Here is the debug output for the powerpc machine. Others are similar.
>
> $ virsh -d 0 start powerpc
> start: domain(optdata): powerpc
> start: found option <domain>: powerpc
> start: <domain> trying as domain NAME
> error: Failed to start domain powerpc

> error: unsupported configuration: IDE controllers are unsupported for this QEMU binary or machine type
>

> You'll find the corresponding domain XML file attached.

Thanks. I think I've found the problem but in order to fix this properly
I'd be great to have the xml for sun4u and malta as well. Could you
attach them when you get around to it so I can check if the fix works
for them too?
Cheers,
-- GUido

Aurelien Jarno

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Nov 23, 2015, 5:50:04 PM11/23/15

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On 2015-11-20 21:14, Guido Günther wrote:
> tags 805189 +pending
> thanks

> Nevermind I figured out some test configs (attached for future reference).

Thanks for working on that. I have looked at your config files, they
match what they have here. Basically, it looks like the new libvirt
doesn't like this entry anymore to define the default internal IDE
controller:

<controller type='ide' index='0'/>

Is there a new way to specify it?

Cheers,
Aurelien

--
Aurelien Jarno GPG: 4096R/1DDD8C9B
aure...@aurel32.net http://www.aurel32.net

Guido Günther

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Nov 24, 2015, 5:00:03 AM11/24/15

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Hi,
On Mon, Nov 23, 2015 at 11:45:36PM +0100, Aurelien Jarno wrote:
[..snip..]

> Thanks for working on that. I have looked at your config files, they
> match what they have here. Basically, it looks like the new libvirt

Thanks for checking!

> doesn't like this entry anymore to define the default internal IDE
> controller:
>
> <controller type='ide' index='0'/>
>
> Is there a new way to specify it?

The entry if fine iff the machine supports a built-in IDE. A couple of
releases ago libvirt added checks for that but we missed non-intel
architectures. I hope to upload a fixed version today.
Cheers,
-- Guido