I need help with IOMMU issues

[Missio...@secmail.pro]

Since Reddit is dead and I found this place I thought I'd try again.

I am currently trying to install Qubes OS on a consumer grade Lenovo
laptop that was gifted to me recently.

The laptop contains a Ryzen 7 2700u APU, and I am certain that everything
is in place for IOMMU support, which should fall under the SVM Technology
setting in the BIOS.

The issue arrives when the system tries to enable AMD-Vi, this is the
output of xl dmesg:

(XEN) Initing memory sharing.
(XEN) IVHD Error: Invalid IO-APIC 0x21
(XEN) AMD-VI: Error initialization
(XEN) I/O virtualization disabled
(XEN) ENABLING IO-APIC IRQs

I have already tried a workaround found online for Linux by adding
ivrs_ioapic[4]=00:14.0 ivrs_ioapic[5]=00:00.2 to the command line, but
this doesn't fix the issue, and xl dmesg shows this:

(XEN) Initing memory sharing.
(XEN) IVHD Error: Invalid IO-APIC 0x22
(XEN) AMD-VI: Error initialization
(XEN) I/O virtualization disabled
(XEN) ENABLING IO-APIC IRQs

The error has changed the second line from 0x21 to 0x22 and I lack the
expertise to gather information from the results.

And this is where I need help, I don't know exactly what to search that
hasn't already lead me to my other workaround.

[Mike Keehan]

On 3/13/20 6:57 AM, Missio...@secmail.pro wrote:
> Since Reddit is dead and I found this place I thought I'd try again.
>
> I am currently trying to install Qubes OS on a consumer grade Lenovo
> laptop that was gifted to me recently.
>
> The laptop contains a Ryzen 7 2700u APU, and I am certain that everything
> is in place for IOMMU support, which should fall under the SVM Technology
> setting in the BIOS.
>
> The issue arrives when the system tries to enable AMD-Vi, this is the
> output of xl dmesg:
>
> (XEN) Initing memory sharing.
> (XEN) IVHD Error: Invalid IO-APIC 0x21
> (XEN) AMD-VI: Error initialization
> (XEN) I/O virtualization disabled
> (XEN) ENABLING IO-APIC IRQs
>

A simple search on Google for "Ryzen 7 2700u and Qubes" yields a list of
posts.

Mike.

[Foppe de Haan]

there's also a IOMMU bios option that needs to be enabled. "should" is something you and bios makers seem to differ on, and I think they win. ;)

[Missio...@secmail.pro]

> A simple search on Google for "Ryzen 7 2700u and Qubes" yields a list of
> posts.
>
> Mike.

I'm not seeing much pertinent to my issue.

> there's also a IOMMU bios option that needs to be enabled. "should" is
> something you and bios makers seem to differ on, and I think they win. ;)

I've heard the horror stories of both consumer grade Lenovo hardware and
OEM Ryzen Mobile APU support, so I know I'm pretty much screwed over by
the BIOS at this point, but I was wondering if I could find any
workarounds.

The BIOS option I mentioned has the description:

AMD SVM Technology:

When enabled, a VM software can utilize the additional hardware
capabilities provided by Virtual Technology

[X] Virtual Technology is [ENABLED/DISABLED]

I did install Qubes on a usb from another system, then inserted it into
this one, I have seen posts about this.

When SVM Technology is enabled and the iommu command line flag is called,
the system crashes at autostarting the system VMs, removing it allows it
to boot, but as before, no IOMMU, so PVH domains cannot be used.

Whenever the SVM Technology is disabled, it crashes whether or not the
flag is called.

I've read about broken ACPI tables and using command line options to
manually assign the hardware to the system, so I was wondering about this
sort of workaround. Or is it not possible outside of hypothetically
spending a lot of time building a custom coreboot image or something
similar?

Sidenote: what do I lose if I just concede to run without IOMMU and PVH
domains?